Around 1960, when Reo Stakis took over Dunblane Hydro Hotel, Jim MacLeod (of Jim MacLeod & his Band fame) was appointed as head of entertainment for Stakis hotels. Jim  asked Mary Prentice to start a Scottish Country Dance Club to bring people into the Hydro and thus in late 1962 the Dunblane Hydro Scottish Country Dance Club was born. Following the success of the club Mary arranged SCD weekends.  The weekend started with lunch on Saturday, a teaching class in the afternoon, dinner and dancing at night, an overnight stay at the Hydro, breakfast, morning class & lunch before departure. The weekend cost 3 guineas.

Mary's next venture was a 5 day winter dancing holiday abroad.  The first holiday was in 1973 to Arenal in Majorca at a cost of £28 per person. From that time the Winter dancing holiday became an annual event. It continues to run to the present time but is now under the umbrella of J.A.G. Scottish Dance Group run by three members of the Martice Club.  The 36th annual holiday has just been to Cyprus with 120 dancers attending.

On Monday 18th April 1988 the Dunblane Hydro Club celebrated a 25th anniversary with a special dinner dance. However, a few years later, because of the expansion of the conference business at the Hydro, accommodation for the club became difficult.  The club left the Hydro in April 1990 and then moved to the lesser Albert Hall, Stirling in October 1990 until March 1991.  The next venue was the Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling from September 1991 to January 1994 when it moved again to the King Robert Hotel in Bannockburn this was from February 1994 - March 1995.  The final move was to the Albert Hall in September 1995.

The reference to Dunblane Hydro in the Club’s title was no longer appropriate - a new name had to be found. The club members submitted several suggestions & the name MARTICE was proposed and adopted. The name is compiled from MARy prenTICE.   Mary died in December 1997 & the club continued in the Albert Hall although run by a committee.  Up to the time of Mary's illness & death she ran the club, compiled the programmes, taught the dances, and booked the hall and bands. She would call on a few members for help, in particular the treasurer who dealt with the banking, but mainly she did everything herself.   After her death all the duties were delegated to various committee members & a member of the club that had an RSCDS teaching certificate, was asked to compile a programme & teach a dance.

In late November, for many years, Mary organised a St Andrew’s Night Ball in Hopetoun House. The club donated a magnificent chandelier to add to the existing two in the ballroom. The dances Toast to St Andrews and Mrs Stuart Linnell always featured on Mary’s programmes.

The club, dance weekends & winter dance holidays abroad, have progressed to where they are today & have kept going as Mary would have wished.  Thanks to her many people that would never have met are now good friends and scottish country dancing has been enjoyed in many venues both in the UK and overseas.

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