OCTOBER 2002
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Tea Dance Honours Second World War Prisoners of War
By RAY EAGLE
VANCOUVER - On November 11, Remembrance Day, the annual Lady Aberdeen Society Tea Dance will be held at the Scottish Cultural Centre from 1:30 to 5 PM.
One of the highlights of the afternoon is a reel composed by officers of the Fifty-First Highland Division in a German prisoner-of-war camp. It is called "The Reel of the Fifty-First" and traditionally was danced by only men, as no women were available.
At the Tea Dance, it is first danced by men to honour that tradition, and then opened up to the ladies as a typical four-couple reel. It is a very stirring dance with wonderful music.
The Tea Dance itself, started by the Lady Aberdeen Scottish Country Dance Society, founded in 1938 by Eleanora Bingham, is one of the most enjoyable and happy events on the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society's calendar.
The vast majority of men wear the kilt and the ladies suitably are attired in their best dresses or blouse and skirt. There can be up to 160 dancers in four-couple sets on the floor for each dance.
There are usually two or three sets of eight men dancing "The Reel of the Fifty-First." August 19 this year marked the sixtieth anniversary of tie Dieppe Raid in which several Canadian regiments took part, including the Calgary Highlanders and the Cameron Highlanders of Canada (Winnipeg).
This makes it all the more fitting that once again the men of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society will be dancing "The Reel of the Fifty-First" on Remembrance Day at the Scottish Cultural Centre. For a cost of $8, whether you join in the dancing or watch from the sidelines, it will be an afternoon well-spent.
British Cities Vie for Title of European Capital of Culture
LONDON - Twelve British cities are competing for the title of European Capital of Culture 2008. That year may seem a long way off but a judging panel will cut the bidders down to a short-list of six this October, with the winning bid revealed early in 2003.
The accolade is expected to bring millions of pounds worth of tourism and a big boost to local pride for the winning city. Newcastle and Gateshead in north-east England, which are putting in a joint bid, estimate that the title would attract four million extra visitors and create 17,000 jobs for the two cities.
The other entrants range from the seaside city of Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Canterbur3r and Oxford in southern England to Bradford and Liverpool in the north.
Birmingham and Norwich are the other entrants from England, while Wales and Northern Ireland are putting forward their respective capitals, Cardiff and Belfast. The Highland capital of Inverness is the only Scottish entrant. The last European City of Culture in the UK was Glasgow, in 1990.
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