The Blue Rhythm Kings, a seven piece band, played evocative and nostalgic music taking us back in time at the first ever Benenden Hospital Tea Dance.
The music spilled out of the marquee and drifted into the estates offices, car parks and serenaded patients and staff leaving the hospital during the late afternoon of Tuesday 17 July. The setting was lovely – even the weather behaved.
Local dance teachers Steven and Gill Kidd, encouraged people to take to the floor with ballroom and Latin dance skills demonstrated by happy couples and members of staff. Others just watched from the side; retired staff, members of our supporters group, the RM Society, visitors and staff. Foot tapping and quiet sing songs to ‘I am forever blowing bubbles’ brought laughter and people together and strangers got to know each other where they hadn’t before.
The event was planned as a reunion tea dance and this was in fact what happened. Two visitors recognised each other from working in the Law Courts at the age of 18, too many years ago to confess to.
There still seems great enthusiasm in the community (some of our visitors came from 35 miles away to attend) for this type of event – we were asked to do more tea dances. However this was our celebration of music and dance from the past century and those present hopefully will remember with fondness a rather different afternoon spent at Benenden Hospital.
