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At the competition, Samantha and I danced our hearts out but we knew that we did not stand a chance of beating Jimmy. But the sole adjudicator thought otherwise. I could not believe it when the results were announced: we won first place! I was over the moon! My parents were so happy. My grandmother even sent me a telegram to congratulate me".

After several dance partners, Ian was spotted by the parents of a girl who was looking for a new partner. Her name was Carol Dixon. Carol's parents were both professional ballroom dancers and they were very keen for their daughter to do well. This together with Carol's abundant talent proved to be a successful formula but in the end, a dangerous one. At the suggestion of Tony, Carol's father, a coaching session was arranged with Brenda Winslade, a former World Professional Champion. Brenda was an experienced coach and taught only the top amateurs and pro's. She had never taught a juvenile couple before. All that changed after the first lesson. Brenda took a great interest in Ian and Carol's dancing. A rapport developed and a special bond started to grow between Ian and Brenda.

"I was fortunate that I got to know Brenda quite well. She did not have any children and in many ways she treated me like her own son. We would do things together like go on shopping trips and have picnics in the countryside. In many ways it is difficult to describe Brenda since even the most eloquent of words simply fail to do her justice. Certainly she was a most gifted dancer. Even though she had already retired when I started to take lessons, I was fortunate to see her demonstrate with Peter Eggleton on a few occasions. The first was at the Night of One Hundred Stars at the old Hammersmith Palais in London. They danced an exhibition Foxtrot. It was quite spell bounding. The audience erupted into a spontaneous standing ovation. My only regret is that I did not see them compete against Bill and Bobbie Irvine.

"Brenda was a very special human being: there was a certain aura about her that made one feel honored to be in her presence. She was so kind and generous."

One of Ian's most treasured possessions is a pair of solid sterling silver cufflinks inlaid with mother of pearl from Japan. They were a birthday gift from Brenda to Ian.

Tony oversaw the lessons so that Brenda's instruction could be reinforced during practice. Their Latin coach, Robert O'Hara, also taught at Winston's, the studio owned by Peter and Brenda.

"Robert was a true character, full of humor, very entertaining, always telling stories and using the most unusual exclamations. One of his favorites was 'Hells Bells!'. He always taught with a cigar".

Ian and Carol started to compete and had moderate success. Sometimes they made finals and other times they reached the semi finals. The juvenile field was very strong at that point in time, consisting of a large number of couples. Their first major competition was the International Championships at the Royal Albert Hall, home to one the most illustrious events in the world. It has a long history of producing some magnificent battles and exciting dancing. Ian and Carol progressed from round to round and were truly delighted to make it into the final. They finished a creditable third.

"I remember that we had no idea how we would progress. It was a big surprise to make the final and being placed so high was a fantastic result. Brenda was especially proud".

Invitations started to arrive to represent England in several competitions abroad. Ian and Carol competed in Germany, Holland and Switzerland on a number of occasions. They were fast developing a reputation for setting new standards in the juvenile field. Something special was developing. They competed in both Standard and Latin being equally good in both disciplines.

" I liked both divisions even though I competed in Standard as a pro. For me, they compliment one another. In fact I often think that I am a Latin boy at heart!" jokes Ian.

All the hard work of practicing, traveling and competing was starting to pay off. Both Ian's parents had to work full time to pay for Ian's dancing. Fortunately his father Ken had a company car and he managed to manipulate

his official business mileage to include trips to the studio and competitions!