Feet touched the ground... and I'm dancing. Well done to all the people who came to the Monday class this week. With the magic number of 10 dancers we attempted  'Polharrow Burn'. Phew! Not a 'beginner's' dance by any description, but brilliant fun to try and master with such enthusiastic participants. 
And, No, we didn't manage to dance it all the way through - but everyone managed to grasp how it should work and wants to keep trying until we have got it perfect - and we will. What a team!
Tuesday dancing was sacrificed to the 'Tattoo Night', but that gave us the chance for once to enjoy an entirely social evening on a different Scottish theme. We had an excellent response for tickets  and enjoyed seeing many people who aren't dancers but often join us to enjoy other aspects of our Group. The evening was sponsored by Blevins Franks who provided us all with a free drink and a very relaxed and interesting update on the recent changes in UK laws - covering mainly inheritance tax, domicile vs resident status etc. and how they might effect us. It was clear and concise and done without any 'hard sell', and proved to be a genuinely interesting portion of the evening. The following buffet was ready spot on time and excellent as always. We then sat back to enjoy the show - as always you can follow the link via the Past Events page to see more memories of the evening if you are interested.
As always the evening could not have been as successful without the volunteers from the Phoenix Club who worked hard and also leant both equipment and expertise to allow us to provide an excellent evening. 
Next week we are back to our normal format - but this week has attracted some visitors to the group and that is an unexpected bonus for us all - I've also already had some positive comments on the dance programme I've prepared for my come-back you might have to get your thinking caps back on but I know you'll enjoy some of the Strathspeys I'm introducing to our repertoire - I'm looking forward to next week already (and hopefully it'll be a bit warmer by then too!) .  

It was fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
Did I say it was fabulous? I am so lucky to be able to attend the most amazing event in my world. Nowadays there is a definite emphasis on reminding people that our dancing is meant to be a fun activity - yes, it's great to do everything the best that you can, but it's dancing and not the end of the world if you forget to point your toes! At the same time trying to achieve that little bit more, in company with others equally enthusiastic, gives you the most amazing sense of achievement, and joy, when the magic of the music lifts you all up and you can feel the whole room moving as one. Wow. Others are lucky enough to dance regularly in such large numbers and with such amazing live music but for me it is very special. 
Okay, enough - if anyone is interested enough no doubt I'll see you and I'll be able to tell all in person - or you can check the archives of this blether and find my record of last year's event which will give you a day by day idea of what goes on - though there were some difference this year, and they made it even better. 
I fly home tonight (and I know that the weather is dreadful - ironic that it's not been too bad here) and I'm full of enthusiasm for tomorrow's Monday class - don't worry though I'm not going to get you doing anything more challenging than usual - he, he, he......
And don't forget it's the Trip to the Edinburgh Tattoo on Tuesday - it is a genuinely impressive experience and if people want to dance at the end I'm sure we can accommodate them given time permits. See you soon.

I'm sat in the gloom of a Manchester winter afternoon enjoying the much brighter recollection of yesterday's 'Monday' class - (and it's always a shock how just a few hours travelling can create the impression that yesterday was a lifetime away). We welcomed some super newcomers to the class, and as they provide a good introduction to many dance basics, we covered several of the dances that will be on tonight's 'fun and familiar' dance program. I hope the folk who attend both session will have the confidence to get up and join in those dances, doing them again so soon will help to cement them into their memories - and it will be a help to Pete too, who in my absence will be trying to get everyone through the next two week's programs all by himself.
In the meantime I have a few days in Manchester then I am travelling (weather permitting) up to the fabulous Atholl Palace Hotel that hosts the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society's (RSCDS) Winter School in Pitlochry every year. I will then get my dose of teaching for the year to keep my standards up - what I do for the class! Just a reminder - Monday 17th - class is cancelled: otherwise nothing is changed, Tuesdays are functioning as normal​