Thistle News
by Kathleen Merchant, Saturday, 20th August 2011
We have just come to the end of our 35th anniversary year - and what an eventful year it's been - full of celebrations of all different sorts both sad and happy. We grieve the death of a long standing member - Joe (Henderson) our piper and a most loyal and talented member. Also Vic (Thompson) a gentle and charming man who joined us a few years ago as a new dancer, progressing very quickly and never left a lady sitting down on a Monday evening! We share happy memories of you both.
In the spring at her 25th Festival, Margaret (Rowe) retired from organising the annual Festival of SCD for Young People which she has done so well for the past twenty five years. Hundreds of youngsters have had the opportunity of taking part in this very happy event. We thank Margaret for giving her time and talent to this great event. She now looks forward to receiving an invitation to attend the next Festival and she is so delighted that the event will carry on under the leadership of our Clitheroe friends (www.clitheroecaledoniansociety.org.uk).
One of the highlights of the year was the visit of La Brise d'Anjou our twin French Folk Group from Angers in the Loire Valley as both groups celebrated the 20th anniversary of the twinning. What a week we had! Dancing throughout Wigan and district their twenty eight dancers and musicians took part and had a wonderful time with Thistle, dancing, entertaining socialising and generally having a great time especially with having beautiful sunny weather. We were very tired but happy after their visit and are truly grateful to the members and friends who accommodated our French friends and helped in so many ways.
Our Ceilidh was a happy event, well attended and very much enjoyed with some of our young and more mature members sharing their talents with us. It was especially enjoyable as we welcomed several new visitors.
Our outdoor night organised by Margaret (Rowe) was a pleasure with everyone chatting, eating, drinking and dancing on a beautiful summer evening. No-one ended up with their feet in the pond this year! A huge bottle of red wine donated by La Brise d'Anjou was raffled off and wasn't the secretary the lucky one to win it!
As we have no President this year, Margaret (Rowe) kindly offered her services as Acting Chairperson for which we are most grateful. Margaret will shortly be going into hospital for hip surgery and we all wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to her being back at Thistle with us in the near future. It was a great pleasure to see so many of our members offering to help in whatever way they could at our AGM and several of them have already been working hard during the summer as I very quickly took them up (and still am) on their offers!
Through the media of the newsletter we send best wishes to all our friends in Scottish Country Dancing and wish you all a very happy and prosperous season. We look forward to seeing you at our Presidents/Visitors Night on the 7th October.
From everyone at the Thistle. . .