Solent Waves
April 2002 Issue 247
Editorial Material

Hi Folks!

May Day will be upon us shortly - doesn’t time fly? If your team or group is involved in any special events on the day please let the editor, David Roberts, know by 10th April at the latest please so that he can include your event in the diary.

It’s almost AGM time again too. FASH members will shortly receive their membership renewal reminder and formal notification of this year’s AGM through the post. Everyone is welcome at the meeting (and you get a discount for the dance afterwards too), but only members are able to vote. The meeting will be held at Soberton Village Hall on Sunday 12th May, and commences at 5pm. We plan to finish the meeting by 6pm to leave time for a picnic tea (don’t forget to bring your goodies - tea and coffee will be available). The dance will start at 7pm and will be led by Pam Stallworthy and myself, with the music by Pete and Sue Hall. Please add the date to your diary and come along to Soberton and give us your support.

We had an enjoyable evening’s dance at Woodfidley’s Annual Ball this last weekend. Well done Nigel Close and Pendragon. It was interesting to dance another version of Newcastle. John Playford’s publication of the dance in 1651 was primarily an aide memoir for aspiring young beaux, so the original instructions are scant to say the least. Cecil Sharp provided us with his interpretation in 1911 and since then there have been several ‘new versions’ over the years including more recently versions from Colin Hume and Michael Barraclough. This one had some of Nigel’s own interpretation too, which made the last figure much simpler and less bewildering for the uninitiated. I must have a go at teaching that!

The Festival season will also be upon us soon. Winchester Festival is a week later this year (the weekend of 17th to 19th May); our season starts at Bletchingley (near Reigate) on 20th April. Other Festivals in the next couple of months include Eastbourne 3rd to 6th May, Bromyard Spring Festival 5th May, and Chippenham 31st May to 3 June.

Finally for those of you who like New England Contras there will be a new series of Contra Dances starting in April. The date for your diary is Thursday 25th April at 8pm, and the venue is Copythorne Village Hall between Junction 1 and 2 of the M27. The event will be lead by myself, with live music from John and Carol Wippell. We were hoping to hold the event once per month but holidays have played havoc with our planning, so the subsequent event will be on 27th June. Do come and join us.

Happy Dancing

WICKHAM MORRIS ANNUAL MAY DAY FESTIVAL

Wickham Morris will again be hosting their annual May Day Festival in Wickham Square on Wednesday 1st May - Greeting the Dawn at 5.15 am, then, after a day of touring, from 6.30 pm until dusk when we finish with a massed dance down the length of the Square.

It is free to come and watch but we will be accepting donations for this year's charities, DEBRA and KIDS Southeast.

This is our 21st Birthday year so we are hoping to open our celebrations with 21 sides dancing during the evening - we had 18 last year, so it should be possible! Invitations are out and we already have 12 coming, with lots more sides still to respond. If there are any other sides out there we have inadvertently missed but who would like to come, please contact me on 01489 892911.

MAY DAY

Please let me have details of your May Day events by 10th April.

PLUS

If you want your dancing out details to appear in Solent Waves, please let me have them by 10th April for inclusion in the next issue.

CALLING ALL TEACHERS

Are there any teachers in the FASH area providing or interested in providing Folk Dance for children in school? FASH are keen to support children’s events. If so, please contact any member of the FASH Committee (see FASH page).