She danced through life... and life danced through her.

Forever young and in our hearts; much missed by her family and friends, especially by Will and “Charlie”

Pamela lived a full life, woven through a tapestry of dancing and singing. She put her whole self into everything she did – professionally and socially - and was liked and respected in equal measure by all her many friends, classes and audiences. 

She was a life-long member of The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (R.S.C.D.S.), having gained her teaching certificate at an early age. She danced regularly and attended dancing festivals in this country and across Europe. She was also an accomplished singer and had her own Ceilidh Band as well as acting as a caller and singer for a number of Scottish Bands.

She had a public life in dance and, while never seeking the limelight, it often caught her and she reflected it back to everyone who knew her, not simply through her enthusiasm, encouragement and teaching but also through her "sheer joy of the dance".

Singing was another passion and she told me she developed her love of singing in her crib and that the extended family, including lots of Aunts, were all singers and dancers. Thereafter she couldn't remember a time when she didn't sing. Her singing career started with appearances on BBC radio Children's programmes and she remembered coming back home clutching her cheque only to find the family fan-club still sitting round the radio in tears. (I know how they felt!)

She graduated to the BBC Scottish Choral Society but, for her, it was just something she could do and a gift she wanted to share. She was content to sing at Weddings and family events and she specialised in school concerts and was content with the applause and the bouquets of flowers. Later she sang for and with Bands and went on to run her own Ceilidh Band and I never even managed to persuade her to let me take her to a professional studio to make a recording. 

[See Update at the end of this Tribute for further details and news of a C.D. of Pamela singing.]

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Professionally she was a qualified teacher and started in Primary where she specialised in what was at that time called “special needs”. Her debut class was in the Gorbals in Glasgow when she took charge of a class of 40 but they all quickly grew to love her for her wholehearted caring and dedication.

Later she taught Music and general subjects at Secondary level but, over time, she became frustrated by the changes in both the education system and the pupils.

She often reflected that her early teaching had been a joy but that it had become a drudge and she turned more and more to her love of music and dancing.
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In a personal tribute, I dedicated the song “The Whole of the Moon” to her and confessed that I wished I had written it just for her. In particular, I thought of her in the lines

“I pictured a rainbow; you held it in your hands”
“I had flashes; you saw the plan”
“I was grounded while you filled the skies”
“I saw the crescent; you saw the whole of the moon”

I imagined the song as a love song to someone special whose life had been shared -sometimes privately and sometimes while looking on. The song played in my head for much of the last year of her illness and that it captured much of the essence of her life and nature.

I hope that this tribute and the associated song speaks to her many friends as we all remember her life

Will

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Pamela died on 9th November 2020 (a personal 9/11 tragedy) after a struggle with Ovarian/ peritoneal cancer and wanted her friends to make any donations to help the fight for better treatment and better early diagnosis through the Target Ovarian Cancer organisation. All contributions can be made directly via this page and cheques made out to “Target Ovarian Cancer” can be sent to or posted to her home address of 51 Hardwicke Road, Narborough, Leicester LE19 3LZ.

In due course, a Memorial Dance will be held to honour her life and the work she did to advance the work of the R.S.C.D.S. and those of its Leicester and Bedford branches where she served in various roles including Secretary. Details of the Memorial dance will be posted at a later date.
Watch this space – please!

Will

Update on Memorial Dance (18th January 2021)

A provisional date has been set for the Dance of 18th September 2021 which will be held at Braunstone Civic Centre. This date anticipates that by then the world, or at least this part of it, will have returned to normal. Please pencil this in your diaries and look out for further announcements. 

Update (18th January 2021) - C.D. of Pamela singing

[The Music Gallery now contains two songs sung by Pamela and all visitors are invited to visit and listen to "She Moved Through The Fair" and "The Four Marys" - two of Will's favourite tracks. These tracks are part of a collection of mainly Scottish songs and ballads that have been curated by Will and which will be released as a C.D. and made available to all her many friends and colleagues. There is a Story of how this C.D. came into existence in the Stories section and anyone who wants to obtain a copy can do so by contacting Will directly or by the magic of just leaving a "thought I would like a copy of Pamela's C.D." message in Thoughts or as a Thought Candle. ]

Additional Tributes from members of Leicester Branch of  R.S.C.D.S.

Doris Buchanan  - President of RSCDS Leicester Branch:   It was a big shock to hear of the death of Pamela at the beginning of November. She was a lovely person and a great friend. I first met Pam in the 1990’s when she came to Leicester to attend the RSCDS Day School held at the University of Leicester.   She was living in Bedfordshire at the time and she was very keen to run a Day School in her hometown and I was able to share information of how we had organised the Leicester Event. She moved to Leicester and became a member of the RSCDS Leicester Branch, and we were lucky to have her.      She was a valued member of the committee and latterly had the role of secretary which she dedicated a lot of her time over the last few years.   Pam and I were fortunate to represent the branch at the RSCDS AGM held in Perth and Glasgow.   We had wonderful weekends together and were also able to attend dances and meet up with many friends. Pam was a lovely dancer and an excellent dance teacher.   She kept us entertained as she always had a story to tell us in her dance classes.     She was also a talented singer and I really enjoyed listening to her sing.    Music and dancing were her passion. Pam was always so kind and thoughtful and such a pleasure to be in her company.   My thoughts are with Will, her husband, at this incredibly sad time.   I know I will miss her as a special friend. 

Pamela and the Minor Key - Marion Turnock:  Pamela was a great support to me both when I became Chairman of Leicester RSCDS Branch and following my long stay in hospital. But my main memories of Pam revolve around our mutual love of music. Pamela loved dance tunes played in the minor key.   So, when I made up my sets of tunes to accompany dances on Thursday nights, I often tried to include these tunes. On Thursday evenings there was always a particular communication between Pamela and myself when I played the tunes in the minor key. It was something quite special. Now tunes in the minor key will always remind me of Pam and all the happy times. 'A Tune for Pamela' - composed by John Kirkpatrick

Jenny Morritt:  My memories of Pam are from the summer sessions that she used to run, mostly on her own which kept us dancing during July and August. She always had an interesting or amusing story to tell which linked to the dances she was teaching us. She also made me focus on the details of the dances to perform them better. I shall miss those classes but will keep dancing due to her inspiration.  

 My Memories of Pamela by Sumi:  I met Pamela for the first time in September 2004 at a Scottish Country Dance Class where Doris and Pamela were the teachers.  Thanks to them I have enjoyed dancing and the company of the dancers.  Everybody was very kind to me, a not-so-young Asian woman studying alone at Loughborough University. and Pamela was no exception. Pamela supported and encouraged me to go Summer School, which I have attended regularly.  Also, Pamela and Will took me to Theatre Tollethorpe to watch ‘Macbeth’.  At the dinner table after the play, they asked about my subject of research, William Morris’s political thought.  She seemed to be very interested in finding the designer’s new aspect I had told.  Her lively face and voice over the table still comes back to me.    They had brought their dog Dylan, who was patiently waiting for us.  The couple and the dog looked very close family.
I finished my study at Uni in 2008.  The graduation ceremony was held in July.  It coincided with Summer School Week One (which Leicester Branch group usually go to. I had to go to Week Two that year).  I attended the ceremony wearing Kimono.  Since I was allowed to invite a few guests, I asked Pamela, Julia and Dennis to come.  After the ceremony we picnicked on the lawn with champagne.  As you can see in the photo, it was a Brilliantly Happy sunny day. Even after I left the UK, it was sweet of Pamela that she asked me to write something in the Branch Journal called “The Skipper” to keep in touch with Leicester members.  I also used to see her once a year because Brian and Rona kindly organized a pub lunch when I visited Leicester.  I saw her on the zoom meeting on 10th June this year, sadly this was the last time we met.    In retrospect she looked a bit ennui and I think I heard someone saying ‘Pamela, are you ok?’.  But I was too happy to see dear old faces for the first time since last year.  She was such a cheerful and kind person who loves music and dance.  It is so sad to think that I could never meet her again even if I could come to England eventually.  Still, I don’t think she wants us to mourn for a long time.  I have moved to near a river and mountains where the sky is so wide.  She must be peaceful up there.  My dear Pamela, please sing and pray for us there, and watch us how we live.  We love you!

Chris Dewhurst:  We were so sorry to hear that Pam had passed away: we had known her both as the Branch Secretary and as a lively MC.  One particularly memorable occasion was a Ceilidh for the Ashbourne Highland Gathering some years ago, for which Julie, Nick and I played: as well as ‘calling’ a varied programme of Scottish and Old Time dances, Pam included a couple of quicksteps and foxtrots, and delighted the guests with her singing.  It was a privilege to have known her and to have worked with her, and we shall miss her very much.   

Pam’s Humour and Nurdling Skills - John  Niblett:    We used to enjoy Dancing weekends at Cottesmore in Rutland.  One of the delights for a group of us was Saturday lunch at Jackson Stops Pub at Stretton, the highlight was the Nurdling competition that took place during the post-meal drinks. Nurdling is an ancient and highly skilled game in which players try to toss old pennies into a two-inch diameter hole in the seat of a high-backed Settle along one wall in the bar. Pamela was extremely skilled at this event always winning, resulting in her eventually being proclaimed the Nurdling Champion of RSCDS Leicester. There is a picture where she is shown rejoicing in her last victory, penny in one hand and a fine trophy (a glass of dog biscuits she snatched from the bar) in the other.  

Mary Prior (Market Harborough SCD):  I met Pamela when she and Will moved to Leicester in the 1980s. As well as dancing with Leicester RSCDS we were both recruited by Joyce Elliott to join the Galloway Dancers, with whom we enjoyed some memorable trips overseas. In the Galloway’s performances Pamela both danced and sang beautifully and she was a delightful travelling companion, always so full of energy and fun. Joyce devised a dance called “Puddin’ ‘n’ Pam” inspired by Pamela’s “uncanny knack of tracking down puddings in foreign countries when they were in short supply”!   Diving to Nottingham and back for Sunday afternoon rehearsals in preparation for the Galloway trips we had plenty of time to talk, Pamela an understanding and supportive friend with a sympathetic ear.   More recently, Pamela and her band provided a barn dance for my 60th birthday bash. Her skill as MC was such that she had all my dance-shy relatives and friends on the floor enjoying themselves….and they were all full of praise for her warmth and her delightful manner that enabled them to have so much fun.   Pamela’s great gift was her ability to communicate the joy of dancing and singing, through which she brought so much pleasure to so many people, and through which she will live on in our memories.   

Neil McLaren :  Pamela was an inspiration to me and she played an important part in helping me set up “The Quaich” and get it off the ground. Also we managed to get her involved in our weekly Set and Link Club Night which she hosted for two weeks back in June. She was so committed to doing anything to help the Leicester Branch and continued as our secretary right up to the end only resigning about 3 weeks before she died.      My only regret is that I only knew her for 4 to 5 years but in that time she has made a lasting impression for me of Courage, fortitude, determination and to overcome and face up to all life’s challenges, whatever they might be ! Her positivity is something I will try very hard to aspire to. 

Ralph Spence:  Dearest Pamela, what a lovely lady. We got to know Pam quite well when we used to give her lifts to and from classes and dances, in fact Pam encouraged us to go to our first out of town dance at which Marion Anderson was playing (Margaret’s favourite band ). Her infectious love of Scottish music and dancing was catching.  We heard a bit about her early life and the dogs she and Will had.
She was kind enough to send  me a photo of Charlie for me to paint a picture from. I chose to use pastels and worked on my ‘piece’ off on over the months, I also did a smaller version of him. I heard on grapevine that a big birthday was coming up and decided to finally finish and frame the larger pastel painting of Charlie and give it to Pam for her birthday.  She was so very happy to have it and the look on her face made me feel so pleased.
[The painting of Charlie can be viewed in the Pictures Gallery]