Great Bridgeford, Melanie and Mark

Melanie and Mark.

Ralph at the eye of the storm.

Congratulations to Melanie and Mark on their 30th wedding anniversary. Moody Food played at their 25th and it's always nice to be asked back.

This time, as Sylvia was on the hippy trail to Morocco, we borrowed Ralph Smethurst to do the calling and he brought with him some interesting new dances and variations on old friends.  I liked the ladies' chain in Old Swan Gallop but the one everyone will remember is the 'Lady Godiver' manoeuvre in the Snowball – you just had to be there to appreciate it. He kept everyone dancing up until the witching hour and somehow managed to seamlessly morph the Old Swan Gallop into Circassian Circle – polkas to jigs. I'm still not quite sure how we manged that.

Ralph's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Big Set Mixer
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Cumberland Reel
Cumberland Square 8
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Meet The Ladies
Ralph's Mystery Square Dance
Thread The Needle
Holmfirth Square 8
Lucky 7
Geoff's Tune
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle

The Boughey Arms, Audley

Plucked! will be playing a bunch of fancy pickin' foot stompin' tunes and a whole load of songs from the high plains of loneliness about hurtin', cheatin' and sinin' at the The Boughey Arms this Saturday 22 September.

Shottle Hall, Rebecca and Darran

Rebecca and Darran cut the cake.

 This was our first time at Shottle Hall for the wedding of Rebecca and Darren. We first met Darren at one of our regular Burns night dances in Ashbourne. As it was such a small room we decided to play with acoustic guitar and without drums which gave the evening a really intimate atmosphere.

For some reason or other the rather impressive chandelier reminded Collin of an episode of Only Fools and Horses. I had my own senior moment during the night when I though Collin asked us to play for the Little Blue Reel which in the event turned out to be the Virginia Reel. I think Little Blue Reel would be a good name for a dance – someone should write one.

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Rebecca and Darren's first dance (Open Arms by Journey)
The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Strip the Willow
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie 
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair 
The Gay Gordons
Virginia Reel (Little Blue Reel)
Falling Masonry
Old Swan Gallop
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
The Foulla Reel
Circassian Circle

Lea Hall, Rugeley

I think that this must have been the first time we have played anywhere in Rugeley, but it was worth the wait just to see the fantastic dance floor at the Lea Hall Miners' Social Club. It would be a great for a New Year's Eve Ceilidh but it was a little thinly populated tonight.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Circle Mixer
Simple Longways Set
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Goatland Square Eight
Old Swan Gallop
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
The Flying Scot
Circle Waltz
The Snowball
Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna
Lucky Seven
Clopton Bridge
Shebang an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand
Circassian Circle