Person Roy Goldring 146

Roy died in 2007. The following obituary originally appeared in The Society magazine, The Scottish country dancer in April 2008

Roy was born in south west England where he spent his childhood. When old enough he was drafted into the armed forces. It was during this time that he was flown to Egypt and vowed he would never fly again. He stuck to this vow only relenting to fly to Canada and Norway recently to teach dancing in those countries. His return to civilian life saw him in the Civil Service and moving about the country. In Birmingham he met and married Doreen. When in Surrey they took up Scottish country dancing after trying the English version first. More moves to Newcastle and Harrogate and two sons later, he finally came to Ilkley and joined the Leeds Branch.

The Ilkley Club started life in the Goldring lounge and when the evening institute class was in danger of being closed for lack of a qualified teacher, Roy and Doreen went to Summer School [in 1977] to obtain their certificates. Subsequently he became a committee member and Chairman of Leeds Branch. Along with his interest in Scottish country dancing, he played golf, listened to music from classical to jazz and amassed great knowledge in works of art.

In the thirty years Roy lived in Ilkley, he emerged as one of our greatest creators of dances and it is in this respect that we will all, and future generations too, remember him. His knowledge of music allowed him to marry his dances to some wonderful tunes. His dances are great to dance – not too complicated but always with some new formation and extremely danceable. There are not many programmes that do not contain at least one of his dances.

Thank you Roy for the wonderful legacy you have left us in Scottish country dancing.

Brenda Burnell

The London Branch magazine The Reel has an article by Roy Goldring on devising dances in The Reel #203. Some personal reflections on Roy Goldring by his nephew Richard appear in The Reel #300.