Blackpool Tower Ballroom, 25th April 2015

The breathtaking architecture and the warm, rich glow of golden light greeted us as we walked through the doors of the famous ballroom. A swirl of dancers already on the dance floor, tourists taking Afternoon Tea, and above the stage gleamed the inscription, “Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear”. The white Wurlitzer organ shone against a sparkling blue backdrop, framed by heavy red and gold curtains. A glitterball spun gently from above. I’ll never forget Tracey’s soft “wow!” of amazement when she first entered the ballroom… The organist welcomed us over the microphone: “Hello to Miss Emma’s Dancing, who have travelled all the way from Hullavington in Wiltshire!” When I responded with an excitable “Yay!” he quickly turned to look and said, “You must be Miss Emma!” I think I would have given a rambling Oscar-style acceptance speech, given half the chance!

The Music and Atmosphere

We excitedly joined the floor after a quick change of clothes and a little warm-up. I looked up at the muted colours of the beautiful paintings on the ceiling, and I felt like I was floating as we danced those first few dances. Golden cherubs looked down at us dancers from a great height – it was enchanting. I realised how lucky we were to be there together, to experience something so lovely. Watching you all dancing on that famous floor was a wonderful moment. It was brilliant to see you putting your new dancing skills into practice - and sampling the Afternoon Tea, too! You had only been dancing for a year at that point, and our visit to Blackpool Tower Ballroom was your first experience of dancing ‘out and about’ (we definitely do things in style!). You joined in with many of the sequence dances with great gusto, smiling happily as you danced. I felt in awe of the Ballroom and its atmosphere, and so proud of you all. I remember being so excited that I skipped everywhere – haha! Haydyn noticed one of the organists bopping along to the music as he was playing, a delight to see. I had wondered how the Latin rhythms would sound when played on the Wurlitzer organ, but the music was so much fun, in a unique Blackpool style! It was such a great moment to witness the Wurlitzer rising from the stage floor, too! And the incredibly bouncy sprung floor was a spectacular thing to experience!

Meeting New Friends

The friendliness of other dancers was heartwarming. They smiled, chatted, and danced with style and spirit. One lady greeted me with a sing-song “Hello!” and, in the powder room, I talked with another about her glittering earrings - she told me that she attends the ballroom every week and wears them especially. On the dancefloor, we joined another group’s Samba party dance, sharing laughs as their host joked about “leading us astray!” I also made sure to compliment a couple who danced beautifully—they carved such pretty shapes through the air.

Ending a Perfect Day

We danced until closing, every one of us finishing with the last Foxtrot and a lovely Last Waltz. Afterwards, we took a bracing walk along the seafront (in the Blackpool wind and rain!), where I had a quick paddle in the freezing sea (it had to be done!), listened to Michael & Una share the tale of ‘Albert & The Lion,’ and finished with really good chips at a traditional eat-in chip shop. A quiet and sleepy ride home on the minibus brought us back to Hullavington.

To Haydyn, Tracey & Kevin, Ian & Debbie, Michael & Una, Cliff & Tess, Abby, Ann & Jack: Thank you for joining me for such a wonderful day and creating a truly lovely memory. And as for the Blackpool Tower Ballroom itself… it was sparkle-tastic!

To find out more about the famous ballroom, please read here: The Blackpool Tower - History & Heritage