Issue 2326: Extra Info on Hugh Foss

Object

Hugh Foss (Person)

Submitter

Adrian Conrad

Assigned to

Murrough Landon

Priority

Normal

Disposition

Being handled

Description

My attention has been drawn to this very creditable article, but I have one correction and a few suggestions. I have prepared an edited draft, with text changes aned additions highlighted in green, that I should be happy to send wherever directed.

1. Sorry, but Scottish Dance Archives was NOT started by Hugh Foss. It was separately launched by Bob Donald and the late Roy Clowes, both living near Liverpool in Lancashire - Bob I think in Formby and Roy in Ormskirk. The SD Archives sheets were issued between 1971 and 1981, Hugh having died in 1971. The confusion may have arisen because of Bob Donald’s other link to Hugh, in that around 1973 (as “Hugh Foss (Formby)”, Bob and his wife Mamie took over the mail-order distribution of non-RSCDS SCD materials including Hugh’s own books. Hugh had started that business some years before, and his widow Alison then ran it single-handed for a year or so after Hugh’s death in 1971.
2. Emphasis changes 2a - worth bringing out that Hugh was President and “Committee Chairman” in RSCDS London Branch for many years, and in this capacity was the prime mover in The Reel magazine getting launched in late 1951 (as well as Hugh contributing much early material). 2b - I suggest it could help to mention just which 3 dances the RSCDS decided to re-issue, and to be fair to the RSCDS, it should also to be mentioned that they also re-published one of Hugh’s dance books, the 15 Dances to Song Tunes. Apparently that proved to be a lot more trouble than was expected and this is not likely to be repeated for Hugh’s other books or sheets. 2c. I’m honoured to be mentioned as the author of the two recent articles in The Reel on Hugh Foss’s SCD legacy, but felt there should be equal mention of the last big biography in issue 200 and also a pointer to other articles referring to him. and his dances.

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