January 4, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about Copper Country. It can be any place, fictional, historical, or on another planet. Go where the copper leads.
There was great excitement as the date for the Annual Lenten Ball to be held in the White Rose Ballroom of the Copper Country School of Arts.
Everyone dressed up, there was much polishing of boots, ironing and starching of shirts and collars, hairdressing appointments and new dresses ordered and adjusted.
Copper Country and its tiny hall was all that was left of a once bustling town at one time boasting six pubs.
All that remained now of those days was the hall and us, the locals from all around, dressing up and having a night of homemade fun.
Written for: https://carrotranch.com/2018/01/05/january-4-flash-fiction-challenge/
Morpethroad 
Sounds like my kind of party!
I’m sure you’d have enjoyed it Di..
Cute!
It was like that once upon a time.
😊
I remember when I was a kid, everything was held at the local “School of Arts Hall.” Richmond still has one and holds amateur dramatics there. Richmond Players are Australia’s oldest dramatic society operating continuously from the same premises since 1952.
This reminds me so much of the small country towns I’ve been associated with. I look at places like Copeland that once had those 6 pubs (or more), churches and people galore. Now not one pub remains. Many a romance was grown at those little halls and the dances they used to have. Now they struggle to do the maintenance on them. Thanks for a story that gave me memories.
I can recall many of these places from my growing up, the Saturday night old time dances at these tiny halls where I marveled at the older couples gliding around the floor.
Yes I think it was in one of those halls I got my love of dancing.
I know I admired them, it was as if they danced on rollers. The Woodville school of Arts in the Hunter Valley.
They would have had a lot of hops on the floor
Oh yes.
Pubs and churches were always a close count in my town. Now there’s more churches, but higher patronage in the pubs.
Lol..yes the same here too…..
I can’t yet articulate what I feel when I see the grand halls and broad streets in Calumet where 30,000 people once lived and worked the Copper Mines. Now there’s only 700. It’s a huge difference between the halls left behind and the small population. But I feel that feeling of expansiveness in your flash, Michael.
Thanks so much Charli.
The tide of time has swept away so much of history across the world. But it’s good that people are actively working towards keeping a small patch of that history and traditions alive through such reenactments.
Up here in Maine, its paper country. Instead of mines, its pulp mills. The result for both is the same.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
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