The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #58891   Message #3907977
Posted By: GUEST,ChrisJBrady
25-Feb-18 - 09:42 PM
Thread Name: Review: The Songwainers
Subject: RE: Review: The Songwainers
Tim Radford opined "Ted [Duckett] was also a great Step Dancer and he was filmed by the Reading Cloggies; I am sure there is a copy in the library at Cecil Sharp House."

Ted was researched by the Reading Cloggies - likely Peter Clifton and Anne Marie Hulme. The late Jennifer Millest might have also researched him. But all such research was unpublished and is now lost. What I am certain about is that no film was ever made. Maybe there was footage on a video taken by one Dot Cosh / Mulliner. But nothing was ever shown at the Reading Clog & Step Dance Festival, nor at any of the Cloggies' meetings. One Chris Metherell inherited all of the late Barry Callaghan's films - but even then I don't think that any footage of Ted was included (if any was made).

The now defunct Group still has funds in its so-termed Film Fund, the profits of the Festival went into this. But the trustees have long gone, and attempts to find out what happened to this met with a deafening silence. Any funds could be usefully spent in researching and publishing what there is of Ted Duckett (and others). But sadly no ex-members would be interested.

Indeed the work, research and memories of the Cloggies has long since dissipated. No-one remembers their 'Campaign for Real Reels' or for 'Putting Stepping Back Into Social Dancing.' There are no workshops in this, nor of such as traditional clog dancer Sammy Bell. Even his film has been consigned to the dusty archives of the BFI. I digress.