HELEN loved to foxtrot in the local church hall, Joan enjoyed the fancy footwork at the Locarno, Margaret met her husband at the Barrowland Ballroom.

The memories tumble out of these women like a waterfall, as they share stories over tea and cake before heading for the dance floor once again.

At Helenslea Community Hall in Parkhead, the tea dance is in full swing. Organised by Platform, the creative hub based in Easterhouse, the event is one of a series taking place around the city over the next few months.

Today, waltzing has been briefly suspended, to allow one of the women time to enjoy a special presentation from Glasgow’s Lord Provost.

Helen Palmer has just celebrated her 100th birthday, and she is delighted, if a little surprised, by the special treatment.

“I just love coming here, to the tea dances,” she beams. “I like the company and my foot starts tapping.”

Helen brought up five sons and two daughters in the east end of Glasgow, and dancing has always been part of her life.

“I used to dance in the church with the Guild at Calton Parish, and when I was a teenager I went dancing in Shettleston and the Barrowland,” she recalls. “I remember waltzes and tangoes and foxtrots, and I even like line dancing.

“Dancing has kept me young.”

James Dean, events and community lead for Platform, says the tea dances started as a way for the venue to reach out to its local neighbourhoods.

“We wanted to bring in people who might not otherwise come here, but we didn’t want to just stick on a few records,” he explains.

“We wanted to make it a bit special, encourage people to get dressed up and listen to the big band.

“And they have been very popular. It also became a way to beat social isolation – many of the men and women who come are on their own, or don’t have family near by, so coming here means they get out of the house, meet up with friends and have some fun and exercise.”

The dances were so successful, Platform decided to take them ‘on tour’ and they are now hosting community tea dances in neighbourhoods around the city.

“We have done them at St Luke’s in the Calton, here at Helenslea, and in May we are heading for Cranhill,” adds James.

“It’s great listening to the stories – the music is often the kick-starter as it brings people together, and they start sharing their memories of the old days.”

He grins: “Sometimes, the stories are eye-opening! It’s a real laugh.”

Back at Helenslea, the band – That Swing Sensation – is back in business, and Jukebox Jive are on hand, too, to teach a willing few some dance steps.

Joan Kelly, 82, says she used to sneak away to the dance halls at every chance she got.

“I loved the Barrowland, the Locarno – later on, I enjoyed country and western clubs, and I love the Grand Ole Opry,” says Joan, who worked in the former Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill.

“The tea dances are wonderful. I like being with people, and it’s good to keep yourself looking nice, and being sociable.”

Jessie Mason, 86, also loves coming to the tea dances.

“Most of the time they wouldn’t let me in to the dancing when I was a teenager because I looked too young,” she recalls with a groan. “My height kept me back. But when I got in I never sat down.”

Megan Williamson, 68, recalls enjoying the “modern” dancing at the Mayfair.

“I wore a pelmet,” she hoots. “The shorter the skirt, the better! I went with my big sister and my friends, and I met my first husband there.

“Now I enjoy the tea dances. The dancing is not as energetic as it was when I was young.

“I like the music, friends, companionship. Everyone is very friendly.”

Margaret Connor, 84, was born in the Gallowgate and worked in Templeton’s factory at Glasgow Green. She recalls going to dance halls all over the city.

“The Barrowland, the Palais, the Playhouse, the Locarno,” she rhymes off. “I met my husband at the Barrowland and we always went dancing together.

“When he died, I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I had to make a life for myself.

“The tea dances are a big part of that. It gets you moving and keeps your brain active, too.”

She smiles: “If you sit for too long, you get stiff. Better just to keep dancing!

“I always feel a lot better after dancing.”

The Spring Tea Dance at Platform will take place on April 20 at 1pm, when the venue will be transformed into an amazing ballroom featuring beautiful handmade art works and table cloths created by local people.

Find out more at http://www.platform-online.co.uk or call 0141 276 9696