Championships and Trophies at Horndean
By Iris Findlay

Forty years ago, Tony Paget – a dance professional at the time – instigated the start of the Hampshire Amateur Ballroom Dancers’ Association (HABDA) at the Mecca Ballroom, Portsmouth. To this day, the Association is still going strong and for the last 35 years, Norman Jones has been chairman. Later on this year a dinner dance and show will be held to celebrate this anniversary.
Last month, on January 13, the Association held an adult championship and all trophy events in the afternoon – with cash prizes for the winners and finalists – were generously sponsored by Moore Ceramics Ltd Havant. Both of the over-50’s competitions were also cash prize events. The venue was the Horndean Campus, where there are always many spectators and teachers, most of them former competitors at HABDA events. With so many people who know one another, it always has a very happy atmosphere and is more like a very large family gathering!
The adjudicators for the day were Teddie Lovegrove, John Yerou, Joe Sanderson, Mark Lunn and chairman Derrick Squires. The first competitions got underway starting with the Latin events. Martyn and Elaine Long eventually won the Open Hampshire Latin Senior Championship event, danced in two rounds, with Steve and Sue Witherington a very close second. The over-50’s Latin C&D Record’s Trophy went to Michael Brown and Katie Williams, with Mike and Pam Fortin runners-up. Chris and Jenny Wherry won the Treasurer’s Trophy for the Senior Latin Pre-Champ.
The Ballroom section followed after the Latin prize presentations. More competitors had arrived and there were two or more heats in nearly every competition, with some very exciting dancing. Ian Chapman and Denise Gaffney won the Charles Ellis Trophy for the Senior Modern Pre-Champ. The over-60’s HABDA Portsmouth Trophy winners were Ray Chatterley and Margaret Manning, and the John Elson over-50’s Trophy winners were Bill Douglas and Shirley Cook. The Open Hampshire Senior Standard Championship winners were Hugh Turner and Linda Collier, with Mick Mannion and Alison Hopkinson runners-up. After the prize presentations, Norman Jones thanked everyone for their help and support, including the adjudicators, scrutineer Jan Elsbury, and Elaine and Sarah for the excellent music played all day. Poor Norman, who had a terrible cold, did a magnificent job of compering all day so a big thank you to him and HABDA.

Photograph of Hugh Turner and Linda Collier by Morrison Findlay.