Perkins Engines Sports and Social Club, Stafford

Happy Birthday Marie and Sean. What a great way to celebrate your fortieth birthday – find a mate with a birthday close to yours and have a joint party. Well done all the little ones for dancing all night long, where do they get their energy from? And a special mention of little Erin who entertained the band with her bubbles and happy nature. Keep playing the fiddle Erin.

Here's a list of Sylvia's dances for your Dance Card.

Cock O' The North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Snowball

The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel

Old Swan Gallop

The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Postman's Knock

Circle Waltz
The Humours of Scarrif / Some Say The Devil is Dead

Orcadian Strip the Willow
Siege of Ennis 

Shebag an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand

Polka Off 

Oxo Reel

Circassian Circle

Erin's first fiddle lesson.

Keele Postgraduate Association, St Patrick's Night

StringFing plus a leprechaun – it can only be St Patrick's Night at the KPA up at Keele University. Back in my day it was called the KRA when much of the 'research' took place in the bar, so it's very reassuring to see that in spite of a name change a fine tradition continues.The leprechaun, by the way, is some local critic Spike brought in to review our performance and ensure the correct ratio of trad / WT Fox songs on St Pat's.

Longsdon Memorial Hall

Dr Jimmy's retirement party.

Here's a list of Sylvia's dances for your Dance Card.

The Snowball

Goatland Square Eight

Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie

Simple Longways Set

Circle Hornpipe

Old Swan Gallop

The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair

Circle Waltz

Orcadian Strip the Willow

Shebag an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand

The Humours of Scarrif / Some Say The Devil is Dead

Polka Off 

The Willow Tree

Circassian Circle

Psychogeographical Trivia.

I love these old fashioned village hall stages with their rickety steps and vertigo inducing height. They provide a panoramic view of the ceili chaos below. Longsdon competes in height with Endon Village Hall and so merits a stage diving rating of Awesome.

For reasons I'm not entirely clear about Longsdon proudly displays a framed photograph of former Bond girl, star of the Wicker Man, and occasional Fairy Godmother, Britt Ekland. What a trouper. I suppose we can all gain comfort from the the thought that no matter how far you climb up the slippery pole of success we all end up in Panto.