Breaking Dunedin’s record for the most Kate Bush look-a-likes dancing in the town centre was not what Mandy Mayhem expected. In fact, she thought the frigid cold may chase the Kate’s away. “I thought it was trying to rain, the wind was blowing a gale, I went to the Art Gallery to see if we could go there and be warm … I thought this was going to be a total disaster.” ©Allied MediaWUTHER~3.JPG Dancers donning the red gather after taking part in the “Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” in the Octagon on Saturday. Photo: Peter McIntosh However when she showed up to The Octagon at 11am on Saturday to host Dunedin’s seventh annual Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, she was ecstatic to see “a brave bunch” dressed head-to-toe in red ready to dance to Kate Bush’s 1978 chart-topper hit Wuthering Heights. At 12pm, it was official — a new Dunedin record for the most dancers had been set with 126 people turning up dressed in all red. “Just such a good turnout, and I’m so surprised … here were people from Nelson and from Christchurch, even from Timaru.” ©Allied MediaThe Ratcliffe family (from left) Atalya, Ngaire, 1, Perry and Lilith Ratcliffe, 4, after taking part in yet another “Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” in the Octagon on Saturday. Photo: Peter McIntosh The Ratcliffe family have come to the Kate Bush celebration for three years. Four-year-old Lilith Ratcliffe was 1 during her first dance, and her sister Ngaire, 1, technically had her first dance on Saturday. Her mother Atalya Ratcliffe said in some ways it was her second, as she was pregnant with her at one of the dances. “We just love it … it’s for a good cause, and it’s great that Mandy puts this on, it’s just great for the community. “Also Wuthering Heights is a banger of a song,” Mrs Ratcliffe said. ©Allied MediaWUTHER~2.JPG The “Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” dancers (from left) Esme Miller and Evie Winskill, both 7, running up that hill after taking part in the annual Kate Bush-a-thon in the Octagon on Saturday. Photo: Peter McIntosh Lilith was becoming an old pro at coming to the dance, and she said it was impossible to decide what her favourite part was. She loved getting to dress up, doing the dance, and wearing her mum’s red lipstick. The event served as a fundraiser for Wellness, Empathy, Kindness Aotearoa (Weka). laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
