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Dance partners reunite 60 years on from title win

Tony Livesey & Lynette HorsburghNorth West
News imageBBC Black and white image from 1963 taken in the Isle of Man of junior dance champions June Batty in a white ballroom dress and John Halliday in a black tuxedo resting on a silver glitterball. They are doing an old-time tango pose while parents sitting on deck chairs look on smiling and Eva holding their winning trophies. BBC
June Batty said she still remembers posing for the 1963 photograph after winning the competition with John Halliday

Dance partners who lifted a major junior dance championship trophy more than 60 years ago have spoken again for the first time in decades to talk about their "magical" win, with the help of BBC North West.

June Batty nee Cross, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, was 13 when she and John Halliday won the 1963 Isle of Man Junior Old Time Ballroom Dancing Championship.

The pair, who went to the Rene Buckley Dance School in Denton were delighted to speak to each other for the first time in more than six decades and reminisce about their early dance floor success.

June, 75, who now lives in Liverpool and still teaches dancing, said: "It was so lovely to chat after all this time."

Speaking to Tony Livesey as part of his My Story series for BBC North West, June said that while John went on to hang up his dancing shoes to become an electrical engineer, she was still making moves on the dance floor 63 years on.

The pair, who were paired up by their teacher Rene Buckley, had already won tournaments together before they entered.

"It was magical," she said of the trip to Isle of Man.

"We flew there with our mum and dads. It was the first time I'd ever flown."

She remembers staying in a boarding house on Douglas Promenade then walking in her white and peach sparkly dress to Villa Marina.

"It was great fun and there were a few other junior couples there and we were all such good friends."

'Time's flown'

She recalls the excitement of flying over for the competition and then winning.

John, who now lives in Spain, said it had been "great" dancing with June, adding: "I can't believe how time's flown."

"We did really well together," he said, recalling how they had danced to Ivy Benson & Her All Girl Band.

June can still remember having the photograph taken when they did an old-time tango pose while her mum Eva looked after their silverware.

The pair went on to win more junior titles together but had to split up and find new partners when John, who was slightly older, moved up to the next age category.

News imageJune Batty with bobbed white hair wearing a silver sequin top underneath a black velvet blazer. She has her arm resting on railing close to the water at Salford Quays with the Lowry in the background. She is smiling.
June Batty said she had been "very fortunate to turn my hobby into my career"

June said she turned professional at 21, a year after winning the British Under 21 Latin American Championships with a new partner, Graham Mitchell, at Blackpool's Winter Gardens.

She went on to open her own dance school in Liverpool before relocating to Florida when her late husband retired. She continued to teach dancing there.

When her husband sadly passed away, June returned to Liverpool and still does private lessons.

"I was very fortunate to turn my hobby into my career," she said, adding she would urge anyone to take up dancing whatever their age.

"You're never too old to start. It is so good for you - it's fun, keeps you fit and is good for your mental health."

Meanwhile, June and John are hoping to reunite in person next month when he returns to Manchester for a visit.

Read more stories from Greater Manchester , Merseyside and Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.