SONIA Meaden, owner of the Moorland Garden Hotel at Yelverton, had the chance to meet one of her heroes last week.

Sonia, who loves to dance and was a proud supporter of daughter Deborah during her ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ appearance, was thrilled to step out onto the hotel’s maple strip dance floor with renowned dancer and choreographer Wayne Sleep when he paid a visit for a weekend break.

Wayne was invited by Sonia to take a turn on the dance floor, which attracted guests in their hundreds to tea-dances and evening-dress balls in the hotel’s heyday in the ‘30s and ‘40s. He followed in the footsteps of President Truman, Rex Harrison and David Niven.

 Wayne said of the experience: ‘We would have been a great partnership had we met earlier...because she is just my size.’