Drifting Through The Memories Of My Mind - Or Bits & Bobs From Along The track...
The real journey began after our arrival in Singapore in 1974.
Loyang Base was where most of the oilfield offices & workshops were located. At this time there were many expats working on the rigs in South East Asia and in the support centres located in Singapore. I was rotating out of Singapore to the various drilling rigs, both land & offshore, in the SEA area.
During one of my field breaks in late 1974 a group of us, from various other oil field companies, were having a BS session over a couple of beers when the subject of square dancing came up and someone mentioned that it was a pity that it wasn't available in Singapore. I mentioned that I had done a little calling back in Australia. That was all it took. The Weatherford guys offered to clean out their workshop for a dance on Friday night.
Not quite knowing what to expect, Lyn and I rocked up with my mish-mash of sound equipment and about 40 records to three sets of squares. We all had a ball, and it was decided that the next time I came back to Singapore (in these early days I did not have a regular schedule) I was to let the folk know I was back in town and we would do it again.
This was the start of the "Anytime Square Dancers" (any time Scotty was in town we danced). We danced in the Weatherford workshop for about six months until it became a little crowded as we were starting a beginners class and more folk that had been dancers in the US were attending as the word got out that we had a "regular" dance. We then moved to the Singapore American School which was based in the Bukit Timur area fairly close to the downtown central city area.
We had our Graduation Night in the Oberio Hotel (see photo's) on the 28th May 1976, just before I left for the US on vacation and to attend the US 25th National Square Dance Convention in Anehiem, california.
In the later part of 1976 we were transferred out of Singapore to Balikpapan, in East Kalimantan, Borneo. It was with great sadness that we left the Anytime Squares as we had developed fantastic friendships with the group and this was my first club that had me completely locked in to square dancing.
With our departure from Singapore, the Anytime Square Dancers were supported and run by Dr Goh and his wife. Dr Goh moved the club to the Metropolitan YMCA off Shenton Way in downtown Singapore. Under the guidance of Dr Goh they continued with learners classes and danced to records. Whenever I passed through Singapore I would always join them if I was there on a dance night and guest call for them. The Anytime Square Dancers continued until the early 1980's when I lost touch with them.
