Scottish dancing in the town square in Oosterhout

This summer saw Stockport-based GTOs, Brenda and Arnold Medcalfe organise a six-day holiday to Holland for 49 keen Scottish dancers. “As usual, the very capable coach company Bostock’s of Congleton arranged travel and accommodation including overnight ferry crossings on the Hull to Rotterdam route with P&O Ferries, which included bed breakfast and evening meals – the food was great,” comments Brenda. She continues, “Part of our reason for visiting the country was that Congleton is twinned with Oosterhout, where we stayed in the Golden Tulip hotel, and the staff were very good.”

Brenda and Arnold conducted a ‘recce’ before the trip and booked excursions before the group holiday. “We visited a number of places during the stay, which included The Hague – where we visited the Panorama Mesdag, a must if here as it is a virtual reality experience of 19th century Scheveningen.”

Members also enjoyed a trip to Delft and the last remaining Deltware factory, where an “excellent and humourous guide” showed them round.

As a Scottish dancing party, dancing was arranged at the hotel in Oosterhout each evening and the group even danced in the newly renovated town square. Explains Brenda, “Locals came along to watch and there was even an appearance from the Dutch press, organised by the hotel!”