STORIES AND PICTURES FROM OUR GROUP
Click on the year to find out what happened, and maybe see some pictures.
Click on the year to find out what happened, and maybe see some pictures.
2024
ASTLEY
8th-10th March
Our first outing this year was to join the Midland Section of the FSDG in a beautiful village not far from Stourport on Severn. We were warmly welcomed by the stewards who quickly got us to our spot for the weekend. A hot drink was also ready in the beautiful village hall.
Friday evening we had a bring your own dinner to eat together, this was something we hadn’t done before, but it was a great icebreaker rather than sitting on your own in the caravan. The stewards gave out a quiz for us to complete with answers given at the later tea break. The evening’s entertainment was a bit different to our usual section, they had a scratch band to play the dances. Each expertly called dance was interspersed by two floor spots.
Saturday morning began with tea , then until their AGM began; musicians got into huddles for jamming sessions, some craft work was shared between other groups, whilst the remainder spent the time catching up.
Dinner was a shared table with lots of various dishes, it always amazes me how very little is duplicated. Another quiz was provided. The entertainment followed the same pattern.
Sunday morning came round far too quickly. We finished with coffee before departure before noon.
We were warmly welcomed and by the end of the weekend we felt we had made many new friends. We will definitely go out with them again.
SHATTERFORD Village Hall
Winter Day Neets, 20th January and 17th February
These were a new departure for Midland group, an idea which we had decided to try for a number of reasons. Firstly, we felt it seems to be a very long time between our final meet of the year at Astley in November and the first of the year in March, and secondly because we have had to give up using Shatterford for our regular meets, as there are issues with getting caravans onto the site, but really wanted to continue to use the hall in some manner.
We were lucky with the weather for both ‘day meets’, which were well attended with more than 30 participants on each occasion. The first, with a theme of New Year, was hosted by Colin and Julia and was their first experience of hosting. It was a busy afternoon with a music session and a craft group, who were doing threading cards under the tutelage of Julia. Other people just enjoyed the opportunity to sit and chat. We were pleased to welcome several people who were joining us for the first time. In the evening, we had a lovely, shared supper followed by music and dancing with Colin doing a marvelous job as MC and with sufficient musicians to have a band for the dancing. There was also a quiz with questions based around the New Year theme, the prize for which was a rather wonderful red sequined top hat. Well done Colin and Julia on a very successful afternoon and evening.
Our second day meet was hosted by Gay and Val, with a Valentines theme. We were pleased to welcome back the people who had joined us for the first time at the previous ‘day meet’, who had since become members of the Midland folk group. There was again an afternoon of music and song, a craft group with June explaining how to create boxes from pretty card and a determined group working hard to complete a 500-piece jigsaw in the short time available. Our usual shared supper followed, with another wonderful selection of food, followed by a tricky Valentines quiz with Val as the quizmaster. Gay was our excellent MC for the evening of music and dancing and again we had a band for the dancing.
Both of our ‘day meets’ were felt to have been a tremendous success, and I am sure they will become a regular event in our calendar.
Beth Hughes
2023
ASTLEY
10th - 12th NOVEMBER Photographs
Just outside Stourport with its lovely canal basin, Astley was our final meet of 2023. What a fantastic turnout, and of course that led to lots of choice at the shared supper and a variety of spot turns during the evening sessions.
Many thanks to stewards June and Jeff for organising the "Ghosts and Ghouls" weekend. Dressing up was optional but for those who did there was a fancy dress parade and prizes on Saturday evening. As usual the weekend was filled with craft and music sessions, local walks and cycle rides for the more energetic members. There was a long committee meeting on Saturday morning which was paused whilst the whole site held a 2 minute silence on Remembrance Day.
8th-10th March
Our first outing this year was to join the Midland Section of the FSDG in a beautiful village not far from Stourport on Severn. We were warmly welcomed by the stewards who quickly got us to our spot for the weekend. A hot drink was also ready in the beautiful village hall.
Friday evening we had a bring your own dinner to eat together, this was something we hadn’t done before, but it was a great icebreaker rather than sitting on your own in the caravan. The stewards gave out a quiz for us to complete with answers given at the later tea break. The evening’s entertainment was a bit different to our usual section, they had a scratch band to play the dances. Each expertly called dance was interspersed by two floor spots.
Saturday morning began with tea , then until their AGM began; musicians got into huddles for jamming sessions, some craft work was shared between other groups, whilst the remainder spent the time catching up.
Dinner was a shared table with lots of various dishes, it always amazes me how very little is duplicated. Another quiz was provided. The entertainment followed the same pattern.
Sunday morning came round far too quickly. We finished with coffee before departure before noon.
We were warmly welcomed and by the end of the weekend we felt we had made many new friends. We will definitely go out with them again.
SHATTERFORD Village Hall
Winter Day Neets, 20th January and 17th February
These were a new departure for Midland group, an idea which we had decided to try for a number of reasons. Firstly, we felt it seems to be a very long time between our final meet of the year at Astley in November and the first of the year in March, and secondly because we have had to give up using Shatterford for our regular meets, as there are issues with getting caravans onto the site, but really wanted to continue to use the hall in some manner.
We were lucky with the weather for both ‘day meets’, which were well attended with more than 30 participants on each occasion. The first, with a theme of New Year, was hosted by Colin and Julia and was their first experience of hosting. It was a busy afternoon with a music session and a craft group, who were doing threading cards under the tutelage of Julia. Other people just enjoyed the opportunity to sit and chat. We were pleased to welcome several people who were joining us for the first time. In the evening, we had a lovely, shared supper followed by music and dancing with Colin doing a marvelous job as MC and with sufficient musicians to have a band for the dancing. There was also a quiz with questions based around the New Year theme, the prize for which was a rather wonderful red sequined top hat. Well done Colin and Julia on a very successful afternoon and evening.
Our second day meet was hosted by Gay and Val, with a Valentines theme. We were pleased to welcome back the people who had joined us for the first time at the previous ‘day meet’, who had since become members of the Midland folk group. There was again an afternoon of music and song, a craft group with June explaining how to create boxes from pretty card and a determined group working hard to complete a 500-piece jigsaw in the short time available. Our usual shared supper followed, with another wonderful selection of food, followed by a tricky Valentines quiz with Val as the quizmaster. Gay was our excellent MC for the evening of music and dancing and again we had a band for the dancing.
Both of our ‘day meets’ were felt to have been a tremendous success, and I am sure they will become a regular event in our calendar.
Beth Hughes
2023
ASTLEY
10th - 12th NOVEMBER Photographs
Just outside Stourport with its lovely canal basin, Astley was our final meet of 2023. What a fantastic turnout, and of course that led to lots of choice at the shared supper and a variety of spot turns during the evening sessions.
Many thanks to stewards June and Jeff for organising the "Ghosts and Ghouls" weekend. Dressing up was optional but for those who did there was a fancy dress parade and prizes on Saturday evening. As usual the weekend was filled with craft and music sessions, local walks and cycle rides for the more energetic members. There was a long committee meeting on Saturday morning which was paused whilst the whole site held a 2 minute silence on Remembrance Day.
2023 : 2022 : 2021 : 2020 : 2019 : 2018 : 2017 : 2016 : 2015 : 2014 : 2013 : 2012
An album covering the years 2000 to 2017 from Mick Jones. Many thanks for these memories Mick.
An album covering the years 2000 to 2017 from Mick Jones. Many thanks for these memories Mick.