Paul Daniells - Travel Stories (3)

Dancing Travel - By Bus

[ Bus ]

Europe is a popular area for dance couples to visit and compete, mostly the events were organised very well, sometimes they weren't.

A few years ago, quite often 5 or 6 couples plus English adjudicator would pile into a minibus, leaving at the crack of dawn from outside of the Streatham Ice Rink, South London. Drive down the M2 Motorway to Dover just in time to catch a Ferry to France or Belgium. We would then drive to the venue for several hours, book into the hotel arranged by the competition organiser, then some time to prepare for the competition, a light meal then straight to the event. Dance, maybe some more food afterwards (although often it was 2 or 3 am by that time), sleep, rise early for breakfast then pile back into the minibus to the Ferry and home the next afternoon.

Not very glamorous, but to non-dancing friend a weekend in Paris or Brussels sounded fantastic. It was only after 5 trips to Paris did I get to see the Eiffel Tower, even then it was only from the window of the minibus whilst on the Paris Ring-road (Perephique)
Those European Minibus trips were a training ground and I'm sad that they aren't as popular as they once where. Organisers now have bigger sponsors and put up larger prizes (and money) so couples make their own way to the events. Gone is the comradary of competitors on the floor and friends traveling there and back. I was told that the minibus trips started with Bobbie Short and that the conditions for the competitors were tougher but undoubtedly dancing's popularity was spread by their presence.

I will always be grateful to Adrian Pritchard and Carol Smythe who invited me on so many of these trips that were a real training ground.