by Marika Azzopardi

Meeting Patricia Sage (pictured) on the Marsascala front has been a daily occurrence this summer and most people have got used to this very English lady and her batons. For those who’ve never seen a baton, and haven’t a clue what it’s for, Tricia, as everybody amiably calls her, is just another strange foreign lady. But the batons spell majorettes, that very English tradition of obscure origins that started in the UK during the 1960s and connected vaguely with flag swinging and more evidently with the eventual creation of the American pom pom girls and cheerleaders.

After having visited Malta on and off for the past 10 years, Patricia decided to retire here last February after her late husband passed away. Patricia is intent on doing something constructive with the ample time on her hands and remembering her own successful career as a majorette, she decided it was high time Malta learnt what majorettes are really all about.

“Watching the local carnival parade last February, I was quite amazed that it did not include majorettes and found it strange that the majorette tradition had not been brought to Malta by the British. In England it is extremely popular with lots of teams practising at a national level with competitions and championships held across the country.”

Herself a member of the first team of British majorettes, the ‘Baton Hi’ of Maidstone in Kent, she appeared on TV, in a movie, attended big football matches and promotional features as one of some 50 girls aged six through to 30. Patricia eventually became a British champion majorette.

She went on to start and train her own team called the ‘Maids of Kent’, a group which eventually clinched national championship titles and travelled all around the UK. They were even invited to do a cabaret show for a Miss World Contest in London. She also trained other teams and acted as their team leader as in the case of the ‘Willington Mini Majorettes’.

Talking to me with the first recruit of the ‘M’Skala Majorettes’ in tow, Patricia speaks of her plans. “I want to start a team of majorettes in this locality where I am living. I am looking to involve girls and even boys aged seven – 15 and teach them baton twirling, drill and formation marching. At a later stage there would be dancing and gymnastic movement. Children benefit from the majorettes’ experience as it helps them to master hand and eye coordination, achieve increased self-confidence, develop improved posture and ultimately become involved in team work.”

Once formed, the team of the ‘M’Skala Majorettes’ will have the seaside town’s colours on its uniforms. For one thing, the local Sant’Anna Band Club is willing to support this new initiative and Patricia has already found premises in which to train and which are kindly being offered by a local establishment. After much scouting around, she has also found a company which can manufacture her batons locally.

She speaks of the possibility of taking her majorettes to participate in sponsor walks, social activities, Christmas events, promotional features. “Then there are all the festas, village evenings and band marches which we could accompany to add some colour to the works. And perhaps by February we might be good enough to participate in the carnival festivities as well. The Maltese really don’t seem to know anything about majorettes. I intend to do something about that.”

The ‘M’Skala Majorettes’ will start training on Wednesday 30 September at the Driftwood Bar, Dawret it-Torri (opposite St Thomas Tower).

For details call 21637575 between 5pm and 7pm.