Joan’s Fling Sandals
by Siriol Sherlock
Siriol Sherlock telling the story of her mother’s Scottish Dancing Shoes. Video still by Alex Sherlock, 2025.
What is the origin of your shoes?
Whose are they? When, where and how were they acquired? If yours, what drew you to them?
They are Scottish Dancing shoes that belonged to my mother Joan. They remind me of her and I can see the shape of her feet. They are very comfortable and do fit my feet too but they are now fragile and sadly my Scottish dancing days are probably over as I seem to pull my Achilles tendon when I try!
What have they done?
What places, moments, people or phases of life have they become associated with?
Joan was from Belfast, Northern Ireland and knew nothing of Scottish Dancing! She met my father Sandy in 1942 when they were just 18 and was set up on a blind date in Belfast. He came from Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands and was sent to Belfast to do six months Officer Training where his Commanding Officer was Joan’s father! Their wartime and postwar duties kept them apart a great deal until 1947 and I suspect these shoes must have been purchased before her first visit to the Highlands to meet all Sandy’s family before they married in 1949.
What do they signify?
What do they represent or symbolise? What memories or feelings do they hold?
They remind me of both my parents. I remember, as a teenager, accompanying my parents to a Hogmanay (New Years Eve) party in southern England and having an exciting time dancing vigorous Scottish reels. I believe I was wearing my mother’s shoes that night when my father tore his Achilles tendon, went to hospital and returned in a full-length leg plaster cast. It was the only time I ever saw my brave, Doctor father in excruciating pain. Hence my fear of that injury myself!
What did/do you love about them?
A particular material, colour, shape, detail or the way they felt to wear?
I love the detail of the craftsmanship. They were so light and comfortable and made you feel so light on your feet. Years later I wore them to a Scottish Ceilidh after a wedding but lots of the guests were English and wore hard-soled, heeled shoes and in the hilarious, chaotic reels my toes were trodden on many times!
Is there anything you dislike about them?
Sadly, the leather has become brittle and cracked in places as I put them away and forgot about them for years. As their caretaker, I should have nourished the leather with creams.
Why do you want to deconstruct and/or transform these shoes?
Yes, I’m happy to do this with one, but not sure if I might want to keep the other shoe - although what use would it be??
To be continued…
Documentary: All My Love, 2010
Filmed and directed by Alexandra Sherlock
To learn more about Joan and Sandy’s story, Alex, their granddaughter, filmed a short documentary while studying filmmaking for her Anthropology Master's Degree at University College London.
Synopsis:
An inspiring love story that focuses on Joan Cattanach’s memories of her 59-year marriage to her husband Sandy. The film documents the importance of objects and possessions in the development of lifelong relationships and shows that while objects are essential in order to bond with others in life, their significance, rather than die with the physical body, continues as an important tangible way of connecting with loved ones after death.