Jim Healy
Reel of the 51st
Jan. 15, 2005, 7:59 p.m. (Message 40311, in reply to message 40310)
Greetings,
I have been staying out of this one to read with increasing awe the myths
and legends that have grown up around this dance.
The basic idea of the central 16 bars of the dance was worked out by Lt.
Jimmy Atkinson of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders on the march from St
Valery on the French Atlantic coast to the POW camp at Laufen in Germany.
The concept of the 16 bars was to reproduce the saltire shoulder flash of
the 51st Division and Jimmy Atkinson is on record as saying it was a
variation on the diagonal of Scottish Reform (see below). Although as John
Sturrock has said the original instructions that were sent back to Perth are
not easy to read, they clearly state:
13-14 First couple, second man and third lady balance in diagonal line
(Scottish Reform)
15-16 First couple turn left hand to second corners
17-20 First couple set and turn corners by right hand
21-22 First couple, third man and second lady balance in diagonal line
(Scottish Reform)
The rest of the dance was suggested by Lt Peter Oliver of the Seaforths and
Lt Col Tom Harris Hunter of the 51st Division Logistics Group RASC. Tom
Harris Hunter was, both before and after the war, Chairman of the Perth &
Perthshire Branch of the (R)SCDS and it was to his wife that the original
version quoted from above was sent: she passed it on to Miss Milligan. In a
memorable interview a few years ago, Jimmy Atkinson relates going to Harris
Hunter for advice on the dance and tune because as a senior member of the
SCDS "he was the authority". I do not dispute that birling crept in some
variations but that is not how the dance was devised or intended.
There are several things to note in this description. It was a five couple
set. Tom Harris Hunter (and Perth & Perthshire Branch) never accepted the
change to a four couple set and the current Branch committee has just agreed
that we will include it in programmes this year (our 80th anniversary) in
five couple sets - Edinburgh are not the only ones who can have regional
variations :) The instructions clearly refer to ladies and the dance was
always intended as a standard social dance - the fact that it was danced by
10 men was an accident of the circumstances not a declaration of intent. The
involvement of Tom Harris Hunter also tends to counter the suggestion in
some parts that the setting during the balance in line should be done with
high cuts.
Jim Healy
Perth, Scotland