| We
start the story at the Cross Foxes at Garndolbenmaen This little chap presides over the bar |
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| Saturday Morning Off to Portmadoc to meet up with Clerical Error for our trip on the Festiniog Railway |
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| Right:
Colin discusses arrangements for the day Below left: Linda and Chris support a wall by the harbour Below right: OBJ and CE did a few dances while we awaited our train. A particularly violent "Brimfield" in progress |
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| Saturday Lunchtime We stopped off at Tan-y-Bwlch for a spot of lunch and a lot of dancing. Readers may be interested to know that this is where Mrs Trellis of North Wales lives. |
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| Tan-y-Bwlch Below left: The Clerical Error Band Below right: Clerical Error dancing what looks rather like "Much Wenlock" |
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| Tan-y-Bwlch Right: OBJ dancing "the Hitchhikers Guide to Bracknell". Jill, Susie and Jenny Below: Witchmens Thistle. Susie, Chris and Mike G in foreground Below right: something really quick. Jenny, Nikki, Rob and Susie |
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| Tan-y-Bwlch Right: Preparing to dance Sheepskins around the munchkins. Nikki, Rob, Chris, and my left shoulder are visible Below: Sheepskins in progress. Susie, Diane and Jenny dancing the hey Below right: the middle munchkin. Cute or what? |
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| Tan-y-Bwlch CE asked us to teach them our version of Brimfield which they seemed to believe was "more interesting" than the standard version. Below left and right: After the dance had been taught, we danced a mixed set of OBJ and CE |
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| Below left and right: CE's first solo flight. There is a move in the hey which we call "roundabouts" as it conforms to the normal rules for traffic priority. It may be wise to be extra careful at roundabouts in North Wales. | |
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| Tan-y-Bwlch We finished the session at Tan-y-Bwlch with an East Acton Right: the dance in progress Below: the same dance viewed from above Below right: one of the younger participants, helped by his daddy |
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| Saturday
afternoon The ride on the Festiniog Railway in progress Right: Colin checking the locomotives ability to haul Morris Dancers Below: in between tunes Below Right: Dave K sings one of his twelve songs about going to the toilet (CD due next year) |
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| Sunday Morning The Royal Goat at Beddgelert On arrival it was - to say the least - damp. We gathered inside the pub for a bit of music and singing. Below left: The Hotel Receptionist is singing the Welsh National Anthem to Pams accompaniment Below right: Vera, Jenny, Lyn and Chris join in with "Men of Harlech" |
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| We
ventured out to dance eventually, but even our efforts
could not stop the rain. Below left: the band found one of the hotel porches an ideal spot. Below right: we discovered that most of our dances can be performed underneath a large umbrella. If you enlarge the picture you will see the rain cascading around us. |
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| Sunday Afternoon Back to The Cross Foxes It was still raining (it is Wales after all) so with Martin and Jans encouragement, we stripped the furniture from one of the bars and danced there. Martin (in red) and Jan (in purple) joined in |
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| The
Cross Foxes Right: The band wedged itself in behind the bar. Pam (part of), Colin, Ian, Martin and Jan Below: Sheepskins. Jill, Dave K, Nikki, Diane and Chris Below right: Witchmens Thistle. Jill, Jenny, Dave K, Linda |
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| The rain eased to a downpour, so we performed one (very quick) Worcester Monkey outside, then posed for a picture before darting back inside | |
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| The Cross Foxes The pub became home-from-home for the weekend and we spent many happy hours there. These pictures were taken at various times during the weekend. |
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| Martin and Jan |  |
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Left:
A bit of a session in progress on the Saturday night Below left: Nikki, Jill and Paul Below: Pam and Diane |
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| Right:
Anne makes a fuss of Sid (Martin and Jans dog). "Sid"
is evidently short for "Stupid" Below left: Colin and Chris Below right: It sometimes just got too exciting. Colin and Rob enjoying some zzzzz's |
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| The Nant Heddwch Guest house Many of us stayed here and enjoyed Dave and Eileens hospitality Below left: the inmates Below right: Josh (Dave and Eileens grandson) |
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Criccieth
is nearby Chris makes use of the amenity |
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is Portmerion. Many of us managed a visit |
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| The Welsh Highland Railway is being
re-constructed between Caernavon and Portmadoc. So far the railway runs for 12 miles from the Caernavon end to the halfway point. It offers stunning scenery, and Beyer-Garrett locomotives. Martin and I share a common interest in all railways so we took a ride on the Monday. |
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