Branch News
Members of the Banffshire Branch participated in the 75 Club/Thrift Shop celebrations over the weekend. The over 60s from Portsoy, Sandend and Fordyce were invited for a tea dance in the Portsoy Church Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Frank Thompson provided the music and Branch Dancers led the dancing.
A good time was held by all.
Classes with a Difference
CLASSES WITH A DIFFERENCE - September 2025 RSCDS Teacher: Anne McArthur A small but enthusiastic group of dancers met in the Institute Hall, Portsoy on Sunday 21st September for the first Class with a Difference of the season - dances from book 54. A Driving Reel proved to be an easy first dance as all dancers knew schiehallion reels. The Tea Pottery was challenging with quick moves, numerous formations and the need to have an alert mind. We achieved it with aplomb. The group liked the strathspey Canadian Landscape, easy to dance if one knows the tourbillon, set and link and espagnole. The group believe it will be popular on the rally circuit. Other dances taught were The Waternish Tangle, Kinclaven Bridge and A Tribute to West Renfrewshire. Anne McArthur
CLASSES WITH A DIFFERENCE - October 2025 RSCDS Teacher: Kate Strathdee For this class I chose as a theme “Castles” whereby the divisors of the dances chose to name their dances after a particular Castle. They were as follows : Armadale Castle on Skye R8x32 Frans Ligtman Castle Varrick, Tongue J8x32 Jean Attwood Ashintully Castle, near Kirkmichael S8x32 Lewis Derrick Fingask Castle, Rait J5x32 Heather Cowan Culzean Castle, Ayr J4x32 Jenny Bradley Castle Campbell, Dollar S4x40 Peter hastings Findlater Castle, Banffshire R8x32 Bill Forbes Of these dances Castle Campbell, with Highland Schottische Poussette was the one that caused some thought but most of them might be seen on dance programmes in the future. The class finished with Findlater Castle being a favourite here in Banffshire, devised by a “Buckie Loon” Bill Forbes. Kate Strathdee
HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY PAT from the members and dancing friends at RSCDS Banffshire Branch
Patricia Lemmon, one of our life members recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Some of her former dancers took her for an afternoon tea at the Town and County Club in Banff. A great time was had reminiscing about the ‘good old days’.
Anne McArthur
An afternoon of dancing dances from the Jim Stott Dance collection
Dancing dances from the Jim Stott dance collection 2020
Committee members 2025/2026
Left to Right -John Baillie, Dianna Baillie, Alice Archibald, Linda Thomas, Secretary, Kate Strathdee, Vice Chair, (Jim Stott,) Liz Bulloch, Chair, Mavis Macdonald, Treasurer, Anne McArthur, Isobel Turner, Gordon Bulloch
Twenty four dancers arrived at the Portsoy Church Centre on the 1st November to dance some of Jim Stott's Argentine and Japanese Collections. Jim has taught dancing in South America and Japan. The dances represent places he has visited and people he has met. Some of the tunes were written by him to commemorate members of his family.
The dances taught from the Argentine Collection included ‘The Road to Cafayete’ a small town high in the Andes near the Bolivian border, ‘Florida Street, Cambio Cambio’ the Main Street in Buenos Aires where people try to make one change money by calling cambio cambio and ‘The Four Spoons’, a standing joke when Mr Stott ate a whole apple pie which he was meant share with his three friends.
From the Japanese Collection, Toshogu Shrine and Nikko Falls are to be found around Nikko, a Unesco World Heritage Site, north of Tokyo. Also danced were the Koi Medley and Kotuko-in.
Report by Anne mcArthur