December 2023

Friday 1st - Monday 4th December -  Janet F, Bob F, Janet H and David H went to the "Taste of Christmas" event at the Trouville Hotel, Sandown, Isle of Wight and spent a fun weekend dancing Mainstream and Plus to Di Green with guest tips from Terry Chapman, Carol Holman, our own David Hewitt and others. The weekend started extremely cold but dry and turned into very wet and windy

Monday 4th December - On a damp night we danced two squares to Trudy and Simon with the usual guest tips. Christmas at Waggoners got underway with David using "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Penny "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" as their singing calls. Simon sang "Merry Christmas to You", "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" and earlier in the evening threw caution to the wind by singing "Let it Snow" - in the past, after he has sung this, our area of the country has been deluged with snow!

Waggoners will be closed next week (11th) as some of us will be enjoying a Christmas social meal together at Wodson Park in Ware.

Sunday10th December - Penny, Bob, Jackie, Keith, Janet, David, Trudy and Simon  went to the London & Home Counties Regional Callers Assembly Christmas Dance at Kensworth and spent a fund afternoon dancing Mainstream to Granville Spencer with guest tips from newer callers, Alan E and Peter G.

Monday 11th December - Christmas Social Meal

Table 1: Simon, Trudy, Maggie, Dennis, Allan, Ann, Bob and Mary

Table 2: Bob, Penny, John, Ann, Jenny, Ruth, Jeff and Rosemary

Table 3: Carol, Jann, Alan, Martin, Hazel, Roy, David and Gill

Table 4: Pat, Mac, Glenys, Michael, Joyce, Janet and David

32 members went for a Christmas social meal together at Wodson Park in Ware. After a starter chosen from soup, deep fried brie, terrine or Florida cocktail and main courses chosen from turkey, salmon, braised steak or nut roast we were served mince pies and petit fours along with tea and coffee. David H then invited everyone to take part in his "reverse raffle", the answers to the table quizzes were given out and then we settled down to watch a five minute panto of Cinderella with David H as Narrator, Simon as the Fairy Godmother, Trudy as Cinderella, Bob W and David S as the Ugly Sisters and Penny as Prince Charming.

After thanking the staff of Wodson Park for a most enjoyable meal we all went home at 9.45 p.m.

Monday 18th December - Christmas Party night -  This evening was, as usual for our Christmas Party night, raising money for charity - this year Teens Unite, a local charity based in Hoddesdon, which offers support to those in their teens and early twenties who are fighting cancer. There were various games in which members paid to take part - stacking reindeer,  guessing the number of chocolate puddings in a jar, shovelling "snow", a "Lucky Squares" game to win a £50 note, as well as David S's balloon reindeer hats, a quiz and raffle. The winners were: David H (chocolate puddings),  Maggie (quiz), David S (reindeer stacking), Allan H (Lucky Square) and Bob P (snow shovelling). Throughout the night we danced to Trudy and Simon with a guest tip from each of Penny and David. During the break we enjoyed a cup of warm winter punch and a mince pie before singing "Happy Birthday" to Penny who celebrates her special day on the 26th, Boxing Day.

With only 19 paying members present, we were very pleased to be able to raise over £300 for Teens Unite.