C H E LT E N H A M A R T S C U LT U R E Cheltenham Arts Council: awards _ funding _ publicity _ events listings
February – May 2021
The gift of creativity at Christmas • Reaching for the stars Government's Planning White Paper • Choral Cuisine Meet the Members • Scottish Dance
Advertising Charges HALF PAGE ADVERT £25 for CAC members or £75 for non-members FULL PAGE ADVERT £50 for CAC members or £150 for non-members Please contact editor@cheltenhamartscouncil.co.uk for more information. Submissions must be with us by the following dates for consideration for the next issue:
End of November deadline for Feb/May Issue
End of March deadline for June/Sept Issue
End of July deadline for Oct/Jan Issue
COVER IMAGE: Janet James Towering Trees. Oil on panel
CONTENTS THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY AT CHRISTMAS
2
REACHING FOR THE STARS
3
GOVERNMENT’S PLANNING WHITE PAPER
5
CHORAL CUISINE
7
CAC BECOMES HISTORY
8
Janet’s work can be seen at Hadfield Fine Art www.hadfieldfineart.co.uk
LISTINGS 10-11 THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE WRITER’S’ NETWORK
12
MEET THE MEMBERS
13
Prestbury Local History Society: PUBLICATIONS
14
GET YOUR DANCING SHOES ON IN 2021
15
Perspectives is produced three times a year. The next issue will span June – September 2021. Submission (ads and events) must be with us by the end of March for consideration for the next issue. Please email event details to perspectives.listings@gmail.com
Cheltenham Arts Council PERSPECTIVES TEAM EDITOR Rachel Tedd
DESIGN Chantal Freeman
LISTINGS Alice Hodsdon ART CONSULTANT NIKI WHITFIELD
PERSPECTIVES FEBRUARY – MAY 2021 Issue
Dear Readers
I don’t know about you, but I’m still an enthusiastic user of a paper diary, rather than using an app on my phone or tablet. I always enjoy transferring birthdays and other significant events from one diary to another at the start of a year, and looking back on all the things I’ve done over the past 12 months. This year, I was shocked when I got to March – the number of meetings, get-togethers, rehearsals and days away that were crossed out last year really brought home to me what we are all missing. The fact that I was shocked made me realise how insidiously “normal” our restricted life has become. I sincerely hope that, with the advent of various vaccines, our diaries will teem with life again very soon. One of the effects of the pandemic was the cancellation of CAC's annual awards ceremony, which would normally have been held in March 2020. Although we did allocate the awards (see our Summer 2020 issue), we have been unable to reschedule the ceremony itself, so we will get the certificates and cups to their deserving recipients another way. We've also decided to suspend the awards for 2021 completely, but intend to be back with a full celebration in 2022. I have been amazed and delighted (and very grateful) to find that there have been plenty of volunteers to write articles for each of the three editions of Perspectives in lockdown. This time is no exception. We start off with a heartwarming tale of generosity during the festive season from The Arts Society
Cheltenham. That’s followed by news of a new play from Parrot Productions about a pioneering Cotswolds woman who made her mark in the maledominated world of astronomy in the 19th century. An article by Cheltenham Civic Society shows how local organisations are contributing to important national debates, in this case on planning. We also delve into the history of Cheltenham Arts Council, get an update from Prestbury Local History Society, and find out about the winners of the Gloucestershire Writers’ Network competition. Our Meet the Members column features Cheltenham Music Festival Society, which provides muchneeded support to that wonderful Festival. If your New Year’s resolution is to do some exercise, you’ll find some inspiration in the article by the Cheltenham branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society – what an enthusiastic and cheerful bunch they are! And if, after all that exercise, you are in need of sustenance, try Cheltenham Bach Choir’s cookbook. I know from personal experience that this is a choir that loves its cake, but its members obviously have talents in other culinary directions too! It only remains for me to wish you a healthy, happy and hopeful Spring – and may your diaries soon be full again! Rachel Tedd PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
editor@cheltenhamartscouncil.co.uk
2 Art
THE GIFT OF CREATIVITY AT CHRISTMAS THE ARTS SOCIETY CHELTENHAM
H
aving been disappointed by the postponement of the exciting International Day which we had planned for last June with St John’s Primary School and a variety of arts practitioners, and having received a grant from the Trafford Fund which is now on hold, The Arts Society Cheltenham hit upon the idea of launching a preChristmas appeal to members for funding to provide arts and crafts materials as Christmas presents for children who would otherwise have little access to such items. The appeal was launched in November and thanks to the generosity of our members it raised well over £700. Gifts were
purchased, delivered in large quantities and wrapped for Christmas! They were delivered to Home-Start Cheltenham and North Cotswolds, based in Winchcombe and covering Tewkesbury and the Forest of Dean as well as Cheltenham, and to Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees. Both of these organisations collaborated with us brilliantly by giving relevant details for all the gifts so that age-appropriate items could be ordered. All of the parcels were delivered in plenty of time for Christmas and were enthusiastically and gratefully received by both organisations. We are also grateful to everyone involved and hope that the presents received will inspire creativity and give pleasure to all the families. Elise Forbes Arts Volunteering, TASC
DONATED GIFTS
https://theartssocietycheltenham.org.uk
perspectives
Elise (right) with Nathalie Genes from Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees with the Christmas presents.
T H E AT R E 3
REACHING FOR THE STARS THE STORY OF A COTSWOLDS PIONEER
D
avid Elder of Parrot Productions describes a new online play.
‘I had left my home on the previous day and had passed the night at Cheltenham to enable me to take the 9.20am train …’ is one of the opening lines from In Pursuit of a Shadow: By a Lady Astronomer. The astronomer in question was Cirencester-born Elizabeth Brown (1830-99), and the journey she was embarking upon would take her to northern Russia in an attempt to view the solar eclipse on 19 August 1887. Her story is unusual by any standards. After caring for her father through a lengthy old age, she finally found the freedom in her fifty-second year to pursue her passion for astronomy. She became the first woman to join the Liverpool Astronomical Society and, in 1890, helped to establish the British Astronomical Association, being appointed director of the Solar Section in both societies. Three years later, she was elected as one of the first women fellows of the Royal Meteorological Society. Earlier, she had been proposed as a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, along with two other women, but they did not receive the required votes from the male membership. She was also one of the first women to own an astronomical observatory and the first to undertake a solar eclipse expedition on her own account and contribute to a scientific eclipse team. These facts, together with details about her close relationship with her father, Thomas Brown, who greatly encouraged her passion for astronomy, became the inspiration for Parrot Productions to produce a film version of a play about her life. Entitled
Marianne Gaston appears in ‘The Making of Miss Brown’
‘The Making of Miss Brown’ it was written by David Elder, directed by Rhona Smith, and starred Marianne Gaston as Elizabeth Brown. Voice-overs representing various astronomical societies were also provided by Anthony Young. It was premiered at this year’s Stroud Theatre Festival. While creating a film version of the play was a necessity under Covid restrictions, it brought with it many advantages, including the possibility of incorporating video footage of a live solar eclipse and stills images of planets and other observations made by Miss Brown. Feedback received from the online audience included the following: “A very moving story of the struggles of a brilliant woman in a man's society”; “The storyline, acting performance, set, costume and CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
4 T H E AT R E visuals were all excellent”; and from Mike Frost, Director of the British Astronomical Association’s Historical Section: “It's a laudable attempt to tell the story of a distinguished observer and a remarkable woman. And it should bring her story to non-astronomers.” Parrot Productions would like to acknowledge its grateful thanks to the Cheltenham Arts Council who helped to promote the play. It remains available to watch online for a small fee. See https://stfonline.co.uk/
ANDY WATT, CHELTENHAMOPENSTUDIOS.ORG.UK
perspectives
Update on Parrot Productions play ‘Bletchley Girls’ The radio play ‘Bletchley Girls’ goes from strength to strength. Described by the Deputy Chair of the Gloucester History Festival as a festival highlight, it has been listened to by over 2500 people so far. The Jenny Wren website https://www. jennywrenproductions.co.uk has links to the play or it can be found on Spotify under Radio Plays Bletchley Girls.
PLANNING 5
THE GOVERNMENT’S PLANNING WHITE PAPER CHELTENHAM CIVIC SOCIETY SHARES THOUGHTS & CONCERNS
E
veryone’s lives are touched by planning. It shapes the places where we live, work and play; how we get around; what our towns, neighbourhoods and countryside look like - and much else besides. For us in Cheltenham, with our rich architectural heritage and lively cultural scene, its role is especially important. Ever since 1947, most planning powers have been the responsibility of the elected local authority – in our case, Cheltenham Borough Council. They prepare development plans, operate development control to guide detailed changes and use enforcement powers to ensure compliance with decisions. As citizens, we can seek to influence the planning process at each stage. The White Paper (WP) Planning for the Future (what else would you be planning for?) proposes to upend this. It would do away with a lot of development control and replace it with the promise of more involvement in the planning phase. It also proposes changes in local plans, and greater use of design guides and codes. The Cheltenham Civic Society has closely examined the WP and produced a detailed 32 page report – see https:// cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk. We think the proposals are basically wrong because: • little evidence is offered to justify such far-reaching changes. Tearing down the present system which, for all its faults, is well established and well understood, cannot be justified by the thin arguments offered in the WP. Nor are the alleged benefits convincing;
• they focus on housing to the near exclusion of everything else. The treatment of climate change, the crisis for nature and public health issues – which planning can help ameliorate – is dreadfully superficial; • they threaten local democracy by reducing the public’s right to comment on the details of schemes, limiting citizens’ rights to be heard and weakening the hand of local authorities when dealing with pressures from developers. There are some good things in the WP - the emphasis on good design, better Local Plans, simpler funding, stronger enforcement powers and greater use of digital technology – but the Civic Society calls for a fundamental re-think of the Government’s plans. We believe that a better approach would be to start with a statement in law of the purposes of planning: a democratic process to facilitate necessary development, resolve conflicting interests and shape the places where people live, work and play. Sustainability, environmental issues and public health should be at the heart of planning, making our towns and cities greener, healthier, culturally richer places. We need a new approach to housing that puts more emphasis on affordable and social housing and requires higher space standards. Local authorities should be more proactive, working with the community in preparing master plans for major CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
6 PLANNING development areas, and engaging through ownership, infrastructure provision and by leading partnerships with the private sector (as indeed is happening in the West Cheltenham Cyber Central development). Plan-making, development control and enforcement must be properly staffed. And citizens should be given new, deeper and entrenched legal rights to engage in all aspects of planning.
The future of planning is critically important to us all. The Civic Society urges the readers of Perspectives to look at our comments. If you share our view, please tell your MP that the proposals in the WP can and must be radically changed. Adrian Phillips CBE MRTPI (Retd) FLI
The Cheltenham Civic Society is always looking for new members. Our web site gives contact details and explains what we do to protect our town’s heritage and ensure that new development is well designed. Please consider joining us to make our work even more effective. https://www.cheltenhamcivicsociety.org.uk/join/membership-application-form
ANDY LOVELL, ANDYLOVELL.CO.UK
perspectives
CUISINE 7
CHORAL CUISINE A CHOIR’S UNUSUAL LOCKDOWN PROJECT
S
ue Silcock of Cheltenham Bach Choir tells us how it came about. Why a cookery book?
The Cheltenham Bach Choir is much more than merely a group of singers. It is a community of people who enjoy being together to share the experience of creating wonderful choral music. The community and friendship goes far beyond rehearsals and performances at concerts though, to friends, supporters, fellow musicians, our sister choir in Germany, the Göttingen Stadtkantorei, and many others. So when the pandemic came along and put paid to normal choir rehearsals and concerts, we wanted to create something lasting to celebrate our CBC community, something that all of us could contribute to. Why not a cookbook? We asked all choir members, as well as friends and associates of the choir, to contribute a favourite recipe. And, given that we are a choir, how about a choral theme to link everything together? Thus ‘Choral Cuisine’, a unique recipe book taking you through a full musical programme of delicious dishes from the Preludes to the final Encore, was born. Now all we needed to do was to make it happen. A small project team of choir members was formed, including professional designer and talented artist, Kate Smith (herself an alto with CBC), who has designed and created the whole book. Kate also painted all the beautiful original watercolour illustrations which run throughout. Work began in June
2020 and after many hours of team Zoom editorial and proofreading meetings and sampling recipes, the book arrived in time for Christmas. ‘Choral Cuisine’ is a real show-stopper. Containing over 65 recipes, contributed by members and associates of the choir and drawn from different parts of the globe, including Russia, France, Spain, Singapore and Hungary, there is something for everyone to enjoy. We were delighted that Cotswold Life, in their December 2020 issue, contained an interview with designer and artist Kate Smith.
Please visit the choir’s website www.cheltbachchoir.com for more details and to check whether copies are still available. CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
8 HISTORY
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL BECOMES HISTORY READ ON BEFORE PANICKING! JAMES HODSDON EXPLAINS
A
previous note in Perspectives looked at what the Victoria County History – now tackling 20th century Cheltenham – had discovered about the Kingsditch Lane trading estate. I thought you might like to see an early draft of what the VCH proposes to say about our own CAC, in the ‘Leisure and Culture’ section of the history: “The Cheltenham Cultural Council was formed in 1944 at a meeting organised by the Rotary Club to address the 'right use' of leisure after the war. The Cheltenham Esperanto Society affiliated a few months later. By the autumn of 1946 nearly 50 societies were associated with the council, which was based at the School of Art in St Margaret's Road and also had individual members. Following a meeting arranged by the Council at the Rotunda, the Cheltenham and District Naturalists' Society was formed in 1948. The Council published a magazine and arranged a winter programme of talks in addition to supporting other cultural events, but by 1950 was in financial trouble. A move to change the name failed to find favour with the president, Alderman Clara Winterbotham, who a generation earlier had been Cheltenham’s first woman mayor.
Disbanded in 1953, the Cultural Council’s place was taken by the Cheltenham Arts Council, formed in 1967 at the instance of the then Arts Sub-Committee of the Borough Council. By 1977 it was constituted as a charity, funded by the borough to support local groups. In 2020, its affiliates included five local history societies, 18 music and choral societies, 16 in the dramatic and visual arts, 6 language and literary societies, and several ‘Friends’ groups supporting museums and other local assets. Many national cultural organisations also had active branches in the town.” (Editor: CAC has 56 member organisations at time of publishing!) You can see an edited version of this, and all the other drafts covering modern Cheltenham, at https://www. vchglosacademy.org/Cheltenham1945. html Corrections, comments and suggestions are positively welcomed – we’d much rather get it right before it goes to print than hear about it after. Jan Broadway, the project coordinator, would love to hear from you. My thanks to former chairman Terry Moore-Scott, for help in checking dates. James Hodsdon
perspectives
HISTORY 9
THE Echo, 17 May 1950
LEFT: ABIGAIL SAMUELS, CHELTENHAMOPENSTUDIOS.ORG.UK ABOVE: JENNY STRINGER, CHELTENHAMOPENSTUDIOS.ORG.UK
LEFT: IMOGEN HARVEY LEWIS, WWW.IMOGENHARVEYLEWIS.CO.UK
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
10 LISTINGS
EVENTS 9
LISTINGS: EVENTS DIRECTORY FEBRUARY - MAY 2021 EVENTS LISTED HERE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, CANCELLATION OR POSTPONEMENT DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS. PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE OF THE ORGANISATION CONCERNED BEFORE BOOKING TICKETS.
VISUAL ARTS
Cheltenham Camera Club and Gloucestershire Young Photographer 2021, Wed 5 - Sat 15 May, (Wed to Sat 10am4pm), Chapel Arts, cheltenhamcameraclub. co.uk The Gardens Gallery Montpellier Gardens, please check gardensgallery.co.uk for reopening details MUSIC
Charlton Kings Choral Society, we hope to put on the programme we were due to sing in May 2020 in May 2021. Latest information will be found on our website, ckcsonline. org.uk. Cheltenham Children’s Choir, currently singing together online, three groups for different ages, please see cheltenham childrenschoir.co.uk for details
perspectives
Cleeve Harmony Chorus, we’re still meeting every week to sing and have fun! Wednesday nights from 7.30-9pm, currently via Zoom. We’re a friendly ladies a cappella choir, songs can be learnt by non music readers and range from old ballads to modern hits. New members always welcome, contact MD Donna Whitehouse 07737 280336 for more info. cleeve-harmony.org.uk Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra, Sat 8 May, 7.30pm, St Andrew’s Church, Montpellier, cheltenham chamberorchestra.org.uk STAGE
Promenade Productions, hopefully we will be staging A Chorus Line at The Playhouse in the summer. Details of pre-audition rehearsals will be posted on the society’s website promenadeproductions. co.uk in the New Year.
Cheltenham Operatic and Dramatic Society: Shrek, postponed from June 2020 until April 13th-17th 2021. Please check codsonline. co.uk for latest LECTURES & MEETINGS
Cercle Français: Marie Curie, Mon 1 Feb, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, with M. Cédric Cabanne. Please check website for any updates before attending: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk Cheltenham Local History Society, Tue 2 Feb, 7.30pm, Zoom, Cheltenham’s Past Members of Parliament, with Martin Horwood. See cheltlocalhistory.org.uk/ meetings.html for current programme Cercle Français: Le XXème siècle “dessiné” par Tintin, Mon 15 Feb, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, with M.Thierry Viennois. Please check website for any updates before attending: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk
LISTINGS 11
Cercle Français: La langue française au service de la diplomatie internationale, Mon 1 Mar, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, with Mme Annie Kean. Please check website for any updates before attending: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk Cercle Français: La Haute Couture, Mon 15 Mar, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, with Mme Brigitte Thibaut. Please check website for any updates before attending: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk Cheltenham Local History Society, Tue 16 Mar, 7.30pm, Zoom, Mean streets or La-La-Land? The fate of Cheltenham’s “unsettled” poor 1831-52, with John Simpson. See cheltlocalhistory.org.uk/ meetings.html for current programme Cercle Français: Bordeaux hier et aujourd’hui!, Mon 29 Mar, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, with Mme Maryse Wright. Please check website for any updates before attending: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk
TRACY HUNT, CHELTENHAMOPENSTUDIOS.ORG.UK
Cercle Français: Madame de Pompadour et le mécénat des arts, Mon 19 Apr, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, with Prof. John Rogister. Latest details: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk Cercle Français: Assemblée générale, Mon 17 May, 7.30pm, St Luke’s Church Hall, suivie par une miniconférence. Latest details: cheltenhamfrenchcircle. co.uk
Cheltenham Civic Society, events are currently postponed, but the digital events from 2020’s Heritage Open Days may still be viewed online: cheltenhamcivicsociety. org.uk/events/hods/ Leckhampton Local History Society, please check leckhamptonlhs. weebly.com for programme updates
PETER GARRARD, CHELTENHAMOPENSTUDIOS.ORG.UK
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
1 2 L I T E R AT U R E
EVENTS 9
THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE WRITERS’ NETWORK A SUCCESSFUL EVENT AT THE 2020 LITERATURE FESTIVAL
T
he use of words, written or spoken, as songs, poems and stories to comfort, distract, reassure or rally has been a habit of humankind since the beginning of time and, despite the upheaval and challenges of recent months, the entries to our 2020 competition, suggest that this, at least, has stayed the same. The theme was “My World,” decided months before the onset of COVID-19, before we could possibly have known how relevant a subject it would become. Thank you to everyone who entered. The interpretations, inspired by your lives past, present and imagined, were diverse, thought provoking and entertaining. Thank you to our lovely judges Tyler Keevil and Sarah James/Leavesley and the team at The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival whose commitment and professionalism allowed us to have winners and then celebrate their success at our event in October. It was the first time this was live streamed, the judges relaying their own work and comments by pre-recorded video. Some of the entries were read by members of the GWN team, as their authors were unable to be physically present. It was not perfect but we were proud to be there, made some friends along the way and reached a wider audience with more than two hundred people watching on line. We are all now huge fans of the internet and social media, more impressed than ever with their ability to keep us in touch with each other, the writing community and “our world”.
MARILYN TIMMS READ HER WINNING POEM “FINAL GIG AT THE MOTORWAY SERVICES”
IRIS ANNE LEWIS WAS A RUNNER UP WITH HER POEM “EARTHRISE” AND HER PROSE PIECE “TWO DARK SHADOWS”
CHRISTINE GRIFFIN WAS A RUNNER UP WITH HER POEM “OLD TIMES"
The positives this year, there were many. The negatives, well, they were outdone. Congratulations to all our winners. You were amazing. The GWN Team
MEMBERS 13
MEET THE MEMBERS THE CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL SOCIETY
T
he Cheltenham Music Festival Society is an independent, voluntary and philanthropic ‘Friends’ organisation for the Cheltenham Music Festival.
It was formed in 1952 to provide the Festival with financial support, and its purpose remains the same to this day. Through subscriptions and occasional events, CMFS sponsors performances of new works, contributes to the cost of producing the Festival booklet, and funds new commissions from composers. Past commissions have included works by James MacMillan, Michael Berkeley, Alexander Goehr, Jonathan Harvey, Gavin Higgins, Graham Fitkin, David Matthews, Joe Cutler and Jonathan Dove. CMFS contributes at least £10,000 annually to the Music Festival through the “Big Give” scheme (https://donate. thebiggive.org.uk). Members form a close group of supporters, despite being geographically located all around the country. During the Music Festival, we
come together at concerts, and for a lunch and AGM. We have a regular newsletter, and members also benefit from an early booking period for Music Festival concerts. CMFS also arranges and promotes regular concerts, especially by talented young performers, at Chapel Arts in Cheltenham throughout the year. The need for the funding provided by CMFS to the Festival has rarely been greater. With the cancellation of the 2020 Music Festival, and the uncertainties surrounding the form and content of the 2021 event, we are firmly resolved to keep our funding going to ensure the future of this award-winning Festival.
New members are always welcome! It costs as little as £20 to join for a year – see http://cmfsoc.org.uk/membership.htm for details.
RED FOX, LINOCUT PRINT BY MARTYNA SABADASZ, @MARTYNA_SABADASZ
perspectives
JACKIE WHITE, CHELTENHAMOPENSTUDIOS.ORG.UK
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
14 HISTORY
EVENTS 9
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES & STARTING NEW VENTURES AN UPDATE FROM PRESTBURY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
2021
will be a challenging year for all local societies. However, Prestbury Local History Society has scheduled a full series of nine talks in the Prestbury WI hall, in the hope that things can only get better – see https://prestburyhistory.com for details. 2020 was an important year for us, as we received funding from Gloucestershire Council and support from Prestbury Parish Council for a parish history board, to be placed near the bus stop by the War Memorial. We are in the final stages of the design and we hope it will be in place by Easter.
Our publications suffered a blow when our main outlet, the village Post Office, closed. We are grateful to Joanne Wheldon at Prestbury Budgens Store who has stepped into the breach, so book sales should be easier from now on. We have just published a new book by one of our best researchers, Michael Cole, entitled “Southam & Prestbury”. This deals with relationships between the two manors and the families involved. In his extremely well-researched book, Michael has found another fascinating aspect to the history of our village. Tony Noel, Chairman PLHS
PRESTBURY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS Prestbury: A walk through time Roger Beacham
£2.00
The Prestbury Post Anthony F G Noel
£3.00
Prestbury Past & Present:Volume One Michael Cole £10.00
Prestbury Past & Present: Volume Two Norman J Baker £10.00 The Court Rolls of the Manor of Prestbury 1726-1871 Norman J Baker, Michelle Rees £15.00 Southam and Prestbury Michael Cole
£12.00
Available from Prestbury Budgens Store by kind permission of Joanne Wheldon
LOOK OUT FOR THE NEW HISTORY BOARD TO BE DISPLAYED IN THE VILLAGE SOON. PLHS BOOK ENQUIRIES TO 01242 250471 OR 01242 244553 perspectives
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
DANCE 15
GET YOUR DANCING SHOES ON IN 2021! ROYAL SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY CHELTENHAM BRANCH
A
t last – good news for dancers!
As we endure another Lockdown and continue to rely on Zoom classes to share our love of dancing with others, the news that the first vaccine will be available by the end of the year has been announced and will hopefully be followed by others in 2021. This may be the light at the end of the tunnel that we have been waiting for. In the meantime, we have developed our expertise in using Zoom for our ‘classes’, and a good core of people continue to join in on a Monday night, to skip through some of our favourite dances at home, while sharing the companionship of others as we dance, and having a chat along the way. Our annual Christmas Ceilidh took place via Zoom on 7th December 2020. For this we usually call on the talents of our members to provide some ‘turns’. On offer in 2020 were recitations, solo Highland dancing, some ballet, some music and carol singing, as well as a few Country dances. An opportunity also for some conversation and to raise a glass to each other and to absent friends. Other ventures in the offing are a Burns’ Night Quiz and a Scottish dancing-themed quiz. We are hoping that future changes in the Coronavirus rules will enable us to dance together for real in time for our Day School, scheduled for 24th April 2021. This will be a fantastic opportunity for dancers of all abilities to learn from one of the top Scottish Country Dance teachers and to dance to the music of a truly marvellous musician. Our dancing shoes are ready for action and our feet perspectives
PHOTO TAKEN BEFORE LOCKDOWN
are itching to get on that dance floor. I hope you can join us! Please look on our website for further updates on our Day School and when our classes will resume. https://cheltenhamrscds.btck.co.uk/ Our beginners’ classes will teach you the basic rhythm of the steps and the common formations which make up the dances, but the whole point of the exercise (yes it is energetic!) is the joy of dancing together. It was our love of Scottish Dancing and Scottish Music which brought us together, but the resulting friendships have helped us through these difficult times and continue to provide support and fellowship during the long nights of winter lockdown. Scottish Country Dancing is a boost for body, mind and soul. You don’t need to be Scottish! You don’t need to have a partner! And you don’t need to wear a kilt or anything tartan! Just bring along a pair of soft shoes and a smile and we look forward to welcoming you to our thriving, friendly club.
CHELTENHAM ARTS COUNCIL.CO.UK
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