Sprightly Ann Mattin has had her last dance as leader of a dance group at the grand old age of 80.

Ann had been a member of the Witham Social Dance Group for 21 years when she took over in 2013.

She renamed the group Ann’s Social Dance Club and with other members cut moves which would make Strictly Come Dancing favourite Debbie McGee look like Ed Balls.

But now age has caught up with the members of the group, many of whom are in their 90s, and they have decided to call it a day.

Ann said: “Years ago we used to have a committee but then people starting passing away or getting ill and the numbers went down.

Gazette:

“One day, we had a meeting to discuss the future of the group. I couldn’t let the club go so I stood up and said I would take it over.

“Closing it now was a difficult decision to make and not one I wanted to but I could not do it on my own anymore.

“I live in Tiptree, I don’t drive so I had to get the bus into Witham for the class with shopping bags full of raffle prizes which we used to give away every time.

“It was hard to walk out of that room the final time and the tears flowed.”

The grandmother’s love of dancing started back when she was at school. With her girlfriends she’d tear up the town hall.

Later on she cut her teeth and perfected her steps on the dance floors of Royal British Legion halls across the county.

Sequence dancing is the direction she took the class in but she’d perfect any move.

Instead of slowing down when she retired at the age of 60, she took it as an opportunity to get on the floor more often and soon joined the committee at the Spring Lodge dancing group.

“All of our members loved to dance,” said Ann.

“I turned 80 in January but I was one of the youngest there. I had 90-year-old members who could out move me on the dancefloor.

“You meet lovely people doing it and it is nice gentle exercise. It keeps your brain active because you have to think about your next move.

“I am hoping to run a few tea dances throughout the year in Witham.”

It isn’t surprising she is refusing to give it up, it seems dancing is in Ms Mattin’s blood, Her son Neil Goddard is an instructor and member of popular 40s style crew A2 Jive.

Ann said she’ll never forget the good times at Spring Lodge or the wonderful people she met.

“We were more like family because we had been together so long.

“We would send cards to the hospital when people were ill and I made an effort to go to the funerals of any members who passed away.

“It wasn’t just dancing, we would have Christmas lunch together and I organised afternoon teas.

“The numbers went down over the years and we used to have other people who helped out.

“I have wonderful memories from over the years and I am glad I have been involved for so long.”