|
A 12th Night Experience in York
|
| (Sunday, 06 January 2008) Written by Torqueo |
Left just before 7pm and dropped by Stu's on the way to pick him up. He squeezed in the back of the car, surrounded by the stock for our stall that wouldn't fit in the boot. Traffic was good, and we got to York in good time. Dropped Stu at his B&B, then went to our hotel to check-in, wash, change, before picking Stu back up from his and heading to the first night of the parties.
The weekender takes place at St John's College in York, just outside the city centre, and is a university campus. The party takes place in the Temple Bar, which has a foyer just outside, with a bar :-) This is also where the stalls are located.
The main hall was in full swing and busy, with a good crowd dancing to the guest band, Bourbon y Tequila. This was my second year here, and is a very friendly weekender, where everyone seems to know each other.
Tony Piper, who promotes the event with his wife Mary, dj'd the fairly short slot between the bands sets, then the band were back on for their second set which comprised some covers of familiar material interspersed with their own recordings.
Once the band were finished Dr Salsa was the DJ for the evening, familiar to us from his stints at Latin Motion, George played a good set with a complete mix of music which really kept the floor rocking! I celebrated with a couple of beers then a couple of Jacks!!
The party was on until 2am, but we left at 1, weary from a full day at work and the drive "oop north"!!
Breakfast in the morning, then a short drive to the venue just before opening. Mel and I started setting up the stall, then Stu arrived to help out. Terry and Jo arrived not long after, who were selling shoes on our stall. They'd had a bit of trouble with their stock delivery the night before so couldn't set up on the friday night as previously planned.
While we were all setting up, the venue opened up and people started to register. Within minutes, it was a scene reminiscent of a plague of locusts as women spotted the shoes. As a guy, I'll never understand women and their obsession with shoes - watching them in action was scary!!
 The day was taken up mostly with hosting the stall, and occasional ventures into the Temple Hall to take some photos and film some class footage. Stu had a pass to attend the afternoon classes - he chose to take part in Franklyn and Brigittes Level 2-3 Turn Patterns and Styling workshop, then Lee Hunters Level 2-3 Turn Patterns class, both at Mels recommendation. Both classes were well attended and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
We packed up around 8pm, had some food, then the shows started at 9.
 We were due an hour of shows. The first one was by a couple from Cali, Colombia. This show was quite a bizarre experience - it turned out to be an extract from a theatre-type show and ran for over 20 minutes. The audience seemed quite perplexed, but entertained nontheless. Once that was done, the remaining shows were of a more typical format, with my personal highlights being Mo T's new group show.
 Mel and I popped back to the hotel for a change of clothes, then were back at the venue for just after 11. Had a few dances, drinks, and hung out with Lubi for a bit, then the night was over.
That was it for the weekender, and a good time was had by all. I'll definitely be back next year!!!
|
| [ Back ] |
