St Francis and Memory Lane

Added on 16 June 2025

Tales from St Francis and Memory Lane

On 7th May we received a warm welcome back to St Francis Care Home in Govan.  The residents and staff thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon and clapped and sang along to familiar tunes with a few joining in a waltz for all at the end.  Midway through the dance programme, Sheena gave us a recitation of William Wordworth’s Daffodils as it tied in with one of the dances. 

On 5th June we took the joy of Scottish country dancing to Memory Lane, a Dementia Café held twice a month in St Andrew’s Church, Barrhead.  We received a very enthusiastic welcome from the audience of attendees, their carers and the Memory Lane organisers/volunteers.  The structure of the afternoon was quite a change from our normal one with our demonstration of Scottish country dances interspersed with a Gay Gordons, St Bernard’s Waltz and even the Slosh which got many of the audience on their feet.

Midway through we were treated to a welcome tea or coffee and some sweet treats.  Sheena also entertained us with a humorous poem on ‘Summer in Scotland’.  Throughout the entire visit there was lots of laughter, clapping and singing and we look forward to making a return visit sometime in the future. 

Both of these visits could not have taken place without the willingness of dance volunteers (Douglas, Ina, Ken, Liz, Susan, Sheena, Jane, Marion, Blair and Anne) to take part.  Special thanks to Sheena for her recitations and to Billy, our accordionist on both occasions, for his advice and versatility.  The programme for both included mainly well-known dances – Good Hearted Glasgow, Irish Rover, Daffodil, Shiftin’ Bobbins, Raven’s Dance and Mairi’s Wedding.

Anne Murray