The allure of line dancing is as obvious to all those who take part as it is elusive to non-participants. Few would have predicted that this cross between a Texan barn dance and the hokey-cokey would have caught on in reserved Britain.

But it has - and how. Hundreds of people strutted their stuff in Harrogate as part of the largest indoor line dancing festival in the country. Everyone from teenagers to pensioners thrust their thumbs into their belt hoops and moved to the music.

A still bigger event is being organised to mark the year 2000. While the rest of us stumble into the Millennium, spilling our drink as we go, line dancers will nimbly step, twirl and jump into the new era.

see NEWS 'Line dancers hot foot it to Harrogate'

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.