Ceilidhs and Other Assorted Gatherings

I think I made mention of the dancing in the street in Pitlochry in the past, but didn't describe the two ceilidhs we attended this time around. They proved to be a lot of fun, as active participation was definitely encouraged! Despite aching muscles and weary bones after the activities of the day, at the sound of the accordion music, we were up on our feet and ready to go! We had great fun joining others of the same ilk, as we tried to remember how to dance 'Strip the Willow', the 'Gay Gordons', 'Circassian Circle' etc. etc. There was much hilarity, particularly when there were women having to dance the man's part, and it was unclear who was who!
The Saturday night festivities included a Highland Feast - no haggis though! - as well as a demonstration by two gold-medal dancers. The 'wee laddie', who looked about ten, but was actually 13, was multi-talented, as he also played the bagpipes. Some of the local dancers were on hand to encourage and guide us, particularly in the intricacies of the 'Grand March', a popular dance at Highland weddings, led by the bride and groom.
Another gathering, this time in Leicester, was the first item on the agenda when we returned from north of the border. Cousins three - Ann, plus her sisters, Gill and Judith - Gill's husband, Chris, plus Simon, the eldest of their five sons, and Matthew, son number 4, as well as Simon's girlfriend, Katrina, made up the party gathered at the Yews - a Chef and Brewer. It was a very cheerful - and perhaps a little noisy? - gathering, and we were the last ones to leave, around 11pm, so we were obviously having a good time! It was certainly great to see everyone who was able to make it. I sat beside Simon, and we were able to chat a little about Simon's visit to Canada a couple of years or so ago, when he stopped off to visit me in Sidney for a few days.
The next gathering, on a smaller scale, was in Chipping Sodbury, where four of us who had been at college together in Portsmouth, gathered at the 'Beaufort Hunt' to enjoy a 'Golden Oldies' lunch together in the lounge bar - which we fortunately had to ourselves, as, once again, things got a little noisy! Thanks, Brenda and Maggie, for making the trek down from London and Godalming by train, and thanks to Jane for doing the pick-up from Chippenham station to C/S, and then taking us on a lovely drive out to Stout's Hill after lunch. (Although we ate well at lunch time, that wasn't the reason we chose to visit a hill of that particular name! Stout's Hill is actually a beautiful old country estate, formerly a prep. school, but now a timeshare where Bill and I had stayed in the past, and where I have stayed since then.)
Yesterday was the gathering of 'lovely ladies of a certain age who left The Abbey School, Reading in 1962' in London - again another larger gathering. The previous day it had been a quiet lunch gathering at the 'Dog' in Old Sodbury, with Stella and Graham. Stella and I taught together in Cumnor - just outside Oxford - in 1966/67, and we have met up several times in recent years at the 'Dog'. We had a very enjoyable lunch together, then they very kindly dropped me off in C/S before heading back up the M4 to the Swindon area. Thanks so much for coming!
as I have just been warned that my session is about to come to an end, I shall leave you on tenterhooks, as you wonder what transpired at the gathering of 'the lovely ladies of a certain age.....' yesterday!