Pan's People

Share your memories and stories from the Hertford Christ's Hospital School, which closed in 1985, when the two schools integrated to the Horsham site....

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Angela Woodford
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Pan's People

Post by Angela Woodford »

How sad!

I have just read that the wonderful Flick Colby, founder and chief choreographer of Pan's People has just died from viral pneumonia at only 65.

I've got wonderful wistful memories of Pan's People on TOTP. How beautiful, graceful and expressive they seemed! I remember cramming into the Television Room under the Dining Hall stairs to watch Pan's People dance to "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". The performance was so lovely, and very affecting.

And just how we came to watching TOTP I can't explain, It was on on Thursdays at 7.30pm when we'd have been in prep! Huh? The scraping of those green metal-and-canvas chairs on the parquet floor, the crammings-in, the standing at the back, the advance bagging of the front row!

Pan's People; long long silky wafting centre-parted hair, huge Mary Quant mascara'd eyes, flowing dresses and immaculate dance routines to the latest music.

Oh, the glamour! Oh, a glimpse of the outside world! Thank you for the vision, Flick Colby.
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

An OB friend on Facebook (and rarely on here) pointed this out last night and credits her with her career in dance. I can't think how we watched it at school, I know I watched it at home.
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Re: Pan's People

Post by J.R. »

Sad news.

Babs was always my favourite. Something definitely h0rny about her.

Still happily married to the actor Robert Powell, I believe.
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

J.R. wrote:Sad news.

Babs was always my favourite. Something definitely h0rny about her.

Still happily married to the actor Robert Powell, I believe.
"Beautiful Babs, I don't know what her name is!" Fletch in "A Good Night In " Porridge 1974
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Re: Pan's People

Post by fra828 »

Sad news about Flic Colby. There are repeats of TOTP from 1976 on BBC4 7.30pm on Thursdays. Nostalgia! Legs and Co feature- I think they are mostly the same dancers as Pan's People(?) I remember watching TOTP on housemistress's TV. Would prep not have finished at 7pm? I seem to remember bedtimes for juniors started at rather early time of 7.30pm.
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

Flick Colby choreographed TOTP until 1981.

August to Easter lowest form prep finished at 7.25, back to house and straight upstairs.

After Easter bedtime was 7.45.
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Re: Pan's People

Post by fra828 »

Well remembered Mary! I only have vague memories of Hertford bedtimes, except for going to bed on summer evenings when it was still bright outside .
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

:offtopic:

I had real trouble as I only ever needed about 8 hours sleep even at primary school, so 8pm to 7am in the summer was extremely difficult. At home I would go to bed and read until midnight, at the age of 11. Thank goodness I went into a cubie in year 9 where we had bedside lights. I would set up my dressing gown so the light shone down a sleeve and didn't show outside or disturb my roommate. I am surprised It never caught fire. :backtotopic:
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Re: Pan's People

Post by Angela Woodford »

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" was a hit in 1970? By which time I would have been in the LV1.

That's the odd thing. Prep for a V1 Former would have gone on a lot longer than 7.30.

But I do have that distinct memory - walking back from the Television Room with the sounds of that tune, so evocative of the early 70's, in my mind, and thinking how lovely those dancers were...

Perhaps the sequence was repeated on Saturday tv? It did cause a sensation at the time.
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

There was certainly something on a Saturday because I remember seeing The Tremeloes with Len (Chip) Hawkes (sigh!!!!).
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Re: Pan's People

Post by Angela Woodford »

I'm sure rumours of your passion for Chip Hawkes reached over the Square to 6's, Mary.

:? dredges deep into memory :wink: "Silence is Golden, Golden " (scream) and a big centrefold in Rave magazine?

He was lucky to have you! :lol:
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

OMG did it really? :oops: :oops: :oops:
He is in concert in Ramsgate on July 2nd, perhaps I could cadge a bed from son in Canterbury
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Re: Pan's People

Post by Angela Woodford »

But you must go!

EEEEEEEEE!
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Pan's People

Post by icomefromalanddownunder »

Angela Woodford wrote:I'm sure rumours of your passion for Chip Hawkes reached over the Square to 6's, Mary.

:? dredges deep into memory :wink: "Silence is Golden, Golden " (scream) and a big centrefold in Rave magazine?

He was lucky to have you! :lol:
Has anyone other than me ever heard The Band's version of Silence is Golden? Absolutely beautiful, and makes The Termoloes versions sound cheesy.

xx
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Re: Pan's People

Post by englishangel »

Caroline, did you mean this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe4qk7Mijlo
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