Webmaster: Meryl and Ian Thomson

RSCDS London was one of the first RSCDS branches to have its own website. For this we are indebted to Meryl Thomson who, with husband Ian, took on the role of webmaster in 2000, registered our domain name rscdslondon.org.uk in 2002 (we previously used a freeserve hosting service) and developed and maintained the website until 2023.

After 20+ years of providing clear, accessible, up to date information about London Branch activities, plus several valuable archives, Meryl  decided to retire as webmaster in 2023. We are truly grateful to her, and to Ian, for their commitment, connections, experience, and flair for design which added such value to branch activities for so long. Thank you both.

A delicious cup cake with generous butter icing and an edible rondel all in a flower case and on plaid.

Very tasty, I had two!

RSCDS London Branch is saddened to hear today’s news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Patron of the RSCDS. We join the Society in sending our condolences to the Royal Family.

To celebrate the end of our 85th Anniversary year, 2015, here are the the ten most popular #tbts.

We hope you have enjoyed the weekly look back to the last 85 years. Here’s to the next 85!

Congratulations to all the teams that competed in the Newcastle Festival 7-8 February 2015!! The winners were:

Ladies: Alba SCD Clyde (Glasgow)

Mixed: Alba SCD (Glasgow)

Men: International Team

Ladies Under 16: DG SCD (Dumfries RSCDS)

Mixed Under 16: International Team

Display: German Team & Airyhall -Joint Wiinners

Let's remember when the South East Branches entered the Display

Here we look back to Burns’ Night 2015 and James Fairbairn addressing the Haggis.

There are a couple of glasses of gravy there too!

Keeping in the Christmas spirit, here’s the Dem Team dancing a tribute to John Laurie at the Christmas Dance 2014.

Click to watch video

Here’s a throwback to warmer times in Summer 2014 at our open air dancing in Kensington Gardens.

 2014 saw the Global 24 hour Commonwealth Ceilidh. The Ceilidh started at 7:30pm in New Zealand and ended 73 ceilidhs later in Hawaii 24 hours later after travelling an epic 18,250 miles!!

We look back to our Christmas Dance in 2013.

Our demonstration team has given displays of Scottish Country and Highland Dancing at large and small events all over the Southeast. Previous performances include shows at the Royal Albert Hall, weddings, ceilidhs, local events, celebrations, corporate events and participation in festivals across the UK.

The current team (2013) is taught by Mervyn Short and aims to present the joy of SCD to a wider audience.

The Branch Demonstration Team has been in existence for over 70 years (written in 2013) . Occasional displays were given before that organised by Isabel McLennan and Robert Ferguson, but London was one of the first branches to have a weekly class with the specific aim of training demonstration dancers. The first formal Demonstration Class was taught in 1952 by Bill Ireland and Bill went on to teach the class successfully over 35 years. 

In the early days auditions for a place in the class, and therefore automatically the team, were highly competitive. A dancer might find himself (or more likely herself, as it was always tougher for the ladies than the men) in the team one year, out the next and back in the following year. Conditions of team membership were strict. In 1960 dancers were required to “give an undertaking not to take part in a demonstration of Scottish Country Dancing other than for the London Branch without the consent of the Branch Committee”. 

Looking back it all seems very harsh. Yet it worked, there was no shortage of volunteers to join the team and there were plenty of demonstrations to perform. The team has danced at various international events ranging from the 38th Inter-Celtic Festival in Brittany in 1937, the 50th Anniversary of the Entente Cordiale in Paris in 1951, to a major festival of dance in Taiwan in 1990. perhaps the greatest strength of the team has been in its participation in so many events in and around the London region. Here too we have participated in various high profile events, in the Royal Albert Hall on many occasions, at military pageants and tattoos and at RSCDS Balls and dances.

Since Bill’s retirement from taking the class, Paul Plummer, Owen Meyer, Ann Dix, David Hall, Joan Desborough and Angela Young have continued the good work in teaching the class. What has not changed over the years is our Demonstration Team’s commitment to the promotion of Scottish Country Dancing and having a lot of fun with their friends in the process.

In 2010, members of our dem team were lucky to meet the stars of BBC Strictly Come Dancing, Matthew Cutler and Nicole Cutler at the Move-It Expo in Olympia.

Our throwback this week goes back to our Kensington Gardens Dance in 2010.

Members of the Children’s Class were lead into the London Branch 80th Anniversary Tea Party by Piper Stuart Murray.

In celebration of our 80th anniversary, the Mayor & Mayoress of Kensington and Chelsea joined us at our Family Day in 2010.

In 2010 we celebrated our 80th Anniversary. Here’s the Children’s Dance, one of the many events held during the year.

This week we look back to Summer 2010 and the general class taught by Jane Rose with music from Andrew Nolan.

For our 80th Anniversary weekend school held at the Swanwick Conferenc Centre in Derbyshire we also had a musicians class.

The 80th Anniversary of the London Branch was celebrated by a number of special events. One of these was a Weekend School held at the Swanwick Conference Centre in Derbyshire.

Jeff Robertson, Chairman during our 80th Anniversary year, serves the Haggis and ‘gravy’ at our 2010 Burns’ Supper and Ceilidh Dance.

This throwback goes to June 2009 when BBC Radio Scotland took over Cecil Sharp House to record Take The Floor! Pictured if Tahe The Floor! presenter Robbie SHepherd with MC for the evening Andrew Kellet and Frank Reid with his band.

This throwback takes us back to the White Rose Festival in Leeds 2009. The technique and demonstrations classes joined together for a day of dancing in the sunshine.

Members of the Branch children’s class gave a demonstration during our open house evening for Dance Scottish Week.

(C) Andrew Dunsmore, Picture Partnership

In 2008 our Picnic Dance moved to Harrow School.

We danced a series of Eight Eightsomes, this one is in Parliament Square.

During Dance Scottish Week 2015 members of the London Branch danced Eight Eightsome Reels in one day at iconic venues around London.

Abbey Road, well 

RSCDS London at the RSCDS Leeds weekend White Rose Festival. Our throwback shows members of the London Branch Dem Team dancing at the festival in 2008.

Another photo from the Eight Eightsomes photoshoot in 2008. This time the team are dancing at the Albert Memorial.

Members of the Children’s class after their RSCDS Introductory Medal Test in 2008. They are pictured with teacher Angela Young and class
pianist Jean Harrison.They all passed their exams- some with Credit or Distinction

From the Eightsomes’ photoshoot we’re at Admiralty Arch.

This landmark was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria. Until yesterday, Queen Victoria was Britain’s longest serving monarch when our patron, Queen Elizabeth, overtook this record having been on the throne for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes.

One of our Eight Eightsomes series was outside Lambeth Palace with the Houses of Parliament in the background. Looking at Big Ben it was just before 11 o'clock on a lovely morning.

Past Chairmen Rachel Wilton and Jeff Robertson at our AGM in 2008.

All members are encouraged to attend our AGM, with dancing after.

This week we look back to the Musicians workshop in May 2008. They are pictured here playing for the evening dance.

Dancers from all over the World compete at the Newcastle Festival. Good Luck to all the teams taking part!!!

Our throwback shows the Branch Demonstration Team competing in the Display section in 2008.

Click to watch video

In 2005 our Polesdon Lacey picnic dance celebrated fashions from the 75 years since the London Branch was formed. Can you guess who these characters are?

Members of the Children’s class help to blow out 75 candles to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the London Branch in 2004.

London Branch members provided hospitality to French dancers in celebration of 100 years of Entente Cordiale in 2004.

Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and France, marking the start of the alliance against Germany and Austria-Hungary that fought the First World War.

Another mystery picture from the Archives!! Do you recognise any of these dancers? What was the event? the image file notes the Bloomsbury Centre. The date is a guess.

In 1997 Simon Wales interviewed Lord Mansfield for The Reel .

Click to read the interview on page 6 in The Reel 218

The London Branch Demonstration Team have performed many times at the Royal Albert Hall. This weeks throwback sees the team performing at the ‘Spotlight on Dance’ in September 1995. And there is a video too.

Click to watch the video

Here is an early RSCDS London publicity flyer. Did you join the Branch after seeing this?

A look back to the last dance that the Branch held at Porchester Hall in 1991. This photo shows the Demonstration Team. This demonstration also saw the retirement of Norris Haugh after more than 30 years on the team.

We look back to the end of an era. This photos shows dancers enjoying the last dance that the Branch held at Porchester Hall on 17th May 1991. Were you there?

In 1980 we celebrated our Golden Jubilee with a Ball. With a programme full of popular dances it was a fantastic celebration!

Is your favourite dance there?

Look back to our Golden Jubilee Dance on 28th June 1980.

Our throwback this week shows the 1975 London Branch Weekend School in Bisham. Were you there? Do you recognise anyone in the picture?

Publicity Shots of the Branch Demonstration team outside the Royal Albert Hall.

Do you recognise any of the dancers? When do you think these were taken, the date put in is a guess?

In 1974 with the Demonstration team danced at the English Folk Dance and Song Society, EFDSS, Festival in the Albert Hall.

Another mystery picture from the Archives!! Do you recognise any of these dancers? What was the event?

We look back to the 100th issue, printed in blue, as was issue No 1.

Click to read The Reel 100

A group of dancers from the Branch dancing in an exhibition of Scottish country dancing. The photos show them dancing ‘occupational’ dances. The archive names the photos of three couples as MacLean of Loch Buie.

Do you recognise any of the dancers or know any other ‘occupational’ dances?

This throwback tests your memory!! This photo was found in the archive but there is no information attached to tell us anything about it.

1st London Branch Weekend School at Bisham Abbey weekend 27-29th May 1955. It was organised by Alastair Rose who is seen in the photo playing the pipes.

The notes on the back of the photo say that Alastair could not play the pipes and was miming in the photo!!

An early picture of the demonstration team at the 10th Anniversary of D-Day at La Mere Eglise in 1954.

The London Branch Annual Ball 1953 ticket shows the Patron of the RSCDS, HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Newspaper article from the Weekly Scotsman covering the annual Branch Ball in 1952- taken from a photocopy found in the archive.

The Reel Issue 2. This issue included some quotes from Miss Milligan while she was at Summer School.

Click to read The Reel No 2

To celebrate the 85th Anniversary of the London Branch we posted Throwback Thursday every week throughout our anniversary year. What better way to start than with the first edition of The Reel from September 1951?

Click to read The Reel No 1

This throwback shows a (bit fuzzy) ticket from the London Branch’s first Ball.