Glittering prize for Royalettes

Fleetwood Royalettes dance troupe has enjoyed one of its biggest successes for years in the an end-of-season championship event.
Fleetwood Royalettes taste success in Prestatyn.Fleetwood Royalettes taste success in Prestatyn.
Fleetwood Royalettes taste success in Prestatyn.

The group emerged with a haul of 15 trophies at the Tameside Morris Dancing Organisation Championships (TMDO), held this year at the Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, North Wales.

They won a string of top awards, and also came second in others, competing against almost a dozen other dance troupes.

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The Royalettes, first established in 1986, are run by co-principals Shirley Farrington and Sammy Hemphill.

The haul of glittering silverware won by Fleetwood Royalettes.The haul of glittering silverware won by Fleetwood Royalettes.
The haul of glittering silverware won by Fleetwood Royalettes.

They are divided into age sections, the Babies, Tinies, Seniors and Juniors.

Shirley told the Weekly News: “We’re really pleased with the results, this is one of the best successes we have had in years.

“The girls have worked really hard and it just shows how that can pay off.”

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The trophies were awarded to the troupe right across the board.

The haul of glittering silverware won by Fleetwood Royalettes.The haul of glittering silverware won by Fleetwood Royalettes.
The haul of glittering silverware won by Fleetwood Royalettes.

The Babies won the first place championship prize and also won best leader, best mascot, troupe of the year and mascot of the year.

The Dinkies also won the first place championship prize and also won best mascot, troupe of the year and best in parade.  

The Tinies were runners-up in troupe of the year, while the Juniors won the first place championship prize, troupe of the year and leader of the year.

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And the Seniors were runners up in the championship, won championship best leader and were runners-up in troupe of the leader.

There was also dancer of the year prizes for Aleah Walton (Babies), Georgia Walton (Juniors) and Faye Wade Seniors,

it comes at a good time for Royalettes - they now have enough funds to buy new costumes for the first time in five years.

Leaders of the dance troupe, Shirley Farrington and Sammy Williams, set the target of £4,000 for new costumes earlier this year.

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By August they had reached £3,500, but they were still £500 short of their target and were running out of time to acquire the stunning blue, white and silver outfits in time for the championships.

Thankfully, Fleetwood Town Council chairman, Coun Terry Rogers, read of their plight in the Weekly News.

He asked for the item to be added to the council agenda and members voted to give them £500 from funds.

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