Today is Monday 22nd August 2011 - and I just thought I should update my blog to remind you all that there are NO classes this week on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.......Oak Lodge is also closed next Monday on Bank Holiday Monday - 29th August.
Classes are back at Six Villages on Weds 31st August...
The Newell Centre re opens on Friday 2nd September
and
Oak Lodge re opens on Monday 5th September!
Summer Beano Report!!
Well what can I say about this event?!!
First of all we arrived safely at the hotel and were very well looked after by the hotel staff who gave us all gorgeous bedrooms to stay in.....our room had a double aspect....the sea to the front - and a building that was being demolished to the right!!! You may think this disappointed me, but you would be wrong - it was the talking point of the whole trip! - watchin the HUGE demolition DINOSAUR chomping away at the building brick by brick with such a delicate 'hand' was fascinating and many Southsea regulars obviously agreed as people on the beach had their deck chairs facing the demolition instead of the sea!! hehe!! Since I've been home I have been wondering how they are getting on, and am considering a drive back down there sometime to see for myself!!
Anyway - exciting demolition apart....we had a FABBY time for three days and nights in the Royal Beach....the dancefloor was gorgeous, shiny and new (intitial problems with a dry floor were soon overcome)...and we whooshed over the floor with ease from then on!
The restaurant food was delicious.......the staff were very helpful and quick to sort out any minor problems immediately....and with all of this in mind we have already booked to return to the hotel next Summer!! Please do put this date in your diary - August 17th - 20th 2012! We will have around 70 places to fill and it will be strictly first come first served.....keep an eye out for booking forms in your classes sometime in the Autumn.....please do email me on julieandthekatz@msn.com if you would like to be put on the list for information as soon as it is finalised!
Tuesday night was our Giant Raffle and Quiz night......and our first chance to try out this brand new dance floor which has recently been laid to make it over twice the size it once was...there was plenty of room for everyone and we partied until after Midnight........
Wednesday night was our Hawaiian night - and everyone made so much effort to dress up it was just beautiful to see......we started off with Aloha!!! a specially choreographed Hawaiian style line dance written to Lilo and Stitch's song Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride.....everyone looked gorgeous swaying their grass skirts along to this lovely track. The fancy dress parade incorporated a Limbo competition which was something to see!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hema from our Oak Lodge class was the winner, and she astounded us all with her flexibility!! Rosemary won the Fancy Dress with her beautiful home made Hawaiian Leis......gorgeous!
We were lucky enough to have four lovely children along on the trip who became my assistants during the week - helping with the raffle......waving pom poms, and playing musical instruments along with the singers on our Thursday night 'Sing and Dance' night.........which was just like the X factor without Simon Cowell......St. Theresa and the Sinners were first up with their rendition of Hello Dolly (replaced with Hello Phyllis - which they sang to my lovely mum!)........they were stunning - and they left me speechless....which is something that is not often acheived by anyone if Im honest....
The Line-Istics were up next with a gorgeous rendition of My Pretty Belinda......to say it took my breath away would be an understatment...so I wont...;)
The Cha-lites took their place in the spotlight next, and warbled their way through Blue Night.....whilst accompanied ably by Rosie and co from the Chichester classes......it was truly tear jerking...no, seriously....I definately felt a tear or two in my eye whilst they were singing.....
I joined Pat C and we became the Cheeky Girls and we sang (well Pat sang - I yelled!) our way through Chica Boom Boom and I now know for sure that the £800 we spent on mums hearing aid was worth every penny when she said to me afterwards 'oooh Julie - I didnt know you could sing!'....hahahaha!!!
St. Theresa and the Swingers - oh - sorry I mean Sinners - belted out two more classics for us to dance along to - Mr Man In the Moon (whom I expected could actually hear them!) and Islands in the stream which would have made Dolly and Kenny wish they had never recorded the track in the first place had they known just how much 'better' this new girl band would have made the song sound just a few decades later.....
No seriously Ladies you were all WONDERFUL and I thank every single one of you for joining in with such gusto - and have to say a big thank you to St. Theresas group for their matching outfits made that very day just for the event!!
Another big thank you goes to all my other dancers that popped in to see us during the week - it was lovely having you all along...if you keep an eye on your email inboxes you should be receiving some photos very very soon....
I will also bring along some piccies to class to show you just how fabulous you all looked!
Many thanks to Viv for taking such lovely photos - to Lin for taking care of the register on the way home, to Maxine for helping out on the dance floor the whole time and for helping me decorate the hall so beautifully...and to my hubby Andy for being so understanding of my hairbrained schemes and quietly going along with all of them....
Love to you all - have a great week and see you all soon!!
