At Scots In London we're delighted to at the cutting edge of providing Scots with details of the rich diversity of activities taking place in London for Scots (and friends), by Scottish individuals, clubs and societies, businesses, charities etc.

We love blending Scottish traditions with exciting modern and dynamic activities - 'the Hogmanay Effect' as we call it here at SIL or the 'Jekyll and Hyde Effect' as some have remarked! Scots and Scotland, people and a nation of contrasts!

Scottish Reeling in London is a perfect example where strict reeling tradition is being countered by slick modern approaches to teaching, dancing and accessibility (Ed: funking it right up for reel)! Dancing is a fun way to keep fit and meet new friends so why not give it a bash! Here's a message from our friends at PGT Reels (Ed: modern reeling with a chill pill?).

What is Reeling?

Reeling is a type of Scottish dancing. It is social, energetic, easy to learn and great fun. Reeling is probably the closest form of Scottish dancing to how dances were done in the 17th century. The dancing is more fluid and less ballet like compared to the formal Royal Scottish Country Dance type style, although it tends to be more defined than barn dances or ceilidh dancing. PGT Reels run two reeling sessions per month, one teaching and one social.

The dates for 2006 / 2007 (both from 7pm): Teaching evenings - Nov 9th, Feb 1st, Mar 8th, May 17th, June 7th and Social evenings - Nov 23rd St Andrews, Dec 14th, Jan 18th, Feb 22nd, Mar 22nd, Apr 26th, May 31st, Jun 21st End of Season BBQ.

The format of PGT's teaching sessions are different from those offered by other reeling groups as we devote the whole evening to demonstrating, walking through and then calling a number of different dances. The evening will offer a great introduction to Scottish dancing to those who would like to come and see what it's all about for the first time - but it is also a useful evening for more experienced dancers who would like to brush-up on their dancing skills.

We start with the basic steps and soon have you dancing reels. We talk and walk through all the dances before going on to dance them. We are happy to accommodate requests for specific dances. GBP6 - Soft drinks and nibbles provided.

The format for the social evenings is as follows: we play a selection of the popular reels and a few of the more unusual reels. Experienced and new reelers are all welcome. If you have any questions or want any individual help please see any member of the committee. GBP6 - Wine, soft drinks and nibbles provided.

Our evenings start at 7pm and go on until 10pm (when most people go to the White Horse for a few drinks). The reeling itself is held in the hall/gym/theatre of Lady Margaret School, Parson's Green, SW6 4UN. Directions are on the website: www.pgtreels.co.uk. PGT Reels are happy to help anyone who needs to brush up on their reeling before for the ball season in a relaxed atmosphere.

Regards, Calum, Charles, Ed, Gavin, Sarah, Tim and Tom, The PGT Reels Committee.