Pebbles With Personality

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1-4 1st and 2nd couples, also 3rd and 4th couples, each circle four hands round to the left.
5-8 1st man dances down two places to face 3rd man as 4th woman dance up two places to face 2nd woman. Then each pull back right shoulder, dance on one more place and end facing out at the other end of the set.
 Meanwhile 2nd, 3rd and 4th men, also 1st, 2nd and 3rd women, join hands and set on the sides. Then 1st and 3rd women, also 2nd and 4th men, the outer dancers in each trio, pull right shoulder back and cast one place to their left and face in while 2nd woman and 3rd man, the middle of each trio, passing right shoulder, dance down or up one place to their left and face out.
 The order is now 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 1st men on the men's side and 4th, 1st, 2nd and 3rd women on the women's side.
9-16 All dance parallel reels of four on the sides starting by passing right shoulder. 1st man and 4th woman end pulling right shoulder back. All face in.
17-24 All dance a four couple chain progression:
 1-2: All turn the opposite person three quarters with the right hand onto the centre line.
 3-6: 4th woman and 1st man chase half way round clockwise to the other end of the centre line. Meanwhile 2nd man with 1st woman, 3rd man with 2nd woman, also 4th man with 3rd woman, each turn one and a half times with the left hand.
 7-8: All turn their partner three quarters with the right hand to end on the sides in their original places. 1st woman stays facing out.
25-32 1st woman casts off around 2nd woman, crosses down between 3rd couple, casts below 4th man and crosses over, pulling back right shoulder to end in 4th place own sides. 1st man crosses over then follows his partner 2 bars behind. 2nd, 3rd and 4th couples step up on bars 27-28, 29-30 and 31-32 respectively. The final order is 2,3,4,1.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA October 2024)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

Pebbles With Personality - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Dance Information

Although there is a Devonian geological period, the red sandstone cliffs of Budleigh Salterton were formed later in the Triassic and Jurassic periods. In a complex process, a variety of hard quartzite rocks were crumbled in collisions of tectonic plates; later washed down by rivers onto desert plains; eroded by windborne sand into smooth round pebbles; covered by sand to form a conglomerate; overlaid with purely sandstone layers and finally raised up again as the present cliffs.

In more recent times pebbles have eroded from the cliffs to form the beach. A big sign on the sea front proclaims them to be "Pebbles with Personality" as they vary a lot in size and colour. Hence the title of the dance.

Recommended music: Suggested tune Kilrenny Jig (Alastair C Hunter); suitable recording Pele Tower (Keith Smith and Muriel Johnstone: Vintage Goldring).

(Dance information by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA October 2024)

It lies within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site known for its geological significance. The shoreline consists largely of pebble beaches and red sandstone cliffs formed during the Triassic period.

The town is home to a nature reserve at the mouth of the River Otter, where reed beds and saltmarsh support various species of birds and other wildlife. Inland, the town is surrounded by countryside, and the nearby coastline forms part of the South West Coast Path, a long-distance walking route that connects to other towns such as Sidmouth and Exmouth.

The geology of Budleigh Salterton is notable for its exposed red cliffs, composed mainly of Triassic sandstone. These rocks were laid down over 240 million years ago, during a time when the region formed part of a vast desert environment. The vivid red colour of the cliffs is caused by iron oxide, indicating that the sediments were deposited under arid conditions. The layers seen today consist of ancient wind-blown sand dunes and river deposits that have been compressed and hardened over millions of years.

At the base of the cliffs, particularly towards the western end of the beach, is the Budleigh Salterton Pebble Beds, a distinct geological formation made up of rounded flint and quartzite pebbles. These were transported from distant ancient mountains by powerful rivers long before the desert conditions of the Triassic period set in. The pebbles, preserved in layers of reddish sediment, are a key part of the local geological record and have attracted the interest of geologists for many years.

Together, these formations represent a long and complex history of changing environments, from fast-flowing rivers to wind-swept deserts. The area forms part of the Jurassic Coast, although the visible rocks in Budleigh Salterton are older than those found further east along the coast. The site provides a rare and accessible glimpse into the Earth's deep past, making it of considerable scientific importance.

Pebbles With Personality - Budleigh Salterton - Devon

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