FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Dances
On Saturday 22nd November, we will be having our first afternoon dance from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at Scotton Village Hall, New Road, Scotton HG5 9HR. Màrtainn Skene is playing. This is the programme and the number for mobile cribs is 62297. The mobile crib app is free to download. Tickets cost £12, tea and cakes will be provided! Pay online, with your name as reference, or pay on the door.
On Friday 23rd January 2026, we will have our annual Burns Night Ceilidh in Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall. Music by Ian Slater.
On Saturday 11th April 2026, we will have our annual Spring Dance in Scotton Village Hall. Music by Phill Jones.
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Our annual trip to Hawkshead will take place from 11th to 13th October 2026.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
Dancing at Hawkshead
Our annual trip to Hawkshead took place from 12th to 14th October 2025. We stayed at Yewfield Guest House where we danced on Sunday night and Monday afternoon. After an evening meal at Yewfield the dancing on Sunday night was led by Betty. We were joined by 4 dancers from a local club who helped to make up our numbers to 2 sets. Monday morning was free time and a group of us walked into Hawkshead for coffee. Another group went to Grasmere to sample the excellent local gingerbread.
Everyone had the opportunity to submit dances to the Monday afternoon programme and teach the dance. We had a good mix of familiar and unusual dances and Jim got us all through the Celtic Reel. In the evening we ate out at a local pub in Hawkshead, followed by drinks and chat in the lounge at Yewfield.
On Tuesday morning after check-out we all drove to Langdale for a very scenic walk when the sun finally made an appearance. There was the choice of either a walk of 2.5 miles or a longer one of 4.5 miles. Afterwards we all met up at another local pub for a final lunch before making our way home.
Summer Walk
The club summer walk took place on Wednesday 23rd July in Staveley near Knaresborough. It was about 5 miles and went through the nature reserve. Jim and Joanne booked a table at the Royal Oak at 6pm.
White Rose Festival
An intrepid Saltire team of 11 dancers took part in the outdoor White Rose Festival on 12 July in spite of the blistering heat. This annual event has a great atmosphere and is always fun, though it might have been a different story this year if we hadn’t had a gazebo to retreat to when we weren’t dancing..
Having selected 17 dances to perform from the programme, including two challenging demonstration dances, the team was kept busy practising during the weeks leading up to the Festival. Many thanks again to Betty for taking us through them, and to Valerie for the impossible task of deciding who would dance with whom in each of the dances.
The programme offers dances for all abilities, and most of the dances are performed by all or many of the teams. The exception is the four demonstration dances, of which we completed two. One was The Wee Lassie Fae Gourock, which very few attempted, as you’ll understand if you look at it online (click on the link in this sentence).
The Festival also attracts spectators, to watch both their own and other teams, as well as displays of Highland dancing. Live music by a band (Ewan Galloway’s this year) and by a piper add to the atmosphere. Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the Festival, which moved to Gateways School at Harewood, Leeds in 2006. It’s the perfect venue for mass dancing – a beautiful rural setting, with red kites circling overhead. The Festival still attracts teams from far and wide, and it was great to see three children’s teams taking part too.
After a successful and really enjoyable afternoon, some of the team are already saying they’d like to do it again next year! Other Saltire members would be very welcome to join us, or to come along to support us at the Festival. Make a note of the date: Saturday July 11 2026, with live music by Màrtainn Skene and his band for the afternoon dancing, as well as the evening dance afterwards. Saltire members will have a chance to hear Màrtainn playing for us at our afternoon dance on November 22 this year (see above).
End of term party night
This took place at St Wilfrid’s Church Hall on Wednesday 14th May to the marvellous music of Ian Slater. The programme had been chosen by Carol from dances danced during the term. This meant that one walk through was all that was required. The faith supper consisted of some savoury items and an array of slimming cakes, meringues and all manner of home baking. It was well received. If you left a dish there, Valerie is looking after it.
Carol presented Betty with a token of the club’s appreciation for all her hard work and forbearance over the term and all looked forward to resuming on 10th September.
Spring dance 2025
This took place on 5th April at Scotton Village Hall. Robert Whitehead and Alan provided the music. The programme. [for the record]
Burns Night 2025
We hold a Ceilidh every year on the Saturday nearest to 25th January. Happily, Burns Night this year fell on the 25th and we danced in the Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall for the first time and found that it suited us very well. In fact, it was just the ticket. Ian Slater played for us; Betty chose a great selection of dances; Alison ran the kitchen with her usual efficiency and the supper was delicious; Graham, assisted by Ian and Oliver, addressed the haggis and 70 dancers had a very good evening.
