BRUMMIE CONTRAS
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  • Dates
  • QUAKER Hall : ABOUT THE VENUE
  • What's a Contra
    • But I've never really done this stuff before !
    • SIX at a time FLIERS. Please Copy, cut & DISTRIBUTE. THANK YOU if you can.
  • Tributes
    • Barry Selwood
  • Winter

Brummie Contra Dances :
Welcome to lively Dances, Brilliant bands & great callers !
 

QUAKER HALL is above Bournville Green. 11 & 27 bus stops. From 7.15, inclusive hot Drinks/biscs.

lively Brummie contra  : here - B30 1JT -  spectacular quaker meeting HALL on linden rd : first building at top of bournville green.  park in Sycamore rd.  £2.50 off 1st, 2nd & 3rd visits. ASK AT THE DOOR !
 Here's the  -  GET  THERE  &  INFO  page  ABOUT  -  BRUMMIE CONTRA  DANCES  -   at Bournville Quaker Hall
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Our Main vast venue 1 - The Quaker Hall - Bournville.   -   B30 1JT
The impressive, historic Main Hall of Bournville Quakers Friends Meeting House. 
 Where Quakers is on this Bournville gMap - View red pin location - HERE.
[Click twice on the + icon, to zoom in at a scale to identify location of bus stops.]
CAR:                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
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Signs a-plenty lead to Cadbury World entrance, Queen's Rd. St Francis (Bournville Parish)
Church is beside it:
Satellite view at Map. NEXT find Sycamore Road: B30 2AA.
Lots of FREE parking. (As you see: only the first 11 cars have space by the Quaker Hall.)

Park cars on Sycamore Road: Map Satellite view: HERE -  (Sorry - NOT smartphones)
Walk up path past the "Rest House" over Bournville Green to Hall marked "Quakers".

It's the first building you come to on the A4040, Linden Road. (See title pic: or below).
 BUS:
-  The splendid Quaker Hall : B 30 1 JT    -   It's on the 11A &11C bus routes.
  - From Bournville Rail Station [exit the station onto Bournville Lane]   -
- 
it's j​ust 3 stops on the 27 route to alight opp the Hall in Woodbrooke Rd.

[Enter Hall to the LEFT of the building. close picture HERE of Quaker Meeting House ]
Relax ! Enjoy a chat & an inclusive hot drink from Jackie & Jim. Arrive at 7.15pm -
THEN  FUN & LIVELY  DANCING from 7.30pm - 10.30pm (with a 20min inclusive refreshment interval)
The Brummie Contras can happen ONLY if you keen dancers regularly attend them !
- So please come AND bring your friends !

The Bournville Quaker Friends Meeting House main Hall. 
Due to George Cadbury, it's an imposing 1905 build, with a splendid hammer-beam roof, resembling impressive structures of 1200 -1500's.

With appreciation of organiser & dancers, Hall is used with kind permission of Bournville Quaker Meeting.   
                               Brummie Contra Dances -
-   Share-around  -  the joy & fun of being at these exciting dances with great callers.  -     
- 
  It's more fun if more come !    -    Let's try this to encourage MORE to be dancing -
- ​ New to Contras here at B30 1JT ( and at Elmdon Heath ) ? -
-  ASK 
!  £2.50 off at the door for your first AND your next visit to try Brummie Contras.
- Bring a friend who has NOT danced Brummie C's at these venues
-  You may EACH claim a discount of £2,50 at the door.
-  First time AND let us know beforehand also -  claim £4 discount ! 
PictureHere's another gem picture from Mandy. It features some very skilful younger dancers .... C. 29 Nov'15 Brummie Contra - title pictures too. Dancing to dynamic Double Dichotomy.
 Join us and be welcomed.
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Our Contras are energetic.
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Dance to wonderful music from amazing bands.
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Find dance partners here.
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For everyone to improve, we usually change around partners after each dance..
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You need plenty of water !
P
lease regularly bring & refill a small plastic bottle.
*
  Expect a range of ages
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  Do dance considerately.
  Everyone really enjoys this exciting dancing to superb musicians.
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     Some are supple; dancing with youthful exuberance.
A few of us - still delighting to participate in this lively dance style -  do manage the moves with more limitations: despite injury or age
.
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Inclusive tea/coffee/squash & biscuits await all travellers from 15 to 20mins before the dances start.
Selection is also available in a similarly sociable 20min interval.

Chairs around the Hall enable relaxation: should you prefer to enjoy the music here -
- without always being pulled-in to dance !
(Use an adjacent room please, should you wish to chat during music, or calling !)


Always welcomed are any kind donations of prizes for the raffle which Les so helpfully organises at Elmdon Heath,
to enable dances at the more costly Hall there.
We've NO raffle here, to respect principles of the Quakers, who have the wisdom to avoid all gambling.

Please also respect our hire under the principles of the Quakers, by bringing-in NO alcoholic drink. Thank you. 
Visit Brummie C's. Enjoy the regular dancers' company. Contras aren't hard to pick-up.
Meet others who enjoyed having recently tried their first visit.
- You CAN have Brummie C's MORE often available - especially Summer ones - 
- It just needs YOU to COME TO THEM ! And to enjoy them regularly !
Avoid dehydration - we supply pleasant tasting tap water.  Helpfully, bring your own small water bottle to refill !
PRICE here : BRUMMIE CONTRA with a duo band & an ace UK caller is now
-  Dance - on the door
 -  £10.50   -   Student  £6.50  -  with generous refreshments included.
- To keep these excellent bands & callers, we must offer them a fair recompense for their work and travel. -
The Brummie Contras can happen ONLY if you keen dancers regularly attend them  -  So please come AND bring your friends !
- If you BRING a NEW FRIEND along to dance, you can each save £2.50 : Save £1.50 if you let us know in time that you will be coming.
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Relax after travelling: inclusive hot drinks & sociable chat-time.
Thanks to Jackie & Jim:
from 20min before dancing due to start.
THEN - 3 HOURS of FUN & LIVELY CONTRA DANCING, with more inclusive refreshments.
Should you prefer to take life more gently - relax at the side to enjoy lively music instead.

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For MORE Brummie Contras see DATES  of Dances ! 
- These lovely, lively Contras deserve to be enjoyed by more than a regular, loyal few!
Ladies - do you consider that men often try to "grab" you rather abruptly for a dance  ?  -  Please read Steve Harris's insights. -
HERE
There FOLLOW helpful ideas about how to be best placed for a Contra / Ceilidh Dance partner
: and ladies YOU may always ask !
How do you best indicate - so that when you take a dance "out", it doesn't also stop another who is wishing to dance.

Brilliant insights / tips for dancers . What Steve reveals here allows many women to better appreciate a dance from a man's viewpoint.
( Written on the Eceilidh site - At a Contra Dance, these very same factors also apply. )

Very Many THANKS -
To every one of the Superb Contra Band Players and Brilliant Callers we've had at "Brummie Contras".  Genuine generosity on their parts  -  almost without exception  -  has enabled - 4 and a half years of lively Brummie Contras.
There is a disincentive which a high door price brings.
But £11.50 is now requested at the door (for trio or 4 some bands, or when a caller is from USA).
Our monetary responses need genuinely to reflect how bands/callers put themselves out for us !


Up to our Good Friday 4th Anniversary celebration there, dances at the Friends Meeting House in Bournville had  been helpfully arranged by Barry.
We also miss Barry's help at the door, & perceptive critique.
A tribute page is  HERE.

- To keep excellent bands & callers, we must offer fair recompense for their work & often their long travel too. -
- The Brummie C's need YOU to be keen dancers: Regularly share the lively dances: Please come AND bring your friends !
Callers - like the bands - some new, some established - all offer us brilliant dances.
Contra-dancing's versatility : may that long continue.

May it unite those thankful that "they still are just about able" - with the keen and more youthful dancers - 
all to enjoy fresh musical & dance dynamism from wonderful bands & callers - some yet to become recognised.
Also may our brilliant established Contra bands and callers long continue !

Keep taking a regular look at this website!
Share another great "Brummie Contra" soon.

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The first BRUMMIE CONTRA of 2015. . . . . . picture by Mandy. Annie is with Les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Val dancing with Harry. . . . Copyright.
ARRIVE ACCOMPANIED OR NOT – YOU ARE MOST WELCOME !

AT A CONTRA, YOU WILL FIND LOTS OF DANCE PARTNERS.
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MANY REGULAR DANCERS MIX WELL BETWEEN PARTNERS -
-  SHARING IMPROVEMENTS IN EACH OTHERS DANCE MOVEMENTS.  -

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ALL THIS HELPS TO MAKE THE DANCING EVEN MORE FUN.
 

Most contra dancers like to improve skills by regular partner changes after 1 or 2 dances.
Anyone may ask anyone else to dance – Go for it !

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Picture
Jen
*You may wish to click on this page & its pictures -
" But I've never really done this stuff before" page. 

Picture. . 25th January 2015 with Vertical Expression . . All pictures by Mandy. Copyright.
American Contras are a happy
and lively
experience !

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so -  GET MORE ACQUAINTED.
  Go to the - 
- WHAT'S A CONTRA ? - 
  page.
   
See what a Contra dance is !
- "blue" takes you to another page 

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        IF YOU TRAVEL ALONE –     
 –
  YOU WILL BE W
ELCOMED     
TO THE BRUMMIE CONTRAS.


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AT A CONTRA, YOU
WILL ALWAYS HAVE OPPORTUNITY
TO SHARE DANCING WITH A PLEASING VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DANCING PARTNERS.

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Contras are a great occasion for the young and keen.
Many still are very keen on this dancing, but are wishing they were younger !

Respect please the occasional person recovering from injury -
Or the rare occasion of someone enjoying the company and music but wishing to dance at their own more gentle pace.

Many Brummie Contras are on Sunday afternoons. Why ?
For those who travel some distance, this generally allows an EASIER JOURNEY, especially from Nov through to Feb.
There is a little more relaxation time for sociable tea/coffee breaks.
Sundays usually have fewer activity clashes. 

 - -    Go to Top of the HOME Page   - -               
- -   Go to page with DATES of Dances    - -   *
Return to Top of THIS page - ABOUT - Brummie Contras at the Quaker Hall, Bournville.          *
     Go to Top of the page - ABOUT - Brummie Contras at Elmdon Heath Community Centre. 
     VISIT the  - -   WHAT'S A CONTRA ? - -   Page                            
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As far as possible website allows also for smartphone use.       
 
TITLE pic : One of the last Brummie Contras at our earlier Chaplaincy venue near B'ham Uni.
 -  Pic copyright Mandy - A Sunday afternoon Contra in 2015. 
                                                                                                       Page last updated on  16/11/19
Return to  TOP OF THE HOME  Page

CONTACT US page

​I / we wish to be AT THE NEXT DANCE
Page with details to get £1.50 each off door price next time.
Also deadlines (to check before you email).
For a group, download a form to complete & email.


Go to Great Alne Long Weekend website -
24th -27th April in 2020 for its DETAILS.

Event doubly extends the last w/e of April in 2020 
Quality workshops for ALL ages / abilities.
Enjoy a contra here on the Friday eve.
Karin Bellaart from the NETHERLANDS will also bring all kinds of lovely INTERNATIONAL DANCES as Nel did in 2017 & 2018.

EXCELLENT PART-SONG & A WIDE RANGE of OTHER DANCING.

Bring (grand)children. Share Maypole/Morris dances & ring handbell tunes from before noon on Sat & Sun.
NEW IN 2018 - EXTRA Sat/Sun PRICE DROPPED for ADULT DANCERS and THEIR ACCOMPANIED u18's

( The Great Alne Long Weekend is a "sister" website to this one) -
 click-on to go to one of these pages - 

ELMDON HEATH CC/RAIL/BUS  - Page especially to help with Rail Station connections, and Sunday bus services to Elmdon Heath Community Centre Hall.


See ROUTEMAPS:DOWNLOAD&PRINT -
 - Page has maps for car, bus stops, bike path & walking routes -
- to the   -  Elmdon Heath Community Centre venue. Download this to a smartphone to carry to walk from bus etc,
(or print on paper) to carry: even in the car. Ideal for initial visits. 




 CONTRA - What's that !   -  Information Page,


 But I've never really done this stuff before !  - Information Page.
DANCE DATES page
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FLIERS for NEXT BRUMMIE CONTRA pages. These may Pop-up : often below Dance DATES.
They are in pdf. You may view or DOWNLOAD.
If you would like to share out the fun of the "Brummie Contra" dances - then (regularly please) download, print - and distribute a few of these fliers in your area & dance club.
For some Contras to come, a flier page pop-up may show below other main pages or elsewhere !