Batons twirling, knees bending,

the sound of military music, and 16 little girls with a look of intense concentration on their faces. It all adds up to the Torridge Valley Majorettes on parade.

Some of the manoeuvres appeared quite complicated enough without having to twirl a baton in an equally complicated manner at the same time. But these little girls – the youngest is seven and the eldest 11 – performed it all without a hitch, with the only order from their trainer Mrs Joan Stacey being “Keep those batons up.”

The Torridge Valley Majorettes were formed a year ago and first appeared in public at Torrington Carnival last January. They have been renamed once already. They started life as the Torrington Minorettes to distinguish them from the 1st Company of Torrington Majorettes, but the names were too similar.

Mrs Stacey, whose daughter Sharon is a former leading majorette of the 1st Company explained why the second company had been formed. “The 1st Company seems to be mainly for older girls and we found there were a lot of smaller ones wanting to become majorettes. We started with 12 but now there are 30, with two boys as drum majors.”

The 1st Company of Torrington Majorettes are also just over a year old. Originally they were part of the Corps of Drums but then decided to go it alone. Last year there were 19 girls in the Company but 27 will be marching next year with ages ranging from 9 to 16. Three mothers, all with daughters in the company, undertake the training. Mrs Grayson makes the uniforms, Mrs Keen and Mrs Mary Taylor make it a combined effort.

The Torrington Majorettes are planning something new for next year’s May Fair – they hope to parade with their own corps of drums. Whilst the 12 boys in the troop are busy practising their marching, the parents are fund-raising to buy the instruments they will need.

Gazette article 1.12.78