Sheila Ann Anderson (24 Sep 1935 - 6 Dec 2015)

In memory of Shiela, a valued teacher, colleague and friend.

In appreciation for all Sheila's work in introducing the joy of dancing to many through her involvement in Hemel Hempstead Folk Dance Club and her participation in the display team.

Sheila: A eulogy

I was honoured recently when Philip asked me to contribute to a eulogy for Sheila and since then have been considering what to say and very quickly came to realise that there was far more to Sheila than can be covered in the time available to us now. It is abundantly clear that Sheila loved life and carved out her niche – or more accurately her niches – within it with vigour, with humour and with perseverance.

It is not uncommon for teachers to be heard before they are known and although I was never a pupil of Sheila’s I do share that experience, I heard her before I spoke with her. She was – you will have guessed – calling a dance at the Hemel Hempstead Folk Club that I had first attended the previous week when she was away. On that occasion I heard much about “our usual leader” but even so had little inkling who it was I was to get to know as both a dance teacher and a real friend.

When I consider how I felt at that time I would have said that Sheila’s patron saint was St Jude since it is he who is the patron saint of lost causes and for me the art mastering the secrets of Folk Dancing felt like a lost cause indeed. I reckoned without her persistence, her determination and her ability to see the finest details of a dance and thanks to all of those qualities she taught me (as she has taught many others) to both do and to love folk dancing, It was that ability of hers to pass on not just skill, not just information but rather enthusiasm that made her someone very special indeed.

It was a delight to join with her and Philip in several different gatherings at Hitchin, to see how she could craft 3 very different dances into a sequence that would be challenging to perform and delightful to watch. I cherish those memories still.
It was while practising for these special shows that I discovered just how much more there was to Sheila than dancing; a love of England and England’s countryside which she knew well from walking and caravanning. Her love of food would prompt her to share recipes with us that still have place in our recipe book at home.

Whether out walking or dancing she would certainly have with her at least one and more usually more than one of her small companions – the bears and like many others of you it was not long before we delighted to find a bear that we could give to her for safekeeping and loving.
And that I suppose is the quality that she conveyed in everything she did – she loved what she did.

Whether it was cooking, dancing, instructing, walking, quilting, supporting her beloved Saracens or...everything she did, she did it with a real sense of joy and sometimes even with a sense of mischief. We loved her for it and each memory of her that we cherish will remind us that life is indeed for living. Sheila lived her life to the full and I am certain she would want us to remember her as we do the same.

Hello everyone. It is fascinating for me to see the various people that have known Sheila over the years in many different guises.
I know that we are all here to remember Sheila, but in my mind, as Eileen and I didn’t come to know her until later in life. We have always thought of Sheila and Phillip as a team. (In that order of course as Sheila, as you may know, was the team organiser.)
We got to know them both, mainly through watching Saracens Rugby Team when they were playing at Vicarage Road. We became good friends and just after Sheila died Philip asked Eileen and to write a short outline of how we saw Sheila as a Rugby Supporter that could be included in a team programme. Unfortunately it was considered too long so they didn’t use it but later Phillip asked me to speak here. So using these thoughts I am now going to describe Sheila as we saw her. A good friend and serious rugby supporter.
I understand Sheila was always a stalwart Rugby supporter, going to Harlequins games as a youngster. Then with Phillip until, on one memorable occasion they were at a Quins v Saracens game. She saw the light and was converted and became an avid Saracens supporter and has been so since that day.
When we met at Vicarage Road Sheila was already supporting ‘Her Team’ and its boys, through good and bad times. Encouraging her particular favourites. (Some of you may have seen the photos of Kieran Bracken clothed, then Shalk Britz and finally Maro in the Obituary pages).
She saw the team’s home, move to Watford Football ground and later on to Allianz Park at Barnet. They won many games in the early professional years. Then seemed to lose a lot in the middle years and lately have become very successful again. Many of the games watched would end in a very tense, last five minutes for Saracens supporters, especially Phillip, who could often be seen with his head in hands during those last few plays. (The two premiership finals against Leicester being excellent examples.) Sheila would watch these moments to ensure that somebody knew what was happening.
Sheila and Phillip would always be in the stands well before Kick Off. Arranging their goodies and Sheila making sure that the other loves of her life - no not Phillip! her bears Scruffles and Andy, were both sitting comfortably on her lap. These two well-dressed but quiet supporters accompanied Sheila to every game including a number of continental trips.
Her knowledge of rugby and particularly Saracen’s playing feats and social activities were encyclopaedic, even to an understanding of the scrummaging laws!
When visiting Sheila and Phillip, as we did on numerous occasions, the conversation would turn to rugby and might include, a detailed outline of the last games main events with many references to the press reviews. Her feelings about comments made by other premiership team managers, (Particularly Messr’s Cockerill and Malinder that’s Leicester and Northampton for the uninitiated), the referee’s decisions or lack of them and discussions about how the current Saracens Director of Rugby and/or the backroom boys, should improve the team performance to help them become even more successful. (Maybe our current successes are partly attributable to Sheila’s guiding comments, to both players and staff at various meetings. Who knows?)
Over the last few months Sheila went to every game, sitting in her front row seat, even though she was probably not feeling as well as she would have liked. It was sometimes noticeable to her friends that she was not quite right but she was always there, the two bears on her lap and surrounded by their various bags containing home comforts to see them through the game. Most of the bags being carried by Phillip.
At half-time the tea, or something stronger would come out and be drunk to give her the added strength she might need to abuse the referee, (if appropriate,) run a commentary for anyone willing to listen, but mainly to cheer her team until the last whistle was blown, if she thought they deserved it!!
When Sheila died she did so knowing that Saracen’s had just soundly beaten Newcastle 38 – 3. Charlie Hodgson having scored a great intercept try and sending the team into overdrive to win another bonus point.
Knowing this we believe that Sheila would have died content and at peace and is probably somewhere, muttering about the weeks refereeing etc. and checking the scores of her team, but mainly keeping a watchful eye on Phillip.
We will miss her.

We first met Sheila and Philip in 1981 when we joined the Hemel Hempstead Folk Dance Club. Dancing was a big part of her life and we shared that and many other interests with Sheila during the next 20 years. We enjoyed many outings with the demonstration dance team particularly dancing at The Hitchin Gathering every other year. We always did a sequence of 3 dances choreographed by Sheila who used salt and pepper pots at home to achieve the utmost effect of formation of the dancers playing to the gallery. We also had a fun 2 week dancing trip to Denmark. As a result of a shared interest in dancing and camping we all joined the folk section of the Camping and Caravanning Club and we had some memorable times at Easter meets.

There is a long list of things we did with Sheila and Philip, RSPB meetings, concerts at Marble Hill and Kenwood, not forgetting the fabulous picnics masterminded by Sheila. We are custodians of a very old bear called Gladly who Sheila rescued from the bottom of Josie's toy box. She always asked after him.
We introduced Sheila and Philip to the Isles of Scilly and they shared our love of these islands. I also shared a liking for all things Laura Ashley with Sheila when the clothes were much nicer than they are now!

Although we kept in touch we went our separate ways when Sheila and Philip developed their interest in rugby which we didn't share and they also moved away from Hemel Hempstead. Despite that we still kept up with Sheila and Philip's comings and goings through our mutual friends Eileen and Greg. All in all we will never forget Sheila.

Fond memories of Sheila from Jim, Ally and Jodie Anderson

We have known Sheila for many years having met as supporters of Saracens. Our friendship extended beyond Saracens to having holidays together. We will remember the good times the four of us had and will always miss Sheila a good friend.