Another good that I forgot to mention earlier -
When I got lost (what can I say I was confused from the sleep deprivation) on the way back to my chalet (a 5 min walk turned into a 20min one) the guy who helped me find it turned out to be pmjd . Thanks for being a sweetheart and helping me find it . It was nice to properly meet you and get a couple of dances.
This was my fourth Southport and it exceeded all my expectations. It, you could say, eclipsed all the one’s I’ve been to – not for one thing specifically, but more as a combination of factors, all in the right balance
I’ve tried to work out why Southport has this magic. Is it the opportunity to freestyle in the afternoons (or 24hr if you want)? Is it the variety of workshops? Is it the top class cabarets? Is it the layout?
For me, it has to be the standard of dancing. Watching all those great dancers in one place having the confidence just to “do their thang”. It certainly makes me up my game. And, this time for once, I didn’t have my usual confidence issues so played far harder and for far longer
Main points for me:
At last, blues music in the blues room. Sheepy played a truly dirty set of tracks on Sun night (or was it Monday morning). Hurrah!
Toby WK’s sets – all of them – energised me, and made me keep dancing.
Lee’s set on Sunday afternoon (even playing my requests) and Pete (Lost Leader) on Saturday
The new barrier stopping people walking onto the elevated section in the blues room from the bar
Cabaret – blimey! Shivers down my spine
Classes I did – Amir tango and WCS – both great with the right amount of technicality even dealing with the lack of space in the marquee (tango).
And the personal ones:
Absolutely fantastic dances. Special mention to Tigerpants (you’re so naughty ), double troubles with TP/The Librarian and Tessalicious/Leo, and dances with NickM & Straycat. Sparky Jim was my find of the weekend along with the French westies And did I say I danced with Amir. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe!
One particulary giddy moment mid dance – connection blew me away (and no, it wasn’t after the champagne I had Friday night)
Exceeding the challenge I was set (thanks Boardrider – it was the kick up the backside I needed)
Meeting new forumites especially getting to know Tessalicious
Turning up to go to the milonga – almost chickening out then Warren turning up and dancing with me which calmed my nerves. Thanks.
Surreal – drying the Fallen Madonna’s big boobies
All in all, I had a superb time. I’m glad I was there at “the last Southport” to John and Wes
Southport was fantastic although I wish I had had the energy to make more of it as there were so many people I didn't get to dance with (even with some ineffectual stalking) . Saturday night was really crowded everywhere after the cabaret so I left fairly early. I think there must be a better way to manage Saturday as I always seem to be there too early and then want to leave too soon before the crowds thin out and the music slows down - I either need to sleep less or at different times . Eating is also an annoying waste of time .
However, apart from that issue everything was great and I had some fabulous dances, especially one with someone a little bit tipsy on champagne ; and my first ever Double Trouble
Lee and Claire were very friendly; Amir's basic Tango class was as good and fun as I hoped - I want to learn his style of Tango, even if all I ever get to do is walk around !
Thanks to everyone kind enough to dance with me, especially if it was more than once . Extra special thanks to Minnie M for organizing the excellent BBQ which must be a lot of work and to Jon & Wes for a great event. Skegness is nearer to home so I'm hoping to be less tired on the Friday night at least!
I have decided after lots of long and hard thoughts to post !!!! I have been debating many a times whether to join/post or continue looking over Lee's shoulders to see whats going on and to assist with his spelling.
Also the numerous snipes/criticisms which has made him an unhappy person at times I was not sure whether I wanted to be part of it.
HOWEVER and a BIG HOWEVER after meeting you guys, all so genuine kind and so so so so friendly I shall initiate my first southport thread.
I am still on cloud 9 after a fantastic weekend and had numerous inspirational moments, chats and dance. As still a newbie to the dance world and still on the crash course of how to learn to dance in a kitchen, I felt some improvements and the experience of dancing with other people (than Lee) was very well needed.
Excuse me if I dont remember all of the names but thanks to Stokie, Twirly Bird, Helen B, DTS,TSH, Lost Leader, Easily Led, Caz, Fletch, Stephen666, Wuzzle, Simon R, Mr Darcy, Minnie M, Lory, Ringo and Starr for friendliness and great dances. (Even if I did laugh too much at my errors)
I dont have anything bad to say, except it was over all to quickly and roll on Skeggy which for us is much nearer to home.
Thanks
Claire
Let me be the first to say welcome to the forum Claire.
It was great to meet and dance with you at SP. Most folk here are OK really (though one or two may have their moments). Even the bitchy wind up merchants are not as bad as they can sometimes sound.
Any internet forum has its share of heated arguments which can sometimes bring out the worst in people because it is all too easy to post something you would not say to someone's face, for innocent remarks to be misinterpreted and minor differences of opinion can quickly spiral into childish name calling. To some extent we have all been victims of this - it is just something that happens and you have to live with it by making allowances for the fact that a forum is an imperfect mode of communication. Generally however the good far outweighs the bad.
Better write something resembling a review before SP is old news so here go's:
The fantastic
Some of the dances I had in the blues room were most definitely in this category. There were times when the blues room was just sublime and you felt you could just pick any partner at random and almost be guaranteed a great dance. I made several new discoveries but have no idea who most of them were (I don't generally ask for names because I always forget them anyway)
The good
Pretty much everything. Managed to have my best Friday at any weekender. I usually start really slowly, having negative thoughts about my own dancing etc. but this time that didn't happen and I felt good the whole week-end. The chalet was budget but surprisingly clean so I don't even have any complaints about that - it even had free electricity for some reason. Have to also mention the weather, Saturday was glorious and we were so lucky to have so little rain. I did manage to get to a couple of classes, both excellent (Amir and Victor). I must get more into AT. The barbeque was once again top notch and this time I didn't miss out on the cakes. Special thanks to McJester for introducing me to more of the Scottish crowd - all so friendly. Managed to get dances with some forumites i had missed in June
The slightly disappointing
The flooring on the outside terrace had some slight problems. It was very hard on the feet and perhaps wasn't laid quite as well as at previous SP's. The rain that fell on it on Friday evening didn't help (that said the fact that you can dance outside is brilliant). I found the Latin room slightly disappointing too this time, though I just kept being drawn back to the blues room. Nipped into the main room a few times for a quick boogie and had some really fun dances there.
The bad
Nothing major. There was a little too much fast swing played in the blues room for my taste. This seemed particularly inappropriate when the room was at it's most crowded around midnight on Saturday after the cabaret finished. Still didn't manage to dance with everyone I wanted too.
Keep remembering more the more I regain consciousness! Sparky Jim as HelenB said was I think the find of the weekend (even tho I found him at VLV Camber )
Had some amazing dances with Terpsichorea, PassionHarem (our stand and sway dance was the best ). Raph and his harem on Monday morning, the French guys - wow...HelenB saw my face as I came off the floor in the Latin room at Raph's party (which was amazingly well organised to Janet and Yli for the organisation). BBQ was fab - glad we got the weather.. thanx to Minnie M and Dee for refilling my pint glass of wine before I left! Funniest thing has to be the guy who thought me and HelenB were resuscitating someone as we attempted to pump the spacehopper up!! Fun earning my 10p off Lee and Claire as I hoppered over to see what was happening at the other party!
Loved having breakfast with Sway and 2tone etc on Sat a.m. and then also crashing their chalet for tea!
Too little sleep (again) but u can sleep when your dead.. Life is too short... Glad I stayed up til the end.... Tagging with Sway, Steven666 and PoiBoi has to be a highlight (nice to meet PoiBoi too) along with tags with Spiky Steve, Kathleen, John, Karen and Taz (after lining up the Corkys ofc!)
Amazing weekend.. Far too much to post everything!
Oh and it made my weekend that James Mc made it... even tho I thought he was abroad... and Jamie kept it quiet too...
to John and Wes and the Jive Addiction crew for another fab weekend... Wish, like many others, we could capture it and return whenever we pleased... the real world is not quite so magical......
I'm still working on Southport time - dammit! Having just enjoyed possibly the best Southport weekend ever, I'm finding it really hard to get back to reality. Probably cos I don't want to!
The Good
For me this time the music just worked!
From Raphael's impromptu set early on Friday evening which really set the tone for the weekend, right through to Richards funkier set on Monday morning I had an awesome time.
I was one of the people who felt that the last SP had a little too much of a WCS bias in the Blues room but this time I was not disappointed. Dance Demon played some of the old favourites that we first discovered in the SP Blues room, bringing back some real fond memories. Zebra Woman treated us to some superb stuff and every DJ that played managed to lay their own signature onto their sets, without compromising the bluesy feel. There were very few times when the change of DJ caused an abrupt change in atmosphere too. Last time it often felt that someone had opened a door and let a cold draft in because of the dramatic shift in atmosphere created - this time each DJ seemed to ease us from one style to the next with skilled consideration for how the room was feeling.
And I agree whole-heartedly with the sentiments others have expressed - wasn't it great to have blues back in the blues room!
Oh, and Blueshoes - I'm not one to complain, but on this occasion I have to... I asked over and over again for you to play a duff track so I could find an excuse to leave and get changed, but would you? Oh no! Not even one! And you played 'Poison'! How could I possibly leave?
Before the weekend I was a little worried that all the unpleasantness leading up to the event would leave a cloud over things and was hugely relieved to find the atmosphere was just electric! Yes, there was a nostalgic and wistful feeling, but there was also one of excitement and hope that things would be even better at Eclipse. For every time my bottom lip started to drop at the thought of not ever getting to be here, doing this again - someone would infect me with a dose of positive about Eclipse!
Apart from all the effort and skill that John and Wes put in to making their events so great, it is the people (and the music, obviously!) that make Southport events so perfect. I have made some of my best friends at Southport and nearly all of my favourite dancers I have met there - hopefully this will continue to be the case at Eclipse, I see no reason why not.
The Bad
The bad this time was the absence of special friends...
Love it or hate it, I missed Mariachi in the afternoons... Dancing on the decking in the sunshine was as perfect as ever, but it would have been much more 'right' to have had that total contrast that CJ's Mariachi sets give.
Not having CJ there didn't seem quite right either!
Trouble - don't do that again. You were missed and I'm not sure that I can forgive you - good drinking buddies like you are hard to find! You sure better make up for it in Tenerife girl!!!
The Ugly
There was only one ugly and he knows it! The green top has to go boyo - it was bad... Very bad!
Special Mentions
Raph -
Underpar - thank you!
Passion Harem - moments that make time stand still
DTS - my feet will adore you forever, my ribs won't!
Clem - where have you been all this time?
Pretzel Meister -
Ducasi - does this track seem long to you?
JN's gang - mwah!
Lemon Cake - always cake, always at the right moment, and always perfect!
Freudian Hips - Lemon Tree!
Mr Darcy - always yummy
Ruby Red - a lady, a friend, my treasure!
There is no denying I am going to miss Southport and am so sad to see it go, but I am looking forward to Eclipse and hope we can take the best of what we've had and mix it with the best of yet to come.
John, Wes - thank you for everything, we're right behind you!
You know, skimming through the reviews (am interested, even if I couldn't make this one, sadly), I can't help but think that Ceroc might have done JA a favour by making them find a newer, cleaner venue! The rooms weren't great in June, but the descriptions seem so much worse. I wonder if it's all so filthy as the chalets have been heavily used by lots of families over the summer, and not cleaned properly as someone else said?
Actually, the thought of lots of kids playing on that smelly beach and then trudging the sand and gunk Beo and I saw lying on the surface of the beach back into the chalets is quite
Hi guys
Well it sounds like you all had a great time at southport and i thought i would say thanks to you all for your lovely PM's and reps telling me you was gonna miss me and was missed after the weekend.
I would love to say the same but unfortunately i was with Danny in tenerife, having the time of my life... Great company, great music, dancing under the stars, being sung too and romanced to the hilt....... (ok i did miss southport a little) but just a little.
See you at in February where we will be waiting to make up for the lost dances this weekend.
Oh and Sara/Rosie - roll on Friday week when we will be scaring Tenerife....
Trouble
xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx
Really quick review from me, I've had a very good time, some amazing dances, and spent the weekend as usual in the blues room. Slightly disappointed with some of the music, basically as a general note it was too often too fast for the blues room I like.
However special thanks to Sheepman who played the set I had been longing for all weekend on sunday night
Playlist welcome Sheepy
OK, Ken's review of it (from an AT-ers perspective) is up now:
http://www.jivetango.co.uk/Reviews/Southport.html
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