A Trip to Halsway
On Friday 11th April, around 40 folk dancers gathered at Halsway Manor for a "fun folk dance" weekend.
Halsway Manor is a beautiful Tudor manor house set in lovely grounds with the Quantock Hills in the background. Bedroom accommodation is good, with several rooms en suite. Meals are excellent and the staff are friendly and helpful.
The weekend began with a welcome dance on Friday evening with music by Dampiers Round. A group of three excellent musicians; their music came from flute, violin, guitar and also a wonderful harp.
There were dance workshops on Saturday and Sunday mornings, a music workshop on Saturday afternoon, a tour of the Manor on Saturday, a dance on Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon and on Sunday evening dances, poems and songs to entertain us.
Callers for the weekend were Frances Oates and Ray Goodswen. Fran and Ray are excellent callers and we were learned several new dances in the workshops.
It was a super weekend and we all thoroughly enjoyed it having made new friends. We hope to meet them again at other events.
The weather was really good, enabling us to walk in the hills behind the manor house and some of us even caught the bus to Minehead on Saturday afternoon, using our new bus passes for the first time!
If you have never been to Halsway I suggest that you give it a try. You will be made most welcome by the staff and everyone involved with running the many functions that are held there throughout the year.
Christine James
|
