Milkmaid Molly at Thornage Hall Camp Community
From Jill Parson
Towards the end of September Milkmaid Molly were invited to bring a team to Thornage Hall Camp Community - a specialist school near Holt in Norfolk. Seven of the Milkmaid team made the trip plus three musicians. Milkmaid Molly is an inclusive Molly side based in Bury-St-Edmunds in Suffolk. It comprises a good core membership of 'Mollies' (those who live with disabilities) and their 'Buddies' (volunteers who provide experise and support) with everyone linked by a common love and enjoyment of folk dance and music. On this occasion only the Buddies attended as it was our privilige to introduce members of the Camp Community to an afternoon of country dancing.
The workshop was led by Gill Bosley who is a founding member of Milkmaid and general head honcho. It was great! We were given a very warm welcome at the school and were joined by about a dozen students all raring to go. There were no problems getting people onto the floor and they were brilliant, quickly getting the hang of the dances whilst enjoying a good laugh. Dancing with a partner, proved to be so much fun for these young people and it was a pleasure to introduce them to a world of folk dance and music which they had never experienced before.
This event was kindly sponsored by Mardles with the money helping towards travel costs and MM club funds.
For those that may not know, the Mardles team is happy to consider any requests for any sort of help and support we can offer towards folk related projects in and around East Anglia. Visit the website at mardles.org and contact any member of the team if you have got something in mind you think we might help with.
Our event starts with school presentations by Storytellers MARION LEEPER, primary junior schools, Thursday and Friday and SUE SQUIRE Sir Harry Smith Community College Friday. These are not public presentations however you can catch SUE in Queen Street Methodist United Reformed Church on Saturday afternoon. The sessions are at 12-00, 13-00 and 14-00.
A special seasonal show to raise funds for the Hungate Church weekly foodbank. Experienced local artists will feature original, contemporary and traditional songs for Christmas and the winter season, set against the backdrop of a full size Nativity scene and lit, decorated, Christmas trees!
