Gossip Central

 I'm drained.

Yesterday was Folk on the Quay, a local event in Poole, which I always like to support.

But they had fewer dance teams this year (not certain why, I think they probably wanted more).  

I was calling maypole in the morning for  an hour, but fortunately it was a bit bleak and threatening rain.

I managed to keep it active for the whole hour, but I started with two people and ended with eight - which is way below what I was hoping for.

But, on the plus side, at least (thanks to Covid and social isolation) I know maypole dances for groups as small as two!

Did a nice plait for four - who got it perfect. 

Variations on other dances, managed to get away without repeating anything, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

But after that, I was dancing with my longsword team as well as Anonymous Morris - never got a break for lunch and was starting to make mistakes in the morris dances.

And I had a bit of trouble with my leg muscles before the day started....

However, I think I'm gradually recovering - Sunday evening now :)

And it's time to book a physio appointment to sort those damn leg muscles out.

But we did manage to perform our new dance. 

The music glitched, which threw out our timing on the final hey, but surprisingly, I'm still quite pleased with the result. It needs some polish, but for first time out, and with several changes to the figured in the last few weeks, not too bad. (I realised dancers were having trouble with transitions between some of the moves, so making changes made the transitions easier)

 Pleased to say that MP (Vikki Slade, Liberal) voted in favour of the bill, as she'd promised when I wrote to her about it.

(Our previous MP, Conservative, - but not necessarily representative of the rest of the party - did not always vote to match what his letters implied.)

My heath is fine at present (expect when I get sciatica or break something), but I'm terrified of dementia (the bill doesn't cover that, but hopefully it may one day extend to it, such that if wishes are expressed in a proper power of Attorney while a person is still of sound mind).

I wrote my POA several years ago, and made my wishes clear.  If I ever can't recognise my family, then that person is no longer a person I wish to be.  And I certainly don't want my family to live with that kind of pain or to spend their time caring (or paying for care for) someone who can't appreciate it.

 Hobbies can sometimes lead to useful transferable skills.

Decades ago, I ran a commercial postal RPG called 'Delenda est Carthago'  It even won an award.

I employed several people over the years - one interview was with a Dr Who fan, the kind who knew every detail of pretty much every episode.

That was what got him the job - it demon stated his ability to get involved with a fantasy world and to learn all the relevant details.  And he turned out to be a very good GM.

My daughter hs a volunteer at Little Woodham - the 17th century replica village. She's become a dab hand at entertaining the visitors with leather-working demonstrations, all sorts of interesting historical facts and also by organising groups of children into being the crew of a canon! (I gather the kids absolutely love it, even the ones who get 'killed' by standing in front of the barrel when loading it, etc.)

Turns out that this is a transferable skill also.  It was her time at LIttle Woodham that got her an interview with a company doing coach tours (she has a bus-drivers licence, but that wasn't the critical element).  They were looking for someone could entertain the passengers as well as drive them safely.

Monday Passenger: "You're very knowledgeable.  How long have you been doing this? It must be a couple of decades."

Lindsey: It's my first day...

She'd done a lot of research and stacked up anecdotes about all the places they would pass en route.  A bridge Winston Churchill fell off as a boy; another bridge that had a Civil War fight where a dozen cavalry held off around 200 infantry, stuff about Lulworth Castle, etc.

So, if you ever take a coach tour from Bournemouth rail/coach station to the Jurassic Coast, maybe you'll meet her!