Helensburgh & District Highland Association

Dancing, Music and Song

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November, Christmas & Hogmanay 

 

Our next monthly dance will be held on Friday 24th November from 8p.m.-11.30pm in the Osprey Suite of the Commodore Hotel, 112-117 West Clyde Street , Helensburgh G84 8ES. Drinks can be purchased from the bar. Tea/coffee and a biscuit will be available at the interval when the raffle will be drawn. Leonard Brown will be playing for us that evening. Tickets priced at £10 for members and £12 for non-members can be purchased on the night or reserved from Association Secretary Anne Thorn (07490 274 871 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

 

Tickets for our Christmas Supper Dance (Friday 15th December) and Hogmanay Dance will be on sale that night.

 

Christmas Supper Dance

Friday 15th December 2023 7.30p.m-11.30p.m. (earlier start time)

Venue: Osprey Suite, Commodore Hotel, 112-117 West Clyde Street, Helensburgh G84 8ES

Band: Charlie Kirkpatrick

Ticket price: £28 for non-members which includes a main course, tea/coffee and a mince pie. Bar & Raffle. 

Tickets must be purchased in advance of the event and are available at the next event (Friday 24th November) or from the Association Secretary Anne Thorn (07490 274 871 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

 

Hogmanay Dance

Sunday 31st December 2023 9.00p.m - 2.a.m. (Doors open at 8pm. Last entry 10pm)

Venue: Geilston Hall, Cardross. 

Band: Stuart McKeown. 

Ticket price: £20 for non-members which includes tea/coffee. BYOB, snacks and supper. Raffle. 

Tickets must be purchased in advance of the event from the Association Secretary Anne Thorn (07490 274 871 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) 

 

Monthly Function Friday 27th October 2023

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Hogmanay Party Dance 

 

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Dance Report October 2023

 

Dance held at the Commodore Hotel on Friday 27th October 2023

 

 

Association President Neil MacLeod made his customary opening remarks welcoming everyone to the dance and introducing Johnny Duncan, our musician for the evening.

 

There were 38 people in attendance, all but one person being members.

 

Johnny Duncan proceeded to perform the first of the wide range of dances ‘The St. Bernard’s Waltz’ utilizing his digitally produced music backup equipment to produce an impressive sound accompaniment.

 

The first part of the dance was concluded with ‘The Pride of Erin Waltz’ before the interval for tea and coffee and of course the ever popular raffle.

 

During the evening tickets were on sale for both the Christmas Dinner Dance and the Hogmanay Dance. Tickets for both dances will be available to buy at the November dance.

 

The raffle raised the tidy sum of £120. Thanks to ticket buyers and to everyone who generously provided the welcome array of prizes.

 

After the interval the programme continued with the planned schedule of dances, starting with ‘The Gay Gordon’s Two Step’. The music was slightly different from the traditional Ceilidh style which was nonetheless enjoyed by most of the dancers who adapted to the subtle differences in tempo.

 

The Honorary President concluded the evening by thanking everyone for attending what proved to be a most entertaining night which concluded with the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne.

 

The profit was £100.20 after deductions for venue hire, ceilidh band and other associated costs were taken into account. The musician hire cost was £250.

 

The next dance will again take place in the Commodore Hotel on Friday 24th November 2023 at 8.00pm with music by the Leonard Brown Duo.

 

Johny Duncan provides the Music

 

 

 

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 December 2023 16:12
 

Monthly Function Friday 29th September 2023

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Tickets for the Christmas Dance and Hogmanay Party Dance are now on sale..

 

Christmas Supper Dance Friday 15th December  members  £24  and £28 for non members.

 

Hogmanay Party Dance  Tickets  members £14  and £20 for non members.

 

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Dance Report September 2023

 

Dance held at the Commodore Hotel on Friday 29th September 2023

 

Welcome and opening Remarks by Neil MacLeod, Honorary President.

 

 

At the start of the evening at 8.00pm, Honorary President Neil MacLeod began his opening remarks with a genial welcome.

 

There were 52 people in attendance, all members on this occasion. The bar within the dance hall area was open for refreshments.

 

The music was performed by the Wayne Robertson Duo, under nicely illuminated stage lights, providing a range of dances starting with the ‘Flirtation Two-Step’ to an immediately full floor of dancers. The Band hire cost was £420.

 

Tea and coffee was made available timeously at 9.30pm thanks to Eddie who ran the bar during the evening in a most efficient, courteous and helpful manner.

The raffle that followed raised the tidy sum of £154. Thanks to ticket buyers and to everyone who generously provided an abundance of prizes.

 

After the interval the programme continued with the schedule of dances played at the Band’s sometimes brisk pace and enjoyed by dancers on a busy dance floor.

 

Comments were readily provided by members during the course of the evening including, “The dance was excellent”, ”A good and cheery band”, “Fast moving tunes”. A few mentions were made about the floor condition towards the end of the evening.

 

The Honorary President concluded the evening by thanking everyone for attending what proved to be a most entertaining and well attended evening. And of course the evening was concluded with the traditional singing of Auld Lang Syne.

 

There was a profit of £109.20 after deductions for venue hire, ceilidh band and other associated costs were taken into account.

 

The next dance will again take place in the Commodore Hotel on *Friday 27th October 2023 with music by the Johnny Duncan Duo.

 

*Footnote:

As it happens, the next dance coincides with the last weekend of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in Edinburgh. This is the World’s largest celebration of storytelling anchored in Scotland, an acknowledged nation of storytellers or “Seanchaidhean” in Scottish Gaelic. So, who among us will have a tale or two to tell?

 

Bob McCafferty

 

Wayne Robertson Duo 

 

SmileWell Done, all the DancersSmile 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated on Friday, 27 October 2023 13:14
 

Monthly Function Friday 25th August 2023

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Dance held at the Commodore Hotel 25 August 2023

 

For the last dance of the calendar summer the rain gods grimaced rather than scowled as a slightly soggy evening welcomed a passable roster of 57 dancers (49 members and 8 guests) to the Commodore. Membership fees for the coming year were taken with entrance fees at the door and membership forms distributed for completion along with the syllabus for the dances until next June.  44 members renewed their membership and 6 new members were added to the role on the night.

 

The evening commenced as always with opening remarks by President Neil MacLeod and an introduction of the band, the ever dependable Ewan Galloway, accompanied by his drummer and a one man entourage (his dad) hosting a table full of Ewan's CDs, DVDs and memorabilia available for purchase. As was to be expected the music was splendid and the first half concluded exactly on time for the break at 9.30.

 

Sadly, after early delivery of tea and coffee at the last dance, the Commodore service reverted to type with delivery of refreshments delayed to the point that it had almost been decided to go ahead with the raffle before they finally arrived, and that despite several reminders from the committee members organising. In addition, as has become the norm, the coffee quickly ran out and was not speedily replenished. Two pots had been requested at the outset, but apparently it was impossible for more than one to be provided at a time!

 

Nor was that the extent of the Commodore's lackadaisical attitude to its customers. For an organisation seeking to attract weddings and other mass events the large hole in the plasterboard at the entrance to the Osprey Suite was highly unlikely to provide a good first impression of the facilities; the stage lighting (or inadequacy thereof) was commented on by the band at the outset and it was explained that the President had raised this on numerous occasions with the Commodore management to no avail; instead of the customary long rectangular tables, round ones more appropriate for a meal were set out and were presumably left over from the last function;  finally, and most damning for a dance event, the floor had obviously been treated and polished to a slight sheen with some substance which, while slightly tacky at the outset became more and more adhesive as the evening wore on, presumably the heat from the hall and pressure of the dancers' feet producing some sort of melting effect on the polish – again the treatment of the floor had previously been raised on several occasions with the management. Add in the dilapidated state of the toilets and all in all this was a far from stellar service from the Commodore!

 

The raffle was held as usual at half time and raised the respectable sum of £178. Thanks as ever to those participating and in particular to donors of the prizes.

 

Admittance fees for the evening amounted to £586 with a further £250 generated by membership dues. Total income with raffle included was £1,014 with outgoings of £515.90 leading to a net profit of £248.10 discounting the membership dues received.  

 

Dancing continued (with ever more floor related difficulty) after the interval and the evening ended with the usual address from the President followed by the last waltz and Auld Lang Syne.

 

The next dance will be held in the Osprey Suite of the Commodore on 29 September with music provided by the Wayne Robertson Duo.

 

 

 

Ewan Galloway SDB 

Ewan Galloway, accompanied by his drummer and a one man entourage

(his dad)

 

 

And Well Done all the Dancers Smile  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated on Sunday, 10 September 2023 06:27
 

Passing of Life Member

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Regret to announce the passing of Katie MacDonald.

Katie was a Life Member and past President of the Helensburgh & District Highland Association, as well as President of the Clydebank Association.

If you met Katie once, you would never forget her - Just such a lovely character, and one of the few remaining Gaelic speakers left in the Helensburgh Association.

 

Katie died in hospital on 27th July.

There will be a funeral service held in Cardross Church 

at 11am on Tuesday 8th August.

The burial will take place subsequently on The Isle of Skye.

 


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