Newport tea dance captures wartime spirit (From South Wales Argus)

Newport tea dance captures wartime spirit

10:35am Monday 11th March 2013 in Gwent news

COMMUNITY spirit in Newport was at the heart of a Second World War tea dance to bring old and young together.

The tea dance at St Mary’s Institute, Stow Hill, on Friday, was an event organised by Dean and Rachel Adams which aimed to capture the memories of wartime.

Mr Adams, who also runs Factor History, a company which makes people aware of Newport’s history, hoped that the event would highlight the proud and significant history of Newport’s wartime past, through gathering the memories of the older generation to pass on to young people.

The event which featured 1940s music, refreshments and also Second World War re-enactors in the form of military policeman,Darren Woolvin, a secret agent, a 1940s bobby on the beat and an ATS Girl, who displayed artefacts and memorabilia while sharing memories with the public.

Mr Adams said: “We want to teach youth how to get in to employment through our history workshops where we go in to schools and hold events like this, where we get in to costume and get the children to dress up and act in first person, as though they were from the past.

“We deal with children from all ages and get them to use skills they have never used before.

We want to get the children to negotiate and through events like this tea dance they will remember the skills we have taught them to impress future employers.”

Mrs Adams added: “We want young people to understand the lives of the older community and realise that there is history all around us, while bringing young an old together to keep history alive.”