Saturday 12th October 2024 - We were very pleased to welcome over 60 guests to our 50th Birthday Celebration Cream Tea Dance which was held at St Joseph's in the Park School in Hertingfordbury. Members of the Committee, and other Club members, decorated the halls, laid the tables and set out the plates with scones, butter, jam and clotted cream, together with a small bag of mixed fun size chocolate bars, while David, our Treasurer, poured out glasses of alcoholic sparkling wine, non-alcoholic sparkling wine and orange juice for everyone. Later, while we were eating our cream teas, we were grateful to David and Gill S who made welcome cups of tea.  Sue donated a flower arrangement for every table which reflected our golden theme - these later became very popular prizes in our raffle.

Our afternoon of Mainstream dancing to Trudy and Simon Fielding included some Tips announced as being slightly easier for the benefit of  our newer dancers who joined us at Waggoners in the Spring. 

After the raffle had been drawn we welcomed Susan Ellis, the BAASDC PRO, to the stage and she gave a speech congratulating Waggoners on their 50th birthday. She said that the Waggoners banner was the best she had seen and that Waggoners members must be among the most photographed as they generally have a group photo at every event they attend! Trudy then read out the message of congratulations sent by Kevin Lovell, the SDCCGB President, and another from Eric Curtis who started his calling journey on our first night on 4th November 1974 and over the years taught many of us to Square Dance. He urged us all to keep dancing for the next 50 years!

Eric had supplied many of the photos and much of the memorabilia used by Sue and Penny to make the most interesting display boards of Waggoners over the years, the charities we have supported, holidays, outings and the numerous people who have danced with us.

At the end of the afternoon Trudy and Simon took to the stage for some joint patter followed by a duet of, "(I wanna sing you a) Love Song". After being thanked by our Chairman, Bob, Trudy and Simon finished the dance with the lovely "Here Comes the Night".

Our 50th Birthday Tea Dance was the first of two celebrations being held by the Club as on the 4th November we are going out for a meal together to Wodson Park in Ware, when, as well as having dinner, we will be entertained by a sleight of hand table magician.

As Eric said, "Here's to the next fifty years!"