Malcolm

Your correction duly noted (and me a Geordie lad an all!)

One of the reasons I recalled the song was that I did do some rapper in my distant youth and still have the welts over the small of my back to prove it.

For those who dont know a rapper is a metal strip about 1.5" wide by about 2' 6" long with a handle at each end.

most of the dances require you to start in a circle holding one end of the rapper behind and one end of the rapper ahead. You then have to dance the measures without letting go until the squire calls out "Lock" when the blades are locked into a star pattern and held aloft (to admiring applause!)