Dance Teams

The Blue Diamonds were formed in the Durham (UK) pit village of High Spen in 1926 by Fred Forster. When formed, all of the dancers were young boys, and one of them was Fred's own son of the same name. He grew up and led the team until his death in 1986 when his son Frederick (Ricky) took over leadership. Ricky's brother Colin and his son Gary, are also active members of the team.This family team is now supplemented by other dancers and musicians living in the Newcastle Area.The High Spen Tradition now consists of some 40 different figures (developed by the team) which have been grouped to form four different dances including the new High Spen 'Express'.