Sue Jakeman, pictured in her ‘flapper’ inspired dress, came to our January monthly meeting to talk about her aunt, Peggy Spencer who was her dad’s sister.
And what a life!
Peggy married Jack Spencer, the war intervened, and two children later she was working part time for Herbert Morrison, the Labour politician. The end of the war brought divorce and with two children to support she started dance classes in Lyons tea shops after hours having taught herself to dance from a book.
The business grew enough so she could give up the secretaial jobs and teach dance full time,. She employed more dance teachers and met Frank Spencer, brother of her ex husband who knew Victor Sylvestor. This led to dancing with Victor on the BBC. Frank was to become both her business partner and dance partner and eventually they married but only after the law forbiding marriage to a brother of a man not dead or divorced was changed in 1964.
They bought a house in Penge which had a building in the garden which had previously been a gentlemen’s club. The upstairs had a large space. A cedar wood floor was added – this flooring is ideal for dancing as it ‘gives’ a little. This became the venue for the dance formation teams so popular at the time. Thus Royston Ballroom was born named after Royston Road.
The BBC came calling in 1954. Together with Victor Sylvestor and his strict tempo dance band she was asked to devise a dance show with a prize – thus Come Dancing was born with its multiple net petticoats, shoulder straps and sequins. Peggy’s team often won and for over 40 years her teams appeared on the show. Much, much later the BBC asked her to devise the format for Strictly but she declined.
The Beatles asked for her dancers as a backing on a white stairway to heaven in Your Mother Should Know. In the 1970’s the BBC wanted Peggy and her formation team to dance with Bruce Forsyth on the Generation Game. She brought young dancers from her classes to demonstrate on Blue Peter. Eventually in 1993 Michael Aspel and ‘This is Your Life’ caught up with her at the third attempt.
She died aged 95 in 2016, the unchallenged doyenne of ballroom dancing, winner of nine Carl Alan awards as a professional dancer, choreographer, dance adjudicator and organiser.
Rosemary McClements