Mount Brydges and Strathroy Area
Each event attracted an average of 100 people. Anyone who played an instrument or sang was welcome and got in for free. “We had to limit singers to two songs because we had so many people,” adds Harry. “Eighteen was the fewest musicians we ever had and 36 was the most. People would drive 75 miles just to perform two songs. We even had someone calling square dances.”
A Labour of Love When Harry Hardy asked Elaine Charlton to marry him, she responded with “I’ll marry you if you promise to dance every dance with me, the faster the better.” So began a 12-year journey to dance every chance they could. The long-time Strathroy residents found themselves travelling to places like Appin, Thedford, Lambeth, and Seaforth to find jamborees where they could dance to old-time country classics from the 1950s and 60s like “Crystal Chandelier,” “White Sports Coat,” and “You are My Sunshine.” “A jamboree is like a dance, but different,” explains Harry. “With a dance, one band plays all the music. With a jamboree, anyone can come with their instrument and play and sing.” When the driving became too much, Elaine decided Strathroy needed its own jamboree. Harry set to work, enlisting the help of Thedford’s Jamboree organizers, Janise and Lloyd Conrad, who agreed to manage the music if Harry and Elaine could find and manage a venue. Harry found space at the Strathroy Seniors Centre, and for nine years, he and Elaine, and the Conrads, coordinated the Strathroy Seniors Jamboree every two weeks. The cost was $5 per person with all proceeds going to support the Centre. Elaine organized the free tea and coffee, and ladies from the community brought goodies to share.
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KKD Villager December 2025
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