Page 18 • The HERALD • 29th January 2026 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v M.D.S. DIGITAL INSTALLS/SERVICE • DIGITAL AERIALS/FREEVIEW • SKY DIGITAL/FREESAT DIGITAL • EXTRA TELEVISION POINTS • TELEPHONE LINES/POINTS • TELEVISION SYSTEMS SETUP/TUNED • WALL MOUNTED TV’S QUALIFIED, FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE FREE SURVEYS/QUOTES BEAULIEU: 01590 611011 MOBILE: 07717 194441 FLAT ROOFING SPECIALISTS All Roof Repairs Tel: 023 8184 5632 Mobile: 07880 508415 Email: steve@braithwaiteroo ng.co.uk THE FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST International Visitors Reach Testvale Squares from Testvale Squares Since creating our website in late Summer 2025, square dancers all over the world have been able to ‘ nd’ us and, as square dancing follows the same pattern internationally and all calling is in English, visitors are able to join us on a Club night or at a full-blown dance and ‘keeeeep dancing’ during their travels! Earlier this year we had visitors from New Zealand visiting family in this country; Robert and Clare Robert and Clare (centre) with Testvale Club dancers danced with us on several Club nights and learnt a few moves to take back with them and impress their Club with new skills. In early December Dylis, who had danced with Testvale Squares for many years before moving to Australia, was back in the UK visiting close family, and joined us for a few Club nights to catch up with friends. Dylis and Carol are particularly close and it was lovely to see them picking up from the last meeting a few years ago. Dylis learnt dancing at Testvale just before Covid hit in 2019 when she went along with a friend. She nished the Mainstream course in the UK then moved to Adelaide and found a Club out there a er Covid and did a refresher course, and now dances with many clubs near her home, all having fabulous names such as Diggers Delights in Salisbury near Adelaide, also with Outlaws, McGill Diamonds and Sunset Twirlers where she is learning the Plus program. Square Dancing is very popular in Australia and conventions (dances) can have dozens of squares on the oor with venues in Tasmania, Darwin, Brisbane and all over Australia. Dylis is working on the committee for the Adelaide State convention in August this year. Sounds like we need a Testvale Squares trip out there! For our rst Club dance in January 2026, we were joined by Meli and Sven, two young Germans who dance with the Running Mu ns near Stuttgart. Sven is the Club President and Meli is the Caller and they are both very good dancers, putting us slightly to shame on our rst dance of the year! We asked what the age range of dancing was like in Germany and like the UK, most clubs are ‘ageing’ but some younger dancers attend with family; but they have a countrywide Club called the Lions where membership is only for those under 30, dances and activities are arranged once a week and it’s hoped these younger people will progress on to other dance clubs. Before Covid there were about 800 Clubs in Germany but now it’s down to about 600 and most in the south of Germany. e Running Muffins was founded in 2019 and both Sven and Meli joined near the beginning with a group of bright, colourful people of all ages from 13 to 80+, and they feel very ‘bound’ to the Club. eir formal dances are called ‘specials’, all taking place on Saturdays and Sven and Meli like to visit if there’s a special on where they might be visiting. It was lovely to spend time with Sven and Meli and we hope they join us again on their next visit to the UK. Carol Gerrey with Dylis Testvale Club with Dylis Meli and Sven (front) with Testvale Club Plus dancers ‘Chat About’ Social Club Join Hythe Library on Wednesday mornings 10am to 12noon to meet and socialise with new friends who are also retired. Feel free to take along existing friends or get to know their regulars and enjoy a free hot drink and maybe even a biscuit. No need to book, they look forward to seeing you there.
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