But not so much the hair and make-up, for me anyway. They did manage some gorgeous colours and trims on those dresses.
The newer, sleeker, princess line dresses are much easier to manage than all those layers of frothy net. I made one, admittedly full length, fancy dress for a Venetian masked ball so laced bodice, big skirt and under layers. Lovely till I tried doing a line dance with lots of turns and found the skirt had its own momentum and no brakes. Talk about getting carried away.....
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Peter West and McDonald Hobley, Judith Chalmers was also a presenter if my memory has not failed. Peggy Spencer also had the Formation Dancers who were on those first shows. At the dance school we boys were taught how to dance with a girl in those massive skirts without tripping tearing or otherwise denuding a lady of her modesty, quite a feat. Back then the huge dance halls held country wide dance Competitions, I danced with my first real Professional lady dancer at the Hammersmith Ballroom during one of those competitions. The Competitors went on the floor and danced two dances on which they were judged by judges standing round the floor, they then called back the top of the lists and they did the same dances again. There would be a break when we general dancers would all get on the floor and the competitors had a break. One of the ladies came across and asked me to dance I was 17 but not short of confidence. After two more dances she asked if I considered going professional that left me a bit gobsmacked as I thought them well above my level. They had six dances to compete in altogether and the winner was declared there and then, the lady I had danced with came second with her partner, apparently they were not talking to each other once the dance was over. At the end of the night she gave me a card with her dance school name and asked me to call, who knows I could have been sitting where Len sits had I taken her up on it.
The Waltz was the first dance we all had to learn as it was the basis of most of the Old Fashioned dancing, it would be called sequence dancing these days. Fast slow and English waltz and yes they are different. Tango we did fast and slow plus some which were much like sequence dancing. I was by then at the Modern dancing school though we still did some of the old fashioned dances which would also be done in the large Ballrooms as it remained popular. It all went base over apex when Chubby Checker came on the scene.
Modern sequence dance is hugely popular in the UK. I tried to get the Belgians at it after seeing it done at Blackpool Tower ballroom when over for a nephew's wedding and staying not too far away. It's lovely because all couples dance the same steps at the same rhythm in a huge circle round the dance floor so older dancers who are getting a bit frail have no fear of being run over by faster couples. There was a couple who must have been in their 80s who only did those dances and were lovely to watch.
There are waltzes, tangos, rumbas, sambas and all sorts now as well as the older stuff. I appealed to Len's school for info and they were very helpful, pointing me at sites and sources where I could get the steps and the music.
We loved it but the Belgians prefer their line dances which also encompass all the rhythms, not just C&W. I love them too but the sequence dancing in couples is altogether something else.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Only got a lift home if my friend pulled his tho lol. Remember the bus journey home, then 20 minute walk to my door, fortunately my house wasn't the last one on route! Then missing the third from top srair......because it creaked! Sometimes my dad was awake and he would either say.......night night, did you have a nice time......or.......what time do you call this. It was the same time give or take 5-10 mins fun times though
What did I miss? Listening to you lot reminds me of early dancing days when stockings were a rare item it was leg paint and a black line down the back of the leg. One night all of fifteen I went to the local church hall dance, wooden plank floor complete with the odd nail sticking up, Victor Sylvester records on a wind up Gram and the Vicar playing the old clapped out piano. It was seven till nine and well populated as a place to meet the other half to walk home a quick peck before we bumped into her Dad out on the Green waiting, 12 bore hidden up his coat. And so it came to pass, it was tossing it down the rain was bouncing back off the pavement and my trouser legs wet rags. In the vestibule there was Beryl the local beauty come here you and clean my legs up, where upon she drew her dress up to her nickers and handed me a pad of the toilet paper Sanizal, now that stuff was as absorbent as a plastic bag. What she had dyed her legs with had run and looked a bit like camouflage. I tried but the sight of those blue bloomers over what looked a shapely bottom did distract me some what. Job done as best as I could she flew off into the hall, when I went in she was dancing with the local Spiv who could get you anything from a battery for the torch to a pound of butter. A couple of weeks later she had silk stockings, don't ask. I was away overseas for nearly three years, on coming back recognised nothing, Maxi skirts, queer hair do's and make up that masked the face. A lot of the kids I had known were married and pushing prams up the High Street others had left the area. Those who had not done either had not grown up still school kids to me, I went back off leave early. Beryl married three times, once asked me why I never made a pass at her my reply was I do not like queuing.
I was brought up in the country so what you are all saying sounds like a different world. My father was quite strict and I wasn't allowed out late, no transport anyway. I did wear Mary Quant individual eyelashes and pale lipstick though, when it was in fashion. And mini skirts. My Dad shouted at me for wearing a mini skirt but my uncle was staying and told him I would be laughed at if I didn't keep up with the fashion! I did enjoy barn dances in the village hall when I was a young wife. Mum and I always watched Come Dancing when I was still at home.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Posts
I remember Peter West commentating on Come Dancing, before Terry Wogan. I loved the dresses then.
But not so much the hair and make-up, for me anyway. They did manage some gorgeous colours and trims on those dresses.
The newer, sleeker, princess line dresses are much easier to manage than all those layers of frothy net. I made one, admittedly full length, fancy dress for a Venetian masked ball so laced bodice, big skirt and under layers. Lovely till I tried doing a line dance with lots of turns and found the skirt had its own momentum and no brakes. Talk about getting carried away.....
Peter West and McDonald Hobley, Judith Chalmers was also a presenter if my memory has not failed. Peggy Spencer also had the Formation Dancers who were on those first shows. At the dance school we boys were taught how to dance with a girl in those massive skirts without tripping tearing or otherwise denuding a lady of her modesty, quite a feat. Back then the huge dance halls held country wide dance Competitions, I danced with my first real Professional lady dancer at the Hammersmith Ballroom during one of those competitions. The Competitors went on the floor and danced two dances on which they were judged by judges standing round the floor, they then called back the top of the lists and they did the same dances again. There would be a break when we general dancers would all get on the floor and the competitors had a break. One of the ladies came across and asked me to dance I was 17 but not short of confidence. After two more dances she asked if I considered going professional that left me a bit gobsmacked as I thought them well above my level. They had six dances to compete in altogether and the winner was declared there and then, the lady I had danced with came second with her partner, apparently they were not talking to each other once the dance was over. At the end of the night she gave me a card with her dance school name and asked me to call, who knows I could have been sitting where Len sits had I taken her up on it.
The Waltz was the first dance we all had to learn as it was the basis of most of the Old Fashioned dancing, it would be called sequence dancing these days. Fast slow and English waltz and yes they are different. Tango we did fast and slow plus some which were much like sequence dancing. I was by then at the Modern dancing school though we still did some of the old fashioned dances which would also be done in the large Ballrooms as it remained popular. It all went base over apex when Chubby Checker came on the scene.
Frank.
Modern sequence dance is hugely popular in the UK. I tried to get the Belgians at it after seeing it done at Blackpool Tower ballroom when over for a nephew's wedding and staying not too far away. It's lovely because all couples dance the same steps at the same rhythm in a huge circle round the dance floor so older dancers who are getting a bit frail have no fear of being run over by faster couples. There was a couple who must have been in their 80s who only did those dances and were lovely to watch.
There are waltzes, tangos, rumbas, sambas and all sorts now as well as the older stuff. I appealed to Len's school for info and they were very helpful, pointing me at sites and sources where I could get the steps and the music.
We loved it but the Belgians prefer their line dances which also encompass all the rhythms, not just C&W. I love them too but the sequence dancing in couples is altogether something else.
RB....did you have a back-combed bee hive hair do?
Ooh yes RB, the last bus home........well unless you 'pulled' and he had a car!
Phewww indeed RB
Only got a lift home if my friend pulled his tho lol. Remember the bus journey home, then 20 minute walk to my door, fortunately my house wasn't the last one on route! Then missing the third from top srair......because it creaked! Sometimes my dad was awake and he would either say.......night night, did you have a nice time......or.......what time do you call this. It was the same time give or take 5-10 mins
fun times though 
What did I miss? Listening to you lot reminds me of early dancing days when stockings were a rare item it was leg paint and a black line down the back of the leg. One night all of fifteen I went to the local church hall dance, wooden plank floor complete with the odd nail sticking up, Victor Sylvester records on a wind up Gram and the Vicar playing the old clapped out piano. It was seven till nine and well populated as a place to meet the other half to walk home a quick peck before we bumped into her Dad out on the Green waiting, 12 bore hidden up his coat. And so it came to pass, it was tossing it down the rain was bouncing back off the pavement and my trouser legs wet rags. In the vestibule there was Beryl the local beauty come here you and clean my legs up, where upon she drew her dress up to her nickers and handed me a pad of the toilet paper Sanizal, now that stuff was as absorbent as a plastic bag. What she had dyed her legs with had run and looked a bit like camouflage. I tried but the sight of those blue bloomers over what looked a shapely bottom did distract me some what. Job done as best as I could she flew off into the hall, when I went in she was dancing with the local Spiv who could get you anything from a battery for the torch to a pound of butter. A couple of weeks later she had silk stockings, don't ask. I was away overseas for nearly three years, on coming back recognised nothing, Maxi skirts, queer hair do's and make up that masked the face. A lot of the kids I had known were married and pushing prams up the High Street others had left the area. Those who had not done either had not grown up still school kids to me, I went back off leave early. Beryl married three times, once asked me why I never made a pass at her my reply was I do not like queuing.
Frank.
Frank....
Good reply Frank!
I was brought up in the country so what you are all saying sounds like a different world. My father was quite strict and I wasn't allowed out late, no transport anyway. I did wear Mary Quant individual eyelashes and pale lipstick though, when it was in fashion. And mini skirts. My Dad shouted at me for wearing a mini skirt but my uncle was staying and told him I would be laughed at if I didn't keep up with the fashion! I did enjoy barn dances in the village hall when I was a young wife. Mum and I always watched Come Dancing when I was still at home.