Local Life
ABOVE: Peggy Spencer and her husband Frank in London in 1950 – the couple were one of the most successful dance partnerships in the world and were appointed MBEs in 1977 in recognition of their services to the world of dance.
Peggy’s strictly amazing life on the dancefloor... Long before Strictly Come Dancing, one woman dominated the ballrooms of Britain, teaching steps to princes, pop stars and Russian ballet dancers. Clare Bee looks at the story of Peggy Spencer
F
or millions of us, autumn isn’t just the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – it also heralds the return of Strictly Come Dancing to our television screens. People across the country and around the world tune in to marvel at the professional dancers’ amazing abilities, not to mention the sparkles, the spray tans and the finelyhoned bodies. Dancing has enjoyed a true renaissance in the last few years, but there was one local woman who was
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the inspiration for many aspiring dancers long before Strictly came to our screens. Peggy Spencer, who died earlier this year, spent most of her life in London, but came to Norfolk to retire, soon becoming very much involved in the local dancing scene and making many friends in the process. And although many might claim to be Strictly’s biggest fan, Peggy really was. “She looked forward to Strictly starting every year and she really loved it,” says her daughter Helena. “She
would sit down with her notebook and mark the contestants out of ten – and she invariably came up with the same score as Len!” Peggy discovered her love of dance in the dark days of the Second World War. A talented young woman, she had originally planned to make a career as a pianist, but then became interested in politics and held ambitions to become a politician herself. But war intervened, and when Peggy married and had two children, she had little time for pursuing a career.
KLmagazine October 2016