A Scottish country dancing teacher who led life to the full has passed away.

Ann Prior of Bridport died on May 26, aged 91.

Born in North Queensferry beside the Forth Bridge on September 18, 1928, Ann spent the first six years of her life between Scotland and India where her father worked in the Indian Civil Service.

Scottish country dancing became part of her life from the age of five when she attended a number of classes in Scotland. Ann recalled that in her late teens she attended classes at Rosyth Dockyard with her cousin. Along with three or four naval wives, they were the only females, and the officers made the ratings dance as women. On leaving school in Edinburgh, Ann went on to the university to read mathematics.

Following her father’s retirement in the early 1950s Ann moved with her parents to Radcliffe-on-Trent near Nottingham. During this time Ann worked for the Nottingham Electricity Board, firstly in their technical department and later as a secretary in the area offices.

Ann started up a children’s Scottish country dancing class in Radcliffe, and joined the Nottingham Scottish Club. In order that the club could become an RSCDS branch, they sponsored Ann to take her teaching course at St. Andrews, where she gained her certificate under Miss Jean Milligan in 1952. Ann was always proud that her partner for the examination was Derek Haynes. Whenever you spoke to Ann about well known dancers and teachers from that era, she would always reply “I knew him/her and danced with them”. Ann taught classes from beginners to advanced and ran children’s, adult ladies’ and mixed demonstration teams, and choreographed the dancing for a local production of Brigadoon.

Ann is remembered as an 'inspirational and enthusiastic' teacher.

In 1964 Ann joined her parents in Bridport, where she worked for Bridport Borough Council, eventually becoming the housing lettings officer until her retirement in 1986 when she set up home with her partner Ron Pickford. She was very active socially, doing Scottish country dancing in Weymouth, Sturminster Newton and Charminster, and ran both a children’s and a small ladies’ class.

Ann became secretary of Bridport Tennis Club, played a lot of bridge, and ran the Theatrama children’s drama group with her partner Ron. Not contented with that, Ann was a National Trust volunteer at their shop on Stonebarrow Hill and organised the volunteer rota until 2019, receiving her 25 years' service certificate and badge at a special tea party last December.

Ann loved Jack Russell terriers – she had Woolly, Minty and Sparky. The year after Ron’s sudden death, Ann became one of the founding teachers, along with Bill Allan, of Bridport Scottish Dancers in September 1995.

The club benefitted so much from Ann’s experience and dedicated teaching, and many dancers owe their love of Scottish Country Dancing to her.

Ann was proud of the club, keen on technique, being a beautiful dancer herself, and guided Bridport Scottish Dancers through classes, balls and demonstrations with boundless energy. Ann had an unbroken record of attendance at weekly classes until the Christmas party last December. In 2008, Ann joined Andrew White to teach the Chard Scottish Country Dance group . Many dancers from the south west will have happy memories of Ann’s 90th. birthday party dance organized jointly by the Bridport and Chard clubs.

Tony Meadley, of Bridport Scottish Dancers, said: "It was a joyous event, and we remember Ann dancing every dance, with a man, to the wonderful music of Ken Martlew and Barbara Manning. With this in mind we bid a fond farewell to a very unique lady."

Ann slipped away peacefully in her own home following a gradual deterioration in her health over the previous eight months.