I generally avoid being photographed but with so many keen amateur photographers on the island it's difficult! All our community events will include the youngest (currently a few months old) to the oldest (at 73). On the Orkney Mainland I have been to "traditional" dances and ceilidhs where there is a great mixture of ages. ONe think I like is that even the kids will know the traditional dances as they learn them in school. They go a bit coy in the early teenage years but can still be persuaded (dragged) onto the dance floor too, and will at any rate attend and join in the fun. Like you, that's one of the things I really enjoy about events in Orkney. Generally in England the only time you would get such an event is likely to be at family weddings, and then it tends to be "disco" dancing. Sian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norman Tulloch" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 9:57 PM Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Ship Plotter - Orkney > > Yes, I think I've just about worked out which one is you. Very smart > you look too. My own attitude to being photographed is that it's just > fine so long as I've got a bag over my head. > > One of the things I like about the island dances is that there seems to > be a mix of ages, with little kids, teenagers, young parents, > middle-aged people and the elderly mixing and enjoying themselves > together. Much healthier than the sort of age segregation that occurs in > most urban and rural parts of the UK, and on the Mainland of Orkney too, > I think. > > I haven't watched "The Wicker Man" for a long time. Most of it was > filmed around here, but I'm afraid it seemed like dreadful nonsense to > me. Maybe I'll watch it again sometime and see if it seems any better. > > Norman Tulloch > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Sian Thomas wrote: > I generally avoid being photographed but with so many keen amateur > photographers on the island it's difficult! > > All our community events will include the youngest (currently a few months > old) to the oldest (at 73). On the Orkney Mainland I have been to > "traditional" dances and ceilidhs where there is a great mixture of ages. > ONe think I like is that even the kids will know the traditional dances as > they learn them in school. They go a bit coy in the early teenage years but > can still be persuaded (dragged) onto the dance floor too, and will at any > rate attend and join in the fun. Like you, that's one of the things I > really enjoy about events in Orkney. Generally in England the only time you > would get such an event is likely to be at family weddings, and then it > tends to be "disco" dancing. Whenever there is a wedding on Stronsay there is a dance in the Community Centre to which everyone on the island is invited. Young and old dance together without a trace of self-consciousness, no "wallflowers" or moody teenagers. And there is at least one blackening during the week before the wedding <g> -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?"