Rogie   Falls   are   a   series   of   waterfalls   on   the   Black   Water,   a river   in   Ross-shire   in   the   Highlands   of   Scotland,   situated   just over   a   mile   north-west   of   the   village   of   Contin,   next   to   the A835 road   to   Ullapool.   They   are   a   popular   tourist   attraction,   with several   forest   walks   and   a   foot-bridge,   and   are   famous   for salmon viewing.

I   chose   this   video   because   Marian   Anderson’s   Band   are playing,   and   we   would   have   danced   to   her   recording   at   our Tea Dance.

Kelloholm    is    a    village    in    Dumfries    and    Galloway,    next    to Kirkconnel and the two have begun to merge. Kelloholm   was   originally   constructed   in   the   early   20 th    century   to serve    the    many    mines    in    the    area    (all    of    which    have    now closed)   and   gets   its   name   from   the   Kello   Water   which   rises   on the   northeast   side   of   Blacklorg   Hill   and   joins   the   River   Nith   at Kelloholm.

Peter   Hyssett   devised   this   dance   and   the   tune   of   the   same name   and   it   is   published   in   RSCDS   Leaflet   32   (along   with Mrs Milne of Kinneff, Broadford Bay and Georgie’s Jig).

From   Fort   William   to   Mallaig,   the   Road   to   the   Isles Scotland,    numbered    A830,    is    one    of    the    most famous   roads   in   the   country.   From   the   mountains around   Ben   Nevis   to   stunning   loch   Shiel   and   then   to pristine   beaches   and   views   of   islands,   this   drive   will please    everyone    and    without    stopping    the    drive takes 1h each way. Major     stops     include     Neptune's     staircase,     the Glenfinnan   monument   and   Loch   Shiel,   Loch   Eilt   and the beaches with turquoise water.

I   chose   this   video   as,   surprisingly,   there   isn’t   one   for the   dance   itself,   and   this   one   lasts   just   about   the same time as dancing it would!

This    dance    is    on    the    programme    by    way    of marking     Mary     Andrew’s     significant     birthday which was in March.

In   the   early   1940s   Will   Powrie   took   his   young   family   to   Bankhead   Farm, near   Forteviot,   where   he   became   the   grieve.   Ian   left   school   and   took   up   his role   on   the   farm   as   a   tractorman   while   forming   his   first   dance   band.   He   met and married Leila Mailer of Dunning in 1951. The   first   band   line-up   included   brother   Bill,   a   first   class   three-row   button accordion   player   but   he   was   called   up   for   national   service   in   1952.   Ian   had the    foresight    to    surround    himself    with    the    best    of    musicians    and    they included the recently crowned Scottish champion accordionist Jimmy Blue. The   Powrie   band   with   its   blend   of   button   and   piano   accordion,   along   with Ian’s    tone    and    intonation,    had    a    sound    which    was    the    benchmark    for decades.   They   developed   into   a   unit   capable   of   backing   Andy   Stewart   on his   famous   White   Heather   Club,   giving   them   the   status   of   the   best   band   in the land. In   the   space   of   10   years   he   had   gone   from   ploughman   to   leading   a   band on   world   tours,   playing   full   summer   seasons   in   Scotland’s   top   theatres,   as well   as   Balmoral   Castle   for   the   Queen   and   two   famous   concerts   in   the Royal Albert Hall. West    Kirkton    Farm    at    Auchterarder    was    to    be    the    family    home    until immediately    after    a    tour    of    Australia    in    1966    when    he    dropped    the bombshell   that   he   was   planning   to   pack   up   and   emigrate.   This   news   took everyone   by   complete   surprise   but,   true   to   his   word,   the   farm   was   sold, farewell   concerts   were   performed,   a   final   LP   was   recorded   and   the   cases were packed.

Ian    Powrie    bade    his    final    farewell    in    October    2011    when    he    died    in Australia   aged   88,   survived   by   his   wife   Leila,   their   two   children,   Findlay and Ailsa, and four grandchildren.

Ian’s   family   life   began   at   Essendy   near   Blairgowrie   and   at   the   age   of   five he   took   up   the   violin.   His   father   Will,   a   farm   servant,   was   an   accomplished bothy   accordionist   and   Ian   went   on   to   lay   down   his   first   ‘78’   recordings   with his   dad   at   the   age   of   12.   Violin   lessons   were   provided   by   famous   local band    leader,   Adam    Rennie    of    Coupar   Angus.   Aside    from    his    Scottish music, Ian took classical lessons from Harry Ogilvie of Dundee.

At   the   height   of   his   career   Ian   left   it   all   behind   and   moved   to   Australia. Although    the    Powries    returned    to    Scotland    in    1984,    at    the    end    of    his playing   career   Ian   and   Leila   took   the   decision   to   move   back   to Australia   to be   closer   to   their   children   and   grandchildren.   So   in   1999,   they   left   Scotland for what was to be Ian’s last long-haul trip. He   was   a   charismatic   man   who   would   tackle   anything.   He   flew   his   own light   aircraft,   was   a   championship   ploughman,   a   top-class   violinist   and most   of   all   a   great   family   man   with   a   love   for   life.   His   encouragement   for young   musicians   was   well   known.   He   was   generous   with   his   time   and   his praise, fun to be around and always gave more than he received.

And this is how David Queen has taught the dance … There   was   also   a   memorable   12- man    version   danced   in Tavira   in   2013 of which I am still trying to source the video.

I   chose   this   short   video   from   Belfast   as   the   music   is   one   of   the   best things about this dance!

Kilkenny   Castle   is   one   of   the   most   instantly   recognised   buildings   in   Ireland. There   has   been   a   castle   on   this   site   since   1172   when   the   Norman   Knight, Richard   de   Clare,   called   Strongbow,   built   a   wooden   tower   on   this   rocky height   overlooking   the   River   Nore.   The   first   stone   castle   was   built   here   20 years   later   by   Strongbow's   son-in-law   William   Marshall,   Earl   of   Pembroke. Three of this castle's original four towers survive today. The   Butler   family   bought   the   Castle   in   1391   and   lived   there   until   1935. They   were   Earls,   Marquesses   and   Dukes   of   Ormonde   and   lived   in   the castle    for    over    500    years.    They    were    a    remarkable    family,    resilient, politically   astute   and   faithful   to   the   crown   and   to   Ireland   as   dictated   by   the politics   of   the   times.   Kilkenny   Castle   was   the   venue   for   the   meeting   of   the General Assembly,   or   parliament,   of   the   Confederate   Ireland   government   in the 1640s. The   property   was   given   to   the   Nation   in   1967   and   the   castle   and   grounds are    now    managed    by    the    Office    of    Public    Works.    The    gardens    and parkland   adjoining   the   castle   are   open   to   the   public   and   the   Parade   Tower is a conference venue. The   castle   is   supposed   to   be   haunted   by   the   ghost   of   a   young   girl   called Petronella, hence the petronella turns in bars17-24.

Once   again   Marian Anderson   playing   live   dictated   the   choice   of   video for this dance.

The    Ramadan-ce    title    is    a    clever    word    play    around    the    two    words 'Ramadan'   and   'dance',   and   comes   from   John   Drewry's   Turkish   Set   which contains 20 dances, nearly all of a Middle Eastern flavour! Ramadan,   the   ninth   month   of   the   Islamic   calendar,   is   the   Islamic   month   of fasting,    in    which    participating    Muslims    refrain    from    eating,    drinking, smoking,   and   indulging   in   anything   that   is   in   excess   or   ill-natured,   from dawn until dusk. John describes this as a ‘fast’ dance! The tunes which Marian Anderson plays are: Moment Musical No 3 – Franz Peter Schubert Tetris Musica (Kobobeiniki) – Traditional (Russian) Hava Nagila – Traditional (Jewish) Rondo Alla Turca – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

… and you even get a walk-through of this one.

On   some   beaches,   dry   sand   will   make   a   singing,   squeaking,   whistling,   or barking   sound   if   a   person   scuffs   or   shuffles   their   feet   with   sufficient   force. The   phenomenon   is   not   completely   understood   scientifically,   but   it   has been   found   that   quartz   sand   will   do   this   if   the   grains   are   very   well   rounded and highly spherical. Not   all   sands   sing,   whistle   or   bark   alike.   Fine   sands,   where   individual grains   are   barely   visible   to   the   naked   eye,   produce   only   a   poor,   weak sounding   bark.   Medium-sized   grains   can   emit   a   range   of   sounds,   from   a faint   squeak   or   a   high-pitched   sound,   to   the   best   and   loudest   barks   when scuffed   enthusiastically.   Water   also   influences   the   effect.   Wet   sands   are usually   silent   because   the   grains   stick   together   instead   of   sliding   past   each other,   but   small   amounts   of   water   can   actually   raise   the   pitch   of   the   sounds produced.   The   most   common   part   of   the   beach   on   which   to   hear   singing sand   is   the   dry   upper   beach   above   the   normal   high   tide   line,   but   singing has been reported on the lower beach near the low tide line as well. Singing    sand    has    been    reported    on    33    beaches    in    the    British    Isles, including on the islands of Eigg and Islay in the Scottish Hebrides.

Appropriately   this   video   is   from   Nottingham   RSCDS   -   many   of   you   will recognise most if not all of these dancers.

In   1589   William   Lee   of   Calverton   (a   village   about   8   miles   northeast   of Nottingham),   developed   a   framework   knitting   machine   which   enabled   high volumes   of   lace   to   be   manufactured.   Frame   workers   wished   to   imitate more    closely    the    twisted    pillow    laces    and    in    1809    John    Heathcoat patented a frame which twisted together threads to form lace net. With    the    introduction    of    steam    power    in    the    1800s    the    production    of Chantilly   and   other   luxury   weaves   brought   an   economic   boom   to   the district.   Over   130   factories   were   based   in   the   Lace   Market   along   with   a population of 50,000. Of   the   many   different   twist   frames   following   the   Heathcoat   bobbin   net machine,   the   most   important   was   that   invented   in   Nottingham   in   1913   by John Levers. Nottingham’s   School   of   Art   –   a   forerunner   of   Nottingham   Trent   University –   was   established   in   1843   to   furnish   the   lace   industry   with   designers   as lace    became    a    symbol    of    high-fashion,    good-living    and    well-dressed homes.   From   the   beginnings   of   the   industry   until   the   end   of   the   20th century,   at   least   99%   of   the   lace   and   net   made   in   Britain   passed   through Nottingham.   It   was   only   natural   that   lace   made   on   machines   in   Britain came   to   be   called   "Nottingham   Lace"   with   the   largest   buyer   of   Nottingham Lace being North America. In   addition   to   the   lace   manufactures,   the   Nottingham   machine   builders built   99%   of   the   world's   twist   lace   machines   and   many   of   the   warp   lace machines.   In   the   USA   the   lace-curtain   machine   was   simply   called   "The Nottingham Lace Machine." More   than   75,000   intricate   lace   samples,   considered   to   be   of   national   and international     importance,     have     been     placed     in     a     new     archive     at Nottingham    Trent    University.    The    collection    features    many    significant items,   including   some   which   date   back   to   the   1600s.   Among   the   more unusual    pieces    are    part    of    a    17th    Century    Venetian    priest’s    cope,    a sample   from   a   previous   Duchess   of   York’s   wedding   dress   dating   back   to the    early    1900s,    and    imitation    snakeskin    lace    made    for    shoes    and handbags in the 1920s.

Rannoch   Moor   is   a   large   expanse   of   around   50   square   miles   of   boggy moorland   to   the   west   of   Loch   Rannoch,   in   Perth   and   Kinross,   designated   a Site     of     Special     Scientific     Interest     (SSSI)     and     a     Special    Area     of Conservation,   as   it   is   notable   for   its   wildlife,   particularly   the   sole   British location   for   the   Rannoch-rush,   named   after   the   moor.   It   was   also   frequently visited   by   Horace   Donisthorpe,   who   collected   many   unusual   species   of ants   on   the   moor   and   surrounding   hilly   ground.   Today   it   is   still   one   of   the few    remaining    habitats    for    Formica    exsecta,    the    "narrow-headed    ant", although    recent    surveys    have    failed    to    produce    any    sign    of    Formica pratensis,   which   Donisthorpe   recorded   in   the   area   in   the   early   part   of   the 20 th  century. This   expanse   was   at   the   heart   of   the   last   significant   icefield   in   the   UK during   the   Loch   Lomond   Stadial   at   the   end   of   the   last   ice   age.   Once   the great   mass   of   ice   had   melted,   the   subsequent   unburdening   of   the   Earth's crust   resulted   in   a   continuing   rise   in   the   land   which   is   estimated   to   be   of   the order of 2–3 mm per year. Peat   deposits   pose   major   difficulties   to   builders   of   roads   and   railways.   The A82   road   crosses   through   Rannoch   Moor   on   its   way   to   Glen   Coe   and   Fort William.   When   the   West   Highland   Line   was   built   across   Rannoch   Moor,   its builders   had   to   float   the   tracks   on   a   mattress   of   tree   roots,   brushwood   and thousands   of   tons   of   earth   and   ashes.   The   railway   rises   to   over   1300   feet and travels over 23 miles of moorland. In   The   System   of   the   World ,   by   Neal   Stephenson,   Rufus   MacIan   says   "On the Muir of Rannoch, they grow braw, or they grow na at all".

The   Glengarry   Homestead   is   situated   about   20km   east   of   Geraldton   in Western   Australia   and   in   August   1995   was   the   venue   for   the   inaugural Glengarry Scottish Games.

Again,   this   particular   video   was   an   obvious   choice   for   me   as   soon   as it   started   playing.   First   couple   in   the   nearest   set   are   Gaye   &   Damon Collin   who   devised   the   dances   and   commissioned   the   CD   called   The Musicians’ Wedding (which The Sunday Class then produced). The   musicians   in   question   are   Marian   Anderson   &   Max   Ketchin,   who not   only   recorded   the   original   music   for   this   dance,   but   are   playing   at this event as part of their biennial New Zealand tour.

"The   Irish   Rover"   is   an   Irish   folk   song   about   a   magnificent,   though   improbable,   sailing   ship that reaches an unfortunate end. The   song   describes   a   gigantic   27-masted   ship   with   a   colourful   crew   and   varied   types   of   cargo in   enormous   amounts. The   verses   grow   ever   more   extravagant   about   the   wonders   of   the   ship and   its   crew.   The   seven-year   voyage   comes   to   a   disastrous   end   after   losing   its   way   in   the fog,   striking   a   rock,   and   spinning   nine   times   around   before   sinking   with   most   of   the   crew   and the   captain's   old   dog   aboard   –   everyone   except   the   singer,   who   in   the   last   line   of   the   song   is revealed   to   be   the   lone   survivor   of   The   Irish   Rover's   ill-fated   final   voyage,   so   there   is   no   one alive to contradict the tale! In the year of our Lord, 1806, we set sail from the cold cove of Cork We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks for the grand City Hall in New York 'twas a wonderful craft, she was rigged fore and aft and oh, how the wild wind drove her She stood several blasts, she had twenty-seven masts and they called her the Irish Rover. We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags, we had two million barrels of stone We had three million sides of old blind horses’ hides, we had four million barrels of bones We had five million hogs,  and six million dogs, seven million barrels of porter We had eight million bails of old nanny-goats' tails in the hold of the Irish Rover. There was awl Mickey Coote who played hard on his flute when the ladies lined up for a set He was tootlin' with skill for each sparkling quadrille, though the dancers were fluther'd and bet With his smart witty talk, he was cock of the walk and he rolled the dames under and over They all knew at a glance when he took up his stance that he sailed in the Irish Rover. There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee,  there was Hogan from County Tyrone There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work and a man from Westmeath called Malone There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule and Fighting Bill Treacy from Dover And your man, Mike McCann from the banks of the Bann was the skipper on the Irish Rover. We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out and the ship lost it's way in the fog And that whale of a crew was reduced down to two, just meself and the Captain's old dog Then the ship struck a rock, Oh Lord! what a shock, the bulkhead was turned right over Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned I'm the last of the Irish Rover.

"Everyday   people"   enjoying   The   Irish   Rover   -   pity   they   all   still   look   over   60!   -   and   the complete   video   is   only   4mins   38secs,   and   nowadays   we   normally   dance   that   in   4.40+, so they aren't hanging about.