Following what is rapidly becoming a tradition in Scotland, a series of three intensives were arranged in early May for the Westernmost parts of the TTCS GB, on Skye and North Uist, and I was lucky enough to be able to travel to lead them. The long weekend started with a breezy but enjoyable ferry trip to Lochmaddy on North Uist in time to enjoy something of the island's natural beauty and islanders' hospitality.
The intensive was preceded by a pot luck supper at the very well-appointed village hall, most welcome for those members who had travelled from Barra to join us for the evening. As well as Jim and myself, three other H&I members had travelled across Scotland from the Inverness area to join us. In all 21 people attended the intensive, three from elsewhere in Highlands & Islands Branch, one from Portmahomack, the other extreme edge of the branch area. It may have been an advantage that the weather was slightly overcast and the event was in the evening - otherwise the view from the hall might have been too distracting!
Foundations in the hall: "I want everyone to leave here taller"!
Several new members were not only attending their first intensive but had not yet completed the set, but they cheerfully joined in as best they could and managed very well. After the break which involved far too much cake, we looked at how the foundation exercises work into the set, especially in wave hands. After a final set we drew the raffle which raised a very healthy sum.
Cake in the Break!
The following morning we woke to find deer grazing peacefully right outside our window, we had an early start for the ferry back to Skye (and delicious breakfast on board!). That afternoon even more members from across the Region joined us for a pot-luck lunch in Portree. Twenty eight people attended an afternoon intensive. It was great to see that members from four of the five Scottish branches were able to attend, and it made for a nice mix to share experiences during lunch and the tea break.
The following morning we woke to find deer grazing peacefully right outside our window, we had an early start for the ferry back to Skye (and delicious breakfast on board!). That afternoon even more members from across the Region joined us for a pot-luck lunch in Portree. Twenty eight people attended an afternoon intensive. It was great to see that members from four of the five Scottish branches were able to attend, and it made for a nice mix to share experiences during lunch and the tea break.
The review class in Portree has two members who have significant health problems which means they usually work seated, and it was especially pleasing to have another, more experienced member who usually works seated travel to join us for the weekend. Although they all had different health conditions, it was very companionable to have three seated people within the set and they all enjoyed working together. And of course the rest of us got a good lesson in how hard people can work when they are directly aware of the health benefits, it spurred us all on to work harder.
On Sunday over 30 people attended a morning intensive in Broadford, including many additional members from the other end of H&I branch, as the intensive was followed by a branch committee meeting. Again a raffle was generously supported by all and indeed all three events raised that it extra for Society development projects by having well-supported raffles of all sorts of generously donated goodies.
Brush Knees at Broadford
The opportunity to travel to such "far-flung" parts of the Society is a great privilege and brings home very strongly a feeling for how we are united by these wonderful arts. It's always a pleasure to meet and talk to new people and again be impressed by the way in which the health benefits of practising these arts can have such profound effects.
The opportunity to travel to such "far-flung" parts of the Society is a great privilege and brings home very strongly a feeling for how we are united by these wonderful arts. It's always a pleasure to meet and talk to new people and again be impressed by the way in which the health benefits of practising these arts can have such profound effects.
These intensives followed on from the previous weekend's International Anniversary event in Newport, at the Western Region Centre, an international event on a much larger scale which included a spectacular and lavish Anniversary Banquet. But the spirit, and the hospitality encompassing people helping each other and sharing food prepared with care, are the same throughout the Society. In the hall, talking to people over cake or doing the dan yus, it was clear that the windswept island of North Uist and the damp warmth of South Wales have much in common.
