KEEPING alive a worthy tradition, the St Helens Folk Dance Club has heeled and toed itself to a golden milestone.
And this rather unsung organisation is to mark its 50th anniversary with a special celebration dance on Saturday, March 24. Venue is St James' Church Hall, Eccleston Park, with Judith Veevers and The Poachers headlining the do.
Though I must confess that I previously knew little about this specialist club, I'm now told that Sutton was one of the pioneers when Cecil Sharp, musician and piano teacher to the Royal Family, launched his folk revival early last century.
Roy Hordley, one of the St Helens club's founder members and still very much active in the local folk dance scene, has compiled an interesting glimpse into ankle-flicking lhistory.
He tells us that when Sharp became concerned about traditional English dances and songs dying out fast, he persuaded the then Department of Education to introduce a revival experiment in schools.
Sharp was a Cambridge man, and Sutton parish was a living of that university's Kings College. Consequently, the old Sutton National School was chosen to pioneer the scheme, as the1912 photograph (included alongside this piece) clearly shows.
Despite the passage of almost 90 years, Roy Hordley is able to provide identities of three of the pictured group. They are teachers Miss Thompson (left) and Miss Whitfield (right) with the only known girl being Audrey Price, standing second from Miss Whitfield. They represent the school's initial team of sword dancers, at the rear, with the singing group, front.
The 1914-18 world war brought the experiment to a halt.
There was some limited folk dancing and singing in St Helens schools between the the two world wars. But it was not until 1949 that folk enthusiast Dick Brady, geography master at Cowley and a talented pianist, gathered fellow enthusiasts to bring about a genuine revival.
A year later, the St Helens group of the English Folk Dance and Song Society was formed. Experienced dancer Vic Smeltzer, now a well-known retired local headmaster, became secretary with Roy Hordley -- son of the Audrey Price in the old-time picture -- appointed dance teacher and musician.
It got off to a sensational start with large numbers attending weekly classes and with house-full 'ticket-only' public dances. On one occasion, an overspill of 60 disappointed hopefuls had to be turned away.
Although numbers have never since matched those heady days of the 1950s, the group is still in good health and over the years has produced several nationally-known figures and sent teachers and teams to many places at home and abroad.
At next month's golden anniversary dance, the band will be led by the same Roy Hordley who played at the group's very first public dance.
Present secretary Ron Kells, who can be contacted on St Helens 754810, would be delighted to hear from any former members still living in the area who might like to go along to share their memories with old friends.
And, still looking optimistically ahead, veteran enthusiast Roy extends the club's warm welcome to interested newcomers . . . "in particular, younger folk who can help us carry on for the next 50 years!"
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