The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is a spontaneous, informal gathering held on various days and at various locations around the world to celebrate Kate Bush’s music video for her 1978 song “Wuthering Heights”. Last weekend a group of locals decided the Daylesford community should have a crack.
On a cold, foggy, Sunday morning, about 80 dancers in individually curated red ensembles, gathered under a magnificent pine tree in Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens to the amusement of many other locals and visitors walking in the Gardens or making their way to breakfast at the Wombat Hill Café.
The event was organised by Gary Thomas and Trudy Blick. Gary saw a video of other Wuthering Heights day celebrations and decided with his family to join a event scheduled for Hanging Rock. But when the Hanging Rock event was cancelled, he thought, “Why not organise one in Daylesford?” Living near Wombat Hill, he knew that a Daylesford winter’s day was likely to produce the foggy atmospheric conditions so suited to the dance. Was it hard to organise? “No. It organised itself,” said Gary.
Tuesday Telford Perkins, who had learned the dance years ago as a way to impress her then boyfriend, led a rehearsal with the assembled dancers and then led the performance. The dancers received thunderous applause and repeated calls for an encore. The troupe readily complied and many then went on to a third performance for residents of Lumeah Lodge.
Was there a purpose? Child poverty? World peace? “No,” said Gary. It was just a chance for all of us to have some fun!”
Watch the video of Wuthering Heights at Wombat Hill edited by Isabella Thomas
