Stra-a-ange Surroundings

American square dancing icon Wade Driver visited Adelaide in May and everybody who was anybody flew across to hear him call. Since Daizy and I were left in Sydney, Tony Alessi asked us to look after Mexicali Squares while he was away.

Funny thing about setting up in a strange hall – you hear things.

We got to Beverly Hills Primary School bright and early and I was on stage setting up the sound equipment while Daizy was outside filling the urn. It was so-o-o quiet that I wasn't surprised when I was able to hear two soft voices, one male and one female.

After a while I went to the door to see who had arrived but the whole area was deserted. There was nobody there, and still the voices murmured around the hall.

Now you may not normally believe in ghosts but I wonder if you can offer a better explanation? And don't blame it on my Hilton—it wasn't even plugged in.

That's when I got a bit whimsical and wondered whether the shades of square dancers from years gone by had come to the hall to enjoy just one more dance.

Wouldn't it be great if we could talk to some of those old friends who have since passed on. If you had the chance to talk to just one person, who would it be?

I know who I'd choose. His name was (or perhaps still is) Col Gillies and he taught me to square dance in 1957.

Col was a pretty average sort of caller and complicated choreography was beyond him; but he was a lovely bloke and his dancers all stuck by him as he went from one beginners' night to another. We danced a couple of nights a week with Col at Gladesville, Eastwood and Campsie, and then went out to several more advanced dances with Ron Jones and Gary Cohen.

Col (a salesman) and his wife Anne (a nurse) lived at Bondi with their Pekingeses (Penny and Tuppy). Apart from his Sydney dances he was also active in promoting dance weekends at Newcastle with caller Harry Silcock.

If Col's ghost dropped by the dance one night I'd have so many questions to ask and so many memories to share that I don't think much calling would get done.

What about you? Who would you like to meet again?

It's a lovely thought, even if it's a bit unattainable.