Dance Hadrian's Wall 2719

“Hadrian’s Wall” was listed in Napier’s index, as a 40 bar reel by Derek Haynes, with no other details. The following description is copied from private notes

(1–8) 1C cross RH, cast, 1/2 fig. of 8 round 2nd couple, (finish facing 1st corners)

(9–16) 1C, diagonal reel of 4 with 1st corners. (1C finish in 2nd place on opposite sides)

(17–24) 1C set and cast off; 1/2 fig. of 8 round 3C. (finish: 2C at top facing in and down; 3C in 2nd place facing out and down; 1C in 3rd place facing in and up)

(25–32) 2C; 3C and 1C cross-over reels on opposite sides, 1C cross up from 3rd place to start

(33–40) cross-over reels on own sides. 1C cross up from 3rd place to start (1C finish in 2nd place on own sides)

Note that if 1c finish in 3rd place, the progression becomes (2,3,1), fitting a 3-couple set.

Derek did not include this dance in any of the “Carnforth Collection" books. Maureen Haynes, Derek’s widow, wrote: “I have found the details of the dance Hadrian’s Wall devised by Derek. It has almost been like looking for hidden treasure! It is a 40 bar Reel for 3 couples in a 3 couple set, devised when he was still a member of the Liverpool Branch with a tune written by K. Macaulay Jones, also of Liverpool Branch, who also wrote the tune for Neidpath Castle. It would appear that the dance was never actually published and in a list that Derek put together himself of all the dances that he had devised that one is not mentioned. And as he did not include it in his Carnforth Collections I can only presume that he did not think it worthy of publication. Perhaps he chose to forget it!”

As mentioned in Glendarroch SCD Sheet No.34 on https://www.rscdslondon.org.uk/sdata/dances/glendarroch/spey.pdf from 1969, the dance “Hadrian’s Wall” was rearranged by Derek Haynes to produce “The Spey in Spate”. Possibly, Derek preferred the new dance, and thus did not include “Hadrian’s Wall” in the Carnforth Collection, published about 20 years later, while including “The Spey in Spate” in his Carnforth book 3.