DST - Retiring at 90

We asked for news and stories from Branches and Groups in the first edition of Dance Scottish Together and almost immediately received this fantastic story from The Isle of Wight Caledonian Society; here Roz Groves tells the story of Ken Neale.

“Most people seem eager to celebrate retirement in their sixties, or even earlier; but Ken Neale, a teacher of Scottish country dancing, has finally, almost reluctantly, decided that he should probably retire, in his ninetieth year! So, for the Isle of Wight branch of the Caledonian Society this is a time for celebrating his career as an accomplished, dedicated and enthusiastic teacher.  

Ken has been dancing for more than 70 years and he has completed an amazing 42 years of teaching, mainly at the Caledonian Society's weekly classes. Teaching Scottish dancing is not a role that is lightly undertaken: after learning ballroom dancing in his teens, Ken was introduced to Scottish dancing while he was a student in Loughborough. He is a life member of the Manchester branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and he and his wife Ann (a well-known teacher of Irish dancing) became members of the Island branch of the Caledonian Society when they moved there in 1965. In 1981 he completed his first teachers' certificate - a very intensive fortnight in St Andrews; following on with the second certificate two years later, adding in other voluntary courses.

Ken was President of the Caledonian Society for two years in the 1980s, and from 1999 until 2019, he also ran The Island Scottish Dancers - a group of dancers which did demonstrations at a wide range of venues. Raising money for local charities, such as the RNLI, Cruse Bereavement Care and the Air Ambulance there was never a charge for visits to charitable fundraising events or to residential care homes. Ken was always fearsomely strict about getting every dance as perfect as possible for public performances!

There will surely be more celebrations for Ken and Ann in the coming year, when they will be celebrating 60 years of marriage! They are certainly proof that dancing is an effective way of keeping fit and healthy! Ken feels that bowls, a more recent hobby, and gardening also contribute to his fitness. Like any good dancer, Ken is musical, playing the piano by ear.

Ken is devoted to animals, as you can see in the photograph of Ken with a large cat!  (The cat is a frequent, uncharacteristically confident, somewhat hazardous visitor to Caledonian classes; a target of health and safety restrictions!) Ken's family has had dogs, cats, a lamb, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats and hens.

Ken and Ann will be guests at the Society's St Andrew's Dance in November where his retirement as a teacher will be celebrated, as will the fact that he continues to dance every week, as expertly as he has done for seven decades.”

Thanks to Roz for her lovely words and congratulations to Ken on all your achievements; we wish you a happy, well-earned retirement!