This month's Springhurst Old Time Dance will have a special purple glow about it, as dancers remember the contribution of Esme Adams to the event. Those attending the dance on 15 February have been encouraged to wear 'a touch of purple' - the favourite colour of the longtime Springhurst dance devotee who passed away on 23 December. Esme's husband, Ken, started the regular event along with Ernie Kirkham 17 years ago, and Ken said Esme had been a key part of the operation for all of that time. "She was treasurer, then secretary, and did all the kitchen work, and the organising with me," he said. "She loved dancing; when we were younger, that's how I met Esme, at the Myrrhee Switch-on Ball, and she stuck in my mind from then on." Esme hailed from Myrrhee and Ken from Springhurst, and the couple enjoyed both old-time and square-dancing during their 57-year marriage and while raising their three sons. "We used to do a lot of Saturday night dancing in Wangaratta at St Patrick's Hall," Ken recalled. "When we were square-dancing, we went to lots of different venues, sometimes alongside 300 people when we danced in Melbourne. "Esme was a seamstress, so she'd make her own dance outfits, and would also make some of the kids' clothes. "We always loved the music and the friendship created by dancing - you got to know everybody and they knew you." Ken said Esme's kindness and love were among her greatest attributes. "She was a special lady," he said. The Springhurst Old Time Dance on Sunday, 15 February will run from 1.30pm to 5pm at Springhurst Hall, with music by Alison. Those attending are asked to bring a plate of food to share, and to wear a touch of purple to remember Esme.
