strathspey@strathspey.org:40311

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