Pilgrimage down south in August

[JoC]

I'm hoping to make a trip down south sometime in August, purely a dance expedition, no other excuse!, but haven't got a clue where to start...

I wonder if any of you Londoners can give me some clues as to whether you really can go dancing every single night? Would it be best to come down for a long weekend or come down during the week? I've got a few days leave left and I need an adventure.

I may...at least I have potential to be staying in either the Croydon or Teddington parts of town, never been to these places so I don't know what that means :o but have car and am willing to drive! :)

(If I stay with my salsa dancing step-sis I might even end up going to a salsa night :what:( :clap: ) for one evening, or maybe the street-dancing thing she's into now...I could show them my breakdancing! :grin: )

London seems such a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggg huuuuuuugggggeeeee place!!!!!!!! Is it true you can't see outside the city from inside? :eek:

(May even stop off at Marcus Garveys on the way too and drag a friend or two along :clap: who have line-dancing history)

Guidance gratefully received :flower:

[bobgadjet]

I suggest you start here

http://www.lyndaslist.com/

And make a feww phone calls also.

Good luck, and check here

http://www.ceroc.com/

to see if there is a freestyle at Ashtons, or even a Wenesday night when we could meet you.

Hope to see you then

ATB
Bob

:flower:

[Minnie M]

I suggest you start here

http://www.lyndaslist.com/

:blush: haven't done August yet - better hurry up :eek: thanks for the link Bob :flower: :hug: :kiss:

[David Bailey]

I wonder if any of you Londoners can give me some clues as to whether you really can go dancing every single night?
Oh yes, definitely. Several places a night if you have the energy :)


Would it be best to come down for a long weekend or come down during the week? I've got a few days leave left and I need an adventure.
Long weekend I'd say, as most weekday dances finish around 11pm, but if you choose a good weekend you can find a couple of good nights in the weekend till 12 / 1am.


(If I stay with my salsa dancing step-sis I might even end up going to a salsa night :what:( :clap: ) for one evening, or maybe the street-dancing thing she's into now...I could show them my breakdancing! :grin: )
There are probably more salsa than ceroc venues, so you'll be spoilt for choice!


London seems such a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggg huuuuuuugggggeeeee place!!!!!!!! Is it true you can't see outside the city from inside? :eek:
There's an outside? :what: :innocent:

[JoC]

Thankyou good peoples, I'll maybe have to leave it a teensy bit nearer the time I guess to get specific places to go, but I'll keep checking the links and maybe post another little plea nearer the time to suss out where I might find a friendly forum face :flower:.

Out of interest, what part of the city is Ashtons in? And is Hipsters a weekly event, I found that on the map and it looks like the right side of town? (Those being the two main places I seem to hear about...must start reading more of the southern social threads :whistle: ) :)

[bobgadjet]

Out of interest, what part of the city is Ashtons in? :)
Look at your maps......
Find the end of the M1, and follow on south towards London along the A5.
CRICKLEWOOD BROADWAY. Its next to the Bingo Hall.
If there were no traffic it would take you about 5 minutes from the end of the M1, to the B&Q car park at the rear of Ashtons.

From Junction 5 of M1 it takes me 8 minutes to get to Staples corner,which is the end of the M1. For the start of the evening it can take anything from 5 -25 minutes to get to Ashtons from there. It really does depend on the traffic, and that is as much a lottery as the national one :D

Mind the cameras for the Bus lane, but that ends at 7pm.

The up-side is that once there you have adequate parking, and a large array of take away, or sit in eateries within 2 mins walk, plus drinking places to refresh yourself before meeting the regular array of fantastic dancers, forumites, one of the BEST sound systems, the BIGGEST fan you can just about stand up in front of........ and a DJ that plays your requests :innocent:

A worthwhile trip it will be, and our freestyles end at 01.30 on Saturday morning ! ! !

If you wanted a double whammy.... Why not go to the Casbah for the start of the evening, catch a great lesson or two, a good freestyle, but that ends at 11pm on a Friday. If you talk to the door nicely you may just get a voucher to get into Ashtons afterwards, and it's only about 20 minutes drive to get there.

My suggestion if you are that much of a dancing nutter :flower:
Start at the Casbah, leave about 10.45 and get to Ashtons, stay to 01.30.

What could be better than that ?

Hope to see you there.
ATB
Bob

[DavidY]

(May even stop off at Marcus Garveys on the way too and drag a friend or two along :clap: who have line-dancing history)Let us know if you are visiting Marcus Garvey so that forumites who go there can find you for a dance. :cheers:

[Sheepman]

staying in either the Croydon or Teddington parts of town, I presume that once you've driven all the way down to London, you won't be averse to a bit more driving for the best events?

If you're in Teddington, that's an easy (if driving in London is ever easy?) trip to savour the intimate delights of Jango on a Monday night. If you're down for the 13th August, then Twyford looks like the place to be, with Ray & Jane's (Daisy's) leaving do. If it's the 20th, then Natalie & Yuval, World swing dance champs, are over from the USA, and will be at Fleet (Ceroc Plus). If you're interested in other styles there is a new WCS class starting in Hammersmith on Wednesdays. (And a new one in Farnham on Tuesdays.)

Hipsters is not running on Tuesdays during the summer, but there is the BFFF on Friday 5th in Ealing. Many reports say Fulham on a Thursday is good (but very busy).

Given a choice of staying at Croydon or Teddington, I would definitely opt for Teddington, though there is a Ceroc night at Croydon, and it's not too far for a trip to the south coast venues.

We are spoilt with so much choice! I'm now trying ot work out why I'm not dancing every night!

Greg

[Just Wiggle]

JoC

Definitely make Jango on your "must do" list, you will have a great time!

Great music by TWK, excellent class with Will & Kate and lots of great dancers! :clap:

Surbiton is always good fun although it might be a bit of a trek!

Fulham is a good venue too lots of good dancers although I always seem to get trod on when I go there!

[Lucy Locket]

if you fancy stopping en route you are welcome to stay. :flower:

[JoC]

Wow thanks!!!!! :flower: I'm going to have to study all those replies with a calendar and map in hand...
:kiss:

[JoC]

Just need to let out a little 'hurray'! Got cat sitter. :)

[John S]

Got cat sitter. :)
http://www.thecatconnection.com/page/TCC/PROD/GIFT/CATSITTER_DVD_VIDEOS
Get one of the Forum techies to set up an endless loop for you, and off you go! :nice:

[JoC]

http://www.thecatconnection.com/page/TCC/PROD/GIFT/CATSITTER_DVD_VIDEOS
Get one of the Forum techies to set up an endless loop for you, and off you go! :nice:
:rofl:
That's brilliant! I particularly love the claim "Cats actually think they are in the great outdoors!"
:D

[Damien]

Hi JoC ever considered a trip to the North West. There are some great classes on all week and great freestyle events held regularly at Stockport and Hyde. :waycool: Both are fantastic nights. Not to mention all the great nightlife in Manchester and Liverpool. And don't forget all the great countryside within easy driving ie lake district, yorkshire dales and north wales. Plus all those great cities Chester, York and Lancaster. :clap:

PS i don't work for the local tourist board
pps lets hear from more Northwest forumites, where are you?

[JoC]

Hi JoC ever considered a trip to the North West.
Hmmm, that sounds like a tempting pilgrimage down to the north ;) .

It's probably not out of the question popping down from Scotland to the North West for a Friday or Saturday night freestyle is it? I'd need a few collaborators for that one. (and vice versa you northwesterners...)

[bobgadjet]

"Cats actually think they are in the great outdoors!"
:D
How do they know that ? :confused:

and who would "they" be who might claim they know that ?

[JoC]

How do they know that ? :confused:

and who would "they" be who might claim they know that ?
The cat whisperer.

[Gus]

Hi JoC ever considered a trip to the North West. There are some great classes on all week and great freestyle events held regularly at Stockport and Hyde. :waycool: Both are fantastic nights. Urrrm ... OK time to get flamed but can I offer a reality check?

There are some really nice people on the NWest and some reasonable clubs .... but I'm afraid that the overall teaching / dancing / freestyles can't really compare to London. It has always pained me to say that (I'm a Stoke lad born and bred) but thats the truth.

I can wholeheartedly recommend some clubs like Chester (and freestyles at Hyde can be a blast) but on the whole the fact that the South has achieved critical mass and has been doing this type of thing for 10 years longer really does show. :sad: One day the North will having something to comapre with the likes of Jango, Ashtons, Fulham or to instructors like Amir, Will & Kate, N&N, Roy AB .... but not today.

[Damien]

I'm sure your right Gus. But everyone I know who attends the blitz night in Stockport has a great time :) . At the end of the day what more can you ask for on a Saturday night - great venue, great people, great dancing...loads of fun.

[Damien]

Just another quick thought ...is it just a matter of time ...give it another 10 years and maybe the north will catch up with London? There are loads of MJers up here why aren't we attracting the quality of teachers now? Prestwich on Moday is packed; Bowden packed; Stockport freestyle packed.

[JoC]

Can't get those links for Jango on the 'upcoming events' page to work. Is it just me?

The other thing...is Jango really tricky stuff? I like the sound of it anyway :) .

[Feelingpink]

Can't get those links for Jango on the 'upcoming events' page to work. Is it just me?

The other thing...is Jango really tricky stuff? I like the sound of it anyway :) .

Try here (http://www.fusiondance.freeservers.com/index.html) for a link to Jango. You've missed tonight's fab time ... but there's a TJive on Sunday (July 31).

[JoC]

Try here (http://www.fusiondance.freeservers.com/index.html) for a link to Jango.
Got it with that thanks :flower:

[cerocmetro]

I would like to recommend Finchley/Whetstone on a Monday or Tuesday but sadly I cannot.

It is already one of the busiest venues in London and quite frankly, the boys want to keep all those stunning ladies to themselves.

I have no idea why it is so busy, the fun friendly atmosphere, the amazing music, the babes, the hulks that is Finchley man, I don't know.

So best keep away hey and try to help somewhere else :sad:

[JoC]

Hurray! I was just waiting for one more before I asked if I could not join the antisocial gender confused non-group.

[Gill (Norwich)]

Hey why not stop off on the way down and dance at CerocAnglia, classes every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Can even offer you a bed for the night!

[JoC]

Thanks Gill (Norwich)! :hug:

I'll have to go get the map out again! :grin:

:flower:

[RogerR]

Did a week in Nottingham recently Missed Marcus Garvey but found all the other locals poor. Went to Northampton (Saints) and had an ACE time.

Do try to make a Hipsters Big Fat Friday Freestyle in Ealing Town Hall. Teddington gives you good access to London Town and the Thames Valley. Get to inner London classes early as they close early so that people can take the last train home.

I've had some truly GREAT dances at Sarah's modern jive in the Eactbourne/Seaford area. ( http://www.modernjive.fsnet.co.uk/ ) Add Lounge Lizard as DJ and you get a superb evening

[DavidY]

Went to Northampton (Saints) and had an ACE time. :yeah: Just been there tonight - I can't often make it but usually enjoy myself when I do.

[JoC]

Let us know if you are visiting Marcus Garvey so that forumites who go there can find you for a dance. :cheers:
It's looking good for Marcus Garvey's next Monday... :grin:
Description so you can look out for me either for a dance, or to avoid, you choose!

Not tall, curly ponytail (on head, don't know why I feel need to add that), probably looking slightly anxious, trying not to gravitate towards dark corner...

I'm going to see if I can coax along a couple of friends in town too.

(Jango will have to be another trip, so many places to dance, so little time!)

[JoC]

So...next weekend...am I correct in thinking that Saturday(13th) we've got Hammersmith or Twyford as places to be?

(In anticipation of a new thread that will appear nearer the time!)

:)

[Cruella]

So...next weekend...am I correct in thinking that Saturday(13th) we've got Hammersmith or Twyford as places to be?

(In anticipation of a new thread that will appear nearer the time!)

:)

No competition! Don't really need a thread, cos everyone (well nearly everyone) is going to Twyford. :clap: :clap: But be warned it will be busting at the seams, we may need to dance in the car park too. It will be a very emotional evening as we say farewell to Ray and Jane. So i may just be having a wee drink to send them off. (Look out SimonR) :D

[Swinging bee]

I'm hoping to make a trip down south sometime in August, purely a dance expedition, no other excuse!, but haven't got a clue where to start...

I wonder if any of you Londoners can give me some clues as to whether you really can go dancing every single night? Would it be best to come down for a long weekend or come down during the week? I've got a few days leave left and I need an adventure.

I may...at least I have potential to be staying in either the Croydon or Teddington parts of town, never been to these places so I don't know what that means :o but have car and am willing to drive! :)

(If I stay with my salsa dancing step-sis I might even end up going to a salsa night :what:( :clap: ) for one evening, or maybe the street-dancing thing she's into now...I could show them my breakdancing! :grin: )

London seems such a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggg huuuuuuugggggeeeee place!!!!!!!! Is it true you can't see outside the city from inside? :eek:

(May even stop off at Marcus Garveys on the way too and drag a friend or two along :clap: who have line-dancing history)

Guidance gratefully received :flower:





May I be so bold as to recommend www.jivehive.co.uk (jivehive.co.uk) A pretty comrehensive list for events in the south.

[Simon r]

No competition! Don't really need a thread, cos everyone (well nearly everyone) is going to Twyford. :clap: :clap: But be warned it will be busting at the seams, we may need to dance in the car park too. It will be a very emotional evening as we say farewell to Ray and Jane. So i may just be having a wee drink to send them off. (Look out SimonR) :D

Oh my god lock the doors the lady is on her way

If you need to stay let me know, we can make uo the spare room...

[Cruella]

Oh my god lock the doors the lady is on her way

If you need to stay let me know, we can make uo the spare room...

You obviously have me confused with someone else :whistle:
Thanks for the bed offer honey but i think i've got a lift down with a mate. :hug:

[Little Em]

You obviously have me confused with someone else :whistle:
Thanks for the bed offer honey but i think i've got a lift down with a mate. :hug:



you have more than 2 friends? (me & paul!!!)

:rofl:

[Dazzle]

Just another quick thought ...is it just a matter of time ...give it another 10 years and maybe the north will catch up with London? There are loads of MJers up here why aren't we attracting the quality of teachers now? Prestwich on Moday is packed; Bowden packed; Stockport freestyle packed.

If you like these events you will LOVE Northwich freestyles. The next is Saturday 6th August, entry on the door.

The NW dancers are in abundance, the experience not completely and the willingness to experiment, on the whole, and be challanged still needs to be further sparked as the failures of Cool Cats and Jive Extra provide strong testimony.

Are the likes of Amir, Will & Kate, N&N, Roy AB, etc. that keen on travelling up this way when there is so much more local business in their own areas? Happy to have them any day of the week to instruct and do workshops, but people prefer to attend weekenders for this nowadays and I am sure the top instructors do too.

Only those with a true burning desire for continuous improvement seek to progress in this way and this is a small percentage of the dancing population that doesn't make money. That smaller percentage in London is a significant number, up in the NW not so much so. Maybe one day another improvement club will open and continue in the face of adversity for this minority? I sit and hope.

[JoC]

I think I've got most of my jaunt sorted now, so all being well it will be...
Monday: Marcus Garvey's
Tuesday: Northampton
Wednesday: Ashtons
Thursday and Friday: I'd welcome any suggestions...I may just have a night off...would however be interested in having some interesting options, maybe even a beginner friendly salsa (or any other dance form) venue if anyone knows such a place, I'm staying in Camberwell those nights now if that helps. :confused:
Saturday: not 100% decided between Hammersmith or Twyford (there's a country hotel room key with my name on it if I pick that one, oh yeah!). Anybody know if you need to buy tickets in advance for either of these or do you just turn up?

Hope I can sleep during the day :what:

[John S]

I may just have a night off...
You're clearly not the JoC I thought you were. :rolleyes:

[JoC]

I'm having a lovely time down here!!!

Just want to say a quick thankyou to everyone I've met and/or danced with so far :grin:.

One night to go...

Looking forward to seeing everyone back home next week though. :hug:

[Lory]

Well Jo! Give us the highs and lows of your tour :flower:

[JoC]

Well now I'm home I thought I'd write a little roundup of my little dancing expedition!

Sunday I drove down to Nottingham, no dancing but I mention Sunday just to ask...why on earth was everyone in England on the M6 at half nine on a Sunday evening???

Monday evening, after chatting overlong with the friend I was staying with, I eventually set off for Marcus Garveys thinking I'd be there in time for the start of freestyle. By some mysterious internal navigation system I drove straight to the street! Then spent at least the three quarters of an hour trying to find the venue... :sick: , drove right past thinking the building was an industrial unit first time, then three separate 'helpful' locals I asked each gave me directions in 3 entirely different (and wrong) compass directions... Eventually I went into a shop to ask and a taxi driver told me to follow him, bless that man :flower: for I eventually got there thanks to him. Because I'd missed the classes and freestyle was well underway I did have to work pretty hard at asking for dances, but I had a few really fantastic dances so thanks for those.

Tuesday I headed down to Northampton (big thankyou to Lucy Locket :hug: )... for a night in the Saints. I thought that was a great venue (could have done without the smoking though, never been to a smokey venue before). I also had a really wonderful night with lots of superb (and some interesting) dances!

Wednesday it was down to the fabled Ashtons, that was just amazing! I had millions of great dances, lots and lots of second dances, I also felt extremely looked after, nestling in the bosom of the forum so to speak! ZW just kept sending lovely men over for me!!! :hug: . Also had the best request for a second dance, partner held on and said "it's not enough". That'll do for me mister...

Thursday, I drove from Northampton to Watford, then did a few laps of Watford before I found Heavenly Dance Shoes. I entered this wondrous place to find the owners away and the shop being looked after by their daughter who didn't know an awful lot about the shoes. That said, she was very nice and didn't object to my picking up, trying on, touching and stroking everything in the shop. I may have even talked her into having a go at Ceroc so it wasn't a wasted journey! :grin:

After Watford I headed for Camberwell...driving all the way round the north, then down the east side of London before finally getting there a little too late to go dancing. :sad: So I was sociable instead :) (doesn't happen very often so it was good practice for me). That was my first driving experience in London, what's with the motorbikes and mopeds that drive straight at you in your lane on the wrong side of the road!!!!!!! :eek:

Anyway, Friday, I nearly headed for WCS at Surbiton but I spent so long getting ready I realised I would miss the class, so I went to...wait for it... the Casbah! What's more I had a really really great evening. Though it had been great getting a foot in the door at Ashtons thanks to the forum, it was quite fun arriving incognito at the Casbah. I found the folk of the Casbah a very friendly bunch from a strangers perspective and had some really fun dances, discovered all sort of new moves...(was dropped a lot in the middle of a busy floor just enough to make me a little concerned...) and had a few that were just sooooo fantastic. :D (Especially the second last song, got a slightly wary look as I asked for my dance, then smiling took place when we started dancing and I was a happy little dancer!). Also encountered the lightest lead in the world at the Casbah. Great night. :)

Saturday...after a quick jaunt into the city by bendy bus I drove up to Twyford in the afternoon (that was an easy-peasy drive) to my B&B and after a power snooze rushed over to Loddon Hall to get there in time for Amir's class. This was my first Amir experience :worthy: ... don't think I've ever seen anyone who can move their body like that!!! (If he would have cared to just dance a couple of tracks solo in the middle of the circle that would've been fine by me). Ahem, anyway I enjoyed the class, something to work on methinks! After that freestyle just seemed to be such a mass of amazingly good dancers, I had some wonderful dances once more though at times it felt a bit like bumper car dancing. I must have learned something!!! I also spent a few songs watching some of the really amazing ladies to try to pick up some style tips.

Sunday, drove home, whoever invented the M6 toll I love you. Best £3.50 I may have ever spent. I recommend driving to Scotland on a Sunday, everyone seems to be going the other way. :nice: .

Anyway I met too many forumites to mention them all, so I say a huge thankyou to all for making me feel so welcome and showing me a good time. I'm afraid to say I may have to come back, there was so much left undone! :flower:

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Glad you had a good time Jo, sounds like super fun. Take me with you next time please :D :flower: :kiss: :hug: :cheers: Please :innocent:

[LMC]

Lovely to meet you Jo, looking forward to the BFG :flower:

[Cruella]

Great to meet you Jo. Will see you at the scottish champs. :flower:

[Sheepman]

I'm afraid to say I may have to come back, there was so much left undone! :flower: You could always try 2 weeks next time! :D

Great to meet you, Jo, and thanks for the dances, maybe next time we'll have space, and I'll have shoes! :blush:

Greg :flower:

[Northants Girly]

Tuesday I headed down to Northampton (big thankyou to Lucy Locket :hug: )... for a night in the Saints. I thought that was a great venue (could have done without the smoking though, never been to a smokey venue before). I also had a really wonderful night with lots of superb (and some interesting) dances!Sorry I was on hols and missed you JoC :(

I bet you did have some interesting dances in Northampton :rolleyes:

:flower:

[Tiggerbabe]

and thanks for the dances
Dances!! Dances!! Now I'm truly jealous Jo, you got dances with Sheepy.............. roll on Southport :hug:

[JoC]

Dances!! Dances!! Now I'm truly jealous Jo, you got dances with Sheepy.............. :D And you were down the very week previous Sheena, all those missed opportunities!!! (Did you see what a pitifully short time I was there last night, finally had to admit I'd got tired :sad: )

I remembered something else I wanted to add wot woz good.

Spontaneous (-ish, I think?) cabaret in Northampton by....ummmm, two very very very good dancers??? Don't know if they intended everyone to gather round and watch but we did!

[bigdjiver]

...Tuesday I headed down to Northampton (big thankyou to Lucy Locket :hug: )... for a night in the Saints. I thought that was a great venue (could have done without the smoking though, never been to a smokey venue before)....The word I heard was that several smokers and friends had abandoned Wellingborough for Northampton due to the smoking ban in Wellingborough, so it may have been worse than usual. Officially smoking is now banned in the dance hall at at Ceroc Central venues.

[Cruella]

:D And you were down the very week previous Sheena, all those missed opportunities!!! (Did you see what a pitifully short time I was there last night, finally had to admit I'd got tired :sad: )

I remembered something else I wanted to add wot woz good.

Spontaneous (-ish, I think?) cabaret in Northampton by....ummmm, two very very very good dancers??? Don't know if they intended everyone to gather round and watch but we did!
That was the two local teachers Emma Petit and Alex Faulkner doing one of their showcase routines. Don't worry they love being watched. :worthy:

[JoC]

That was the two local teachers Emma Petit and Alex Faulkner doing one of their showcase routines. Don't worry they love being watched. :worthy:Aha! Things begin to fall into place now...I heard that song on the radio yesterday wierdly enough, it's stuck in my head now!

[JoC]

Officially smoking is now banned in the dance hall at at Ceroc Central venues.This is good news! I shall return for I enjoyed Northampton! :grin: