To celebrate the club’s 75th Anniversary (1951 – 2026) our usual afternoon May Tea Dance was combined with invitations to former members to attend, join in, watch and reminisce.
Almost everyone joined in the round the room opening dance, A Highland Welcome, familiar to all Maidenhead members as it was devised by Bill Forbes who taught us for many years. Dancing continued with the lively playing by Ian Muir (who had as usual flown down from Prestwick) with Keith Anderson and Bob Parsons.
A side room had a display of club memorabilia including newspaper cuttings from the 1950’s and 60’s showing that the club was very active with dances held in Maidenhead Town Hall and demonstrations such as at the Royal Windsor Rose Show. The club has always been innovative holding the first Ball in the area, having fancy dress evenings and initiating the more recent trend for Tea Dances.
At the interval everyone sat down for afternoon tea provided by club members. Keith Lobley, a member from the late 1960’s, cut the special 75th anniversary cake. Photographs were taken including the band with our MCs Diane Hoskins and Carol Berry, a line up of 8 former chairmen, and all our members, former members and friends from local clubs.
The dance programme was a mix of easy (so that those whose dancing had lapsed could join in), historical (Todlen Hame chosen as it was published in RSCDS Book 16 in 1951 the year Maidenhead Club was founded) and club favourites like Kilkenny Castle, The Falkirk Lass and most suitably Anniversary Reel.