Spring term 2026
The term started on 7th January and will end on 13th May 2026, party night with music by Robert Whitehead.
A new idea for Wednesday evenings
On 18th March 2026 we introduced a weekly “No Instruction dance”, something which has proved popular at some other SCD Clubs in both the UK and abroad. This gives more experienced dancers the chance to spend a few minutes doing a dance which they can manage without any recap or walk throughs. Only those who are confident about doing the dance take part, so there is no pressure for anyone else to join in.
The NI dance is the second one after the tea break. The title of the chosen dance is highlighted here, and is announced at the start of each evening. Two copies of the crib for the dance are also posted in the Hall, for those dancers who want a quick reminder before dancing it.
Another initiative for Wednesday evenings
SALTIRE SUMMER
The Wednesday evening dance sessions in May and June and possibly July, which Valerie has mentioned at Club, are definitely going ahead.
Map for St. Luke’s Church, Harrogate. The church hall is opposite.
The first session is from 7.30 to 9.30 pm on Wednesday May 20 , at St Luke’s Church Hall, Franklin Square, Harrogate, and will be taken by Valerie. The following week, May 27, will be taken by Betty, but there will be no dancing on June 3, since this is the date of the Saltire walk and pub meal. Carol will also be taking some of the sessions. The cost is £3 per session.
As explained before, the intention of these sessions is to focus on more adventurous dances for those who have expressed an interest in learning them. The programme for each week will be posted on this page beforehand. There may need to be some flexibility in the programme, depending how many people come on the Wednesday night. We look forward to seeing some of you on May 20th.
Cribs and videos
Here is the programme for our end of term party night on Wednesday 13th May. The dances have been chosen because they are almost all ones that we have done regularly during the dancing year and there will be no NI dance. Robert Whitehead is our musician, and the evening includes a faith supper. We will be dancing until 10.30 pm.
One of the dances is Orpington Caledonians, devised by John Brenchley in 1987 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Orpington and District Caledonian Society. Courtesy of the Scottish Country Dance Database – a valuable resource.
The cribs and videos of the dances planned for a Wednesday evening at Saltire are now a regular weekly feature on our website under Class Nights. The link will be available each week sometime between the Sunday and Tuesday. All dances are walked through.
Clicking on the link will bring up a list of the dances on a separate tab. Clicking on a dance will bring up details of the dance, including the crib, the diagram and a selection of videos. Some dancers prefer not to look at the dances beforehand and, since all dances are walked through on a Wednesday evening, looking at them in advance is entirely optional.
2026/2027 terms
The autumn term will start on 9th September and end on 16th December 2026. The spring term will start on 6th January and end on 12th May 2027.