From The Warminster & District Companion, Volume One, published by the Warminster & Valley Society For Local Study, in April 2003:
A DANCING CLUB IN WARMINSTER
~ 1952 – 2002 ~
FROM THE GAY NINETIES AND THE OLD TYMERS
TO THE WARMINSTER SEQUENCE DANCE CLUB
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Two dance classes were run weekly in Warminster between 1948 and 1952, which proved to be very popular. And so it was that on 26th November 1952 a dance club calling itself “The Gay Nineties” was formed, when its first dance was held, that day, in an old army hut (used as a Youth Centre) in the grounds of Prestbury House at Boreham Road. Those were the days of rumbustious dances, the Lancers, the Dashing White Sergeant, and Quadrilles, as well as the more graceful ones.
For seven weeks the club was held in the ex-army hut at Prestbury until it moved in 1953 to the Old Bell in the Market Place. Admission to the dances was two shillings. 1953 was, of course, the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation, and the Club held a Coronation Ball on 22nd June that year. It was this occasion that started off the long and friendly association with Tom Mendham’s Orchestra, which provided the music for the Ball nights. For the Club Balls the dancers were immaculately attired in full evening dress; the men wearing white gloves which showed to advantage in the Military Two Step. The ladies wore full length gowns to complete the picture of past glories.
Between 1952 and 1955 there were no leaders but as time went on a close liaison sprang up with the Frome Gay Nineties club and other neighbouring Olde-Tymers, with beneficial results. The dances were correctly learnt and some couples went for private lessons held above Birford’s Café (what is now Cristettes) in the Market Place. The dance instructors were a Mr. and Mrs. Bray.
The first A. G. M. was held on 24th September 1953, with only 26 members attending out of a total membership of 73. In April 1955 the Club asked Mr. & Mrs. Len Ingram to act as leaders at the Ball nights. By this time the venue for the balls had changed to the Town Hall, although the Old Bell was still used for the club nights.
Instruction classes, before the evening club dances, were introduced in 1955, as a way of attracting new members. In 1958 the Club staged one of the finest charity balls ever held in the Warminster area. No fewer than 250 tickets were sold, and Mr. Ingram, concerned about lack of space, recalled “that fortunately only 125 dancers turned up.” A cheque for £70 was sent to the National Society For The Blind.
In 1960 membership numbers started to fall and it was decided to advertise for six weeks in the Warminster Journal. The first of the club’s professional teachers, a Mr. & Mrs. Clancy, came in 1960, remaining until 1961, making the 40 mile return trip from Salisbury, sometimes in atrocious weather. At the ninth A. G. M. in June 1961 it was agreed to change the name of the club to the Warminster Old Tyme Dance Club. With funds of about £5 to £6 the Club only just managed to keep going. Then a Mr. & Mrs. Hillier came from Trowbridge, and in 1963 Mr. & Mrs. Stewart (Jack and Vi) took over.
A memorable highlight came in November 1963, when, under the Leaders Jack and Vi Stewart, members of Warminster Olde Tyme Dance Club joined with Old Tymers from Frome (making a party of 40), to go to London to take part in the BBC programme called “Time For Old Time.” A good time was had by all the dancers. The M.C.’s were a Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Wilson, and it was discovered that Vera Wilson was a native of Warminster. Her parents lived at Imber Road. Vera’s father (Mr. Townsend) had been the manager of the London & Central Meat Company in Warminster, in about 1910. This shop has long ceased to operate.
The club’s first Dinner-Dance was held in 1967. Sixty-nine members, guests and visitors enjoyed the happy atmosphere of the first event of this kind to be held in the 15 years that the club had existed. The Wiltshire Times sent a reporter to cover the speeches. Jack and Vi Stewart were the leaders, and Tom Mendham’s Band played the music for the evening’s dances.
Owing to the increased publicity the club’s membership had increased by the year 1967, which prompted the club to purchase its own record equipment and to be independent of the Old Bell and the Leaders.
A tableau depicting Old Tyme Dancing was entered in Warminster Carnival in June 1967.
In March 1968 Mr. & Mrs. Stewart offered their resignation as Leaders. In 1969 the Club experienced not only membership problems but also difficulties with venues. It moved from the Old Bell to the Minster Hall at Pound Street, where it met every Friday evening. Mr. & Mrs. Ingram (Len and Daisy) and Mr. & Mrs. Curtis (Reg and Lilian) became co-helpers, teaching new dances at these club nights. Under the excellent tuition of these joint leaders the Club flourished again.
A successful charity ball, in aid of the local Coronary Unit, was held at the Old Bell Hotel on 23rd January 1971. Mr. & Mrs. Stewart were asked to be the Leaders at the Ball, and the music was provided by the Royettes of Bath. A cheque for £55 was presented to the Warminster Coronary Unit Appeal.
During the 1974 – 1975 season the Club moved venue again, this time to St. John’s Parish Hall at Boreham Road. Ball nights continued, with new bands being introduced. Len and Daisy Ingram stood down as joint leaders during the summer of 1975, but Reg and Lilian Curtis stayed on. The Club was then at its lowest ebb, but it continued in spite of many headaches, thanks to dedicated leadership, valuable equipment and a marvellous selection of records. This carried the Club through to its first 25 years and beyond. In 1979 club nights moved venue yet again, to Christ Church Hall. Lilian and Reg Curtis retired in 1988, when they handed the Leadership over to John and Mary Airey.
Things went from strength to strength under John and Mary’s guidance. Members travelled long distances to follow these two leaders. From the east they came from Amesbury, Chitterne and Codford, to name but a few places. From the west they travelled from Bath, Bradford On Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury, and other places en route. Distance was definitely no object for the monthly ball. The Club became a Mecca for visiting dancers. One couple from the Isle of Wight attended regularly; and another couple came from London. There was even a couple from Holland – but no they did not come specially, they were camping at Longleat!
As the weekly attendance increased to 40 plus, it became obvious that more room was needed, so the Club said a sad farewell to Christ Church Hall after many years and moved to Warminster Assembly Hall.
1994 – 2002
The decision by the Warminster Sequence Dance Club to use the Assembly Hall, from Thursday 7th April 1994 onwards, as the new venue for their club nights, as well as the monthly balls, proved to be a very successful move. It helped to attract more members and there was plenty of room for dancing – and it was noted at the time “no more boomps a daisy, dancers are looking forward to sweeping foxtrots, energetic jives, lunging tangos and slinky rumbas with plenty of room to swing and sway.”
John and Mary Airey continued to run the Monday Club at the United Services Club, which enabled new members to have extra tuition before joining the Warminster Club. This proved a success and club membership increased again.
Unfortunately, John Airey died in February 1995, which left the Club without any leaders. Reg and Sylvia Dart, from Shrewton, immediately offered their services to the Club and became the Leaders by popular vote. Reg and Sylvia had led clubs in Devizes, Wilton and Amesbury, before coming to Warminster.
A very successful bring and buy sale on the first Thursday of each month, run by Barbara Parry and Joan Davies, with help from the Committee and members, helped the club with all-important funds, meeting the extra expense of the move to bigger premises. A good supply of reading books, bric-a-brac and produce, have always stocked the monthly sale.
In October 1996, following the death of the Club President, Philip Pearle, it was decided to continue this honorary position, and Stan Stock was elected the new President of the Club.
The Club joined up with another Club in Devon, and a yearly Sunday Tea Dance was arranged. The Devon Club travels to Warminster by bus, in May, and Warminster members travel by bus to Devon in September for the return dance. These well-supported occasions have had some costs subsidised by the Club.
After the mid-1990s the membership of the Club started to go down, so Reg and Sylvia Dart started a Beginners Class at St. John’s Hall, to try and tempt new people to learn sequence dancing. This didn’t prove particularly successful but the Club managed to carry on, hoping that new members would soon arrive.
Then in 1999 came the very sad news that Reg Dart was terminally ill. After a short illness he died in July that year, so unfortunately the Club was again without leaders. Michael and Ann Brine had helped out at the Club while Reg had been ill and they offered their services as Leaders. After a six month trial this popular pair became the new Leaders (with Albert and Brenda Tancock, the leaders of the Frome Club, very kindly assisting when Michael and Anne are away).
When the dancing club at Bradford On Avon had to change their club evening to a Tuesday (they had been meeting on the same evening as Warminster), a situation arose which allowed both the Bradford On Avon and the Warminster club to share and obtain new members. An increase in membership meant more funds and the Warminster Sequence Dance Club decided to stay open all year round to enable members to keep up with learning all the new dances.
Michael and Ann Brine and the Committee next decided to start a beginners class before the club evening starts at 8.00 p.m. This proved to be a great success and brought in quite a few new couples into sequence dancing. The Committee did a lot of publicity to get this class going, by advertising in the press, contacting local radio, handing out leaflets, and putting up posters in public places. The response to this encouraged the Club to move forward to new things.
Theme evenings were arranged throughout the year and were well supported. The yearly Dinner-Dance in June proved very popular and attracted an attendance of 80 members. The Assembly Hall is decorated for Ball evenings by Barbara Parry and Joan Davies, helped by the Committee and members – giving visiting members and guests a feeling of being made welcome by the Club and this has certainly helped to create a good atmosphere. With support from members of other clubs in the area, the Warminster Club started to re-select some of its regular organists, to give members a bit more variety. New organists to the area are introduced to the Club at New Ball nights in June/September and are then slotted in to the yearly Balls. This choice has proved to be another very successful idea for the Club, which in November 2002 could boast a membership of 101.
5OTH ANNIVERSARY DANCE
The Warminster Sequence Dance Club celebrated its Golden Anniversary with a Grand Ball held at the Assembly Hall, Warminster, on the evening of Friday 22nd November 2002. The Mayor of Warminster, Councillor Andrew Davis was invited was to attend and he made a speech congratulating the Club on its 50 years of activity and achievement – saying he might even consider becoming a member in the years to come! Two cakes were made by Joan Davies and decorated by Margaret Puddy. Popular organist Larry Green provided the music, and the evening was recorded for posterity on video by local historian Danny Howell.
Among the past members of the Club invited to attend, were: Lilian and Reg Curtis (former Leaders); Les and June Chadwick (former Chairman); Mary Airey (former Leader); Fred and Daphne Slow (former Club Press Reporter for a number of years); Peter and Doris Aylott (former Club Secretary); and former members Doris Wheeler, Tony and Enid Todd, Eileen Willison, and John and June Northeast.