Wroughton

Ceilidhs

High-Energy Ceilidhs at the Dance House
Wroughton, near Swindon, Wiltshire.

Janice Booth Saturday 19 March 2005   It is with real sadness that we announce the end of 'dancehouse' ceilidhs. The reasons for calling it a day are many and various, but ultimately the deciding factor is financial. As many of you will have noticed, numbers have been declining gradually for several years, despite our best efforts to advertise and promote the dances both locally and more widely. We have incurred significant losses over the last two seasons of dances and have decided that we can no longer carry the considerable financial risk of running a series of dances that do not pay for themselves.   Let's not be too sad. All good things have their day. And its been a great run while it has lasted. 14+ years in fact. We've been fortunate to be able to bring the very best of ceilidh dance bands and callers to this corner of NE Wiltshire, and have sustained a series of dances every year from December 1991. Some of you will remember back before that to the 'dancehouse' series that Rod and Danny Stradling ran for several years at the village hall in Cricklade, a legacy we inherited and brought to Wroughton.   Below we have listed all of the bands and callers since we began in 1991 (to the best of our memories). It's a pretty impressive roll call of the vibrant ceilidh scene of the last decade and a half. And a lot of hop-stepping, ranting, waltzing and swinging across the years! There might be just a few people who may be able to claim that they have attended every single dance since we began.   So - many, many thanks to the bands who've driven, sometimes the length of the country, to play for three and a half hours for what is really very little money, and who do it for the love of it; to the callers who have provided such great instruction. variety and good humour; to Tim and Roger for propping up the bar; and to you all for making it all such fun for so many years.   The dancehouse' may not disappear altogether. We might organise the occasional special' ceilidh event in the future. If we do. we'll let you know, and look forward to seeing you again sometime.

 

the 'dancehouse' dances   1991 The Ran Tan Band + Gordon Potts   1992 The Woodpecker Band + Nick Walden Red House + Jane Burgess The Cock and Bull Band + Bob Adams Feckless + Wendy Lutley The Ran Tan Band + Gordon otts The Late Night Band   1993 Gas Mark 6 The Waltzer Feckelees The Woodpecker Band Polkabilly + Keith Chandler Feckless + Polly Perkins The Ran Tan Band + Gordon Potts Red House + Jane Burgess The Geckoes + Keith Chandler   1994 The Dave Whetstone Band + Bob Adams The Chris Wood/Andy Cutting Band + Dave Roberts Happenstance + Roger Rowe Tickled Pink + Gordon Potts Junction 24 + Brian Jones Old Triumph Band + Sue Spencer The Late Night Band + Gordon Potts The Woodpecker Band + Nick Walden The Horsley Band   1995 All Blacked Up + Barry Parkes Token Women + Jo Freya Quicksilver + Tom Brown Florida + Chris Pitt Old Swan Band + Dave Hunt The Committee Band + Nick Walden The John Kirkpatrick Bumper Band Gas Mark 5 + Chris Pitt   1996 The Woodpecker Band + Gordon Potts The Dave Whetstone Band + Bob Adams The Old Swan Band + Dave Hunt Banjax + Keith Leech The Chris Wood/Andy Cutting Band The Kitchen Girls Edward II + Gordon Potts Token Women + Jo Freya   1997 Saxophony + Alan Burgess The Woodpecker Band + Nick Walden Katie's Quartet + Mary Paniun All Blacked Up + Barry Parkes The Horsley Band + Wendy Townsend The English Couniry Band + Jane Burgess   1998 The Committee Band + Nick Walden Peeping Tom + Hugh Rippon The Geckoes + Keith Chandler The Sundance Band + Gordon Potts The Woodpecker Band + Nick Walden All Blacked Up + Barry Parkes   1999 This Way Up The Woodpecker Band Florida + Chris Pitt The Bismarcks   2000 Bananas The Cock and Bull Band + Michael Catovsky The Woodpecker Band Heckety + Rachel Bearon The Committee Band   2001 Juice + Bob Parsons Grand Union Random Kelter Skelter + Garry Thompson The Woodpecker Band   2002 The Bismarcks + Gordon Potts Stomp + Chris Pitt Token Women + Jo Freya Rufus Return + Nigel Barrell The Committee Band + Nick Walden   2003 The Simon Care Trio The Woodpecker Band Stocai Bedlam + Nikki Hampson Hekety   2004/5 All Blacked Up + Barry Parkes Florida + Chris Pitt Grand Union + Will Hall Chalktown + Sheena Masson