Country Dancing- Junior Schools in late 50's

[annswabey 479]

I've got a country dancing photo from Glenbrook Juniors, circa 1967. Our outfits are exactly as you describe, Paddy. As it was a girls only school, some of the girls are dressed in male outfits.

[Bilbraborn 1,584]

Was Miss Swindell still the headmistress at that time. She thoroughly hated us boys.

[StephenFord 863]

Some of you might have read this before. It isn't junior but senior school - and over the frontier in That Other County.

http://www.legsreunited.org.uk/trentstation-detail.html

[carni 9,121]

Hilarious Steven, Absolutely spot on, I can remember that feeling, of having to dance with "A Boy". I can't think of much worse at 10yrs of age. Well yes I can.....Not being Chosen!

[annswabey 479]

Bilbraborn

Yes, Miss Swindell was the Headmistress. I think she hated most pupils! She didn't like me because I couldn't sew. I was good at the "academic" stuff, but that didn't count!

[BilboroughShirley 1,090]

I remember for a short while we used to have a Barn Dance every term at Grammar School. We lads loved it as it gave us hot blooded lads chance to actually touch the girls.

I remember such dances as The Gay Gordon's, Strip the Willow, Dashing White Sergeant and St. Bernards Waltz. We also did things like American eightsome reels with one called (I think) Dip and Dive. It was fun and I would love to do some of that stuff again, but some of the moves were complicated. We just laughed it off when we messed up. I think the hardest were remembering to move along if it was a 'progressive' dance.

Hi,

I think this all started in the winter of 1962/63. A great winter. It snowed so much we did not go out for games so they taught us barn dancing with all the crazy moves. There was one called "the basket" where people sometimes got thrown across the floor. We went wrong so often it was one big laugh. The events were led by a member of the 6th form.

[siddha 667]

#20 Siddha

My wife was at St Augustine's, too, in 1964, and they were still using the same hall. It was in a factory on Alfred Street North. The building is still there today.

#21 David

Remember Mr Sumner well, although I didn't have to visit his office - well, not that many times!

Rob I left Gussies in 1959 so they were still using that place in 64. I remember the crocodile and the excitement of being out of school.

I wonder what the hall is used for now.

[carni 9,121]

I have just read Stephens post again #28. Brilliant laugh to start my day.

I can picture the scene of the village Garden Fete again as if it was yesterday, all of us girls dancing round in a big circle, watched proudly by our parents. Fair Skin and blonde hair burning in the hot sun, it's a wonder we didn't all pass out. I can't see Elf and Safety allowing that now. Not unless we all managed to dance and hold a Parasole.

[Guest]

Country dancing..well if it was a category ten blizzard we didn't play outside.

The school record player- a light teak coloured big thing with gold gridded circular speakers and a whopping big red light..this would sit in the centre of the hall and we'd skip around to Match of The Day theme.

No sexual or gender crap at St.Augustines.. exercises included-

" I must,I must,I must improve my bust"!!

That bleddy school...Siddah will tell ya!

[Jill Sparrow 7,070]

#34

 

Standard school issue gramophones they were Ian. We had one at Berridge. We used to skip around to Danse Macabre by Saint Saens...more suited to the Manning I'd have thought, but there it is.

 

Also had a huge square of teak with a round speaker in the middle of it for schools' radio broadcasts. "Find a space, children, and stand still!" Then it was a case of imagining you were a giant/elf/tree/seed in the ground...or whatever the theme was that week.  Your teacher was probably slurping a mug of coffee while all this was going on. Didn't have cop out lessons like that when I was teaching!  

[RosieP 1]

I went to Greenwood Junior and loved being in the country dancing team. I remember being at the big display on the police training ground here in Nottingham, the teams from different schools arranged like a colourful sea of costume.

[nonnaB 3,031]

The last post reminded me of when I was at a junior school sports day event at the police training ground. One of the final movements was when we all had to fall forward. We couldn't stop laughing when someone called out "Timber"