When
the boys of Old Sherwood get wind of the G.H.
dance, excitement reigns supreme. Weeks
before the time appointed, the preparation
commences, especially in such matters as
purchasing "purple socks with yellow
clocks, and rainbow-coloured
handkerchiefs." Shoes are polished until
the smiling face of the owner is clearly
visible in them, wrapped up carefully, and
put away to be ready for many another
clean-up before the much looked-for event
takes place.
At
last comes the actual event. Everybody is
ready a couple of hours before time, and not
a speck is discernible anywhere on the
clothing of the happy party. When the moment
for moving off arrives, the excitement is at
its highest, and dancers are almost unable to
tell whether they are standing on their heads
or on their feet. Taking as much care of
their trousers creases and their shining
footwear as of their immaculate neckwear and
meticulously exact hair-partings, they would
much prefer to be wafted gently across the
intervening valley, but that cannot be, and
on the way it is really very amusing to see
them dodging every speck of dust that comes
in their path. On their arrival at their
destinations, one and all impatiently await
the coming of the less excited girls, and
then, in less than five minutes, all dances
are booked and everything is settled.
There
are five different schools which attend this
dance, namely, All Saints', The Convent,
Petersfield, St. Joseph's and Sherwood. One
thing worth mentioning is the clannish
disposition of the schools. A Sherwood fellow
dancing with a Convent girl would create
quite a sensation, the reason for this being
that the All Saints' girls feel mightily
indignant if they are not very diligently
attended to by their brothers and cousins in
this school.
