Buxton's Billerettes notch up milestone 1,500th performance

The male majorette dance troop dressed in orange has been turning heads and making people smile for 49 years and on Saturday the group performed their 1,500th show at Buxton’s Dickensian Market.

Founder Bill Weston, 82, said: “I never thought all those years ago we’d be here now.

“I never even thought we’d come back for a second year, never mind almost half a century.”

Bill recalls watching the town’s carnival parade in 1974 and feeling the majorettes were lacklustre and saving all their energy for the competition in the Pavilion Gardens after the procession.

He said: “There was no spirit to their dancing, it was depressing to watch.”

Bill said he could do better and a man behind him called him out on this and told him to actually do it then.

In the summer of 1975 Bill, flanked by two others, took to the streets of Buxton and the trio danced their hearts out.

He said: “At the end of the carnival two people then came over and asked if they could join in for next year and we borrowed costumes and just went for it.

"We didn’t rehearse then and we still don’t now.

"I just listen to the music and do some actions and everyone follows.

“My only rule is we are funny, not silly. Over the years we’ve had people leaping about making a show of themselves but I didn’t want that, I wanted to create a dance troop that can put on a real show."

Since the Billerettes were formed they have danced across the High Peak and in the Cheshire and Manchester areas.

Bill, who has been given an MBE for services to the Buxton community, says 460 people have been a Billerette over the years, with 22 people currently on the team.

He said: “I think over the years we have become quite iconic. You can’t have a carnival without the Billerettes anymore.

"We are like a medicine for the town and as long as people are still smiling when they see us and I’m still able to dance then there will be the Billerettes – I have no plans on stopping.”

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