OBJ Morris - 2005 Scrapbook

OBJ's "Works Outing" to North Wales
23-24 July 2005

We've got into a routine of arranging a weekend trip at the end of the "summer term".

This year we went to visit North Wales, and centred the trip at The Cross Foxes in Garndolbenmaen.

The pub is the home of Martin and Jan from Wicket Brood, and provided a "base camp" for the weekend. Many of us stayed at The Nant Heddwch guest house where Dave and Eileen did us proud.

OBJ invited Clerical Error to join us for the day on The Festiniog Railway. Clerical Error and The Festiniog helped make the trip a great success

Present were: Anne, Chris, Colin, DaveK, Dave Y, Diane, Ian, Jenny, Jill, Linda, MikeG, MikeS, Nikki, Pam, Rob, Susie, Tiffany and Vera, plus a supporting cast of family members etc

Click the pictures to enlarge them

We start the story at the Cross Foxes at Garndolbenmaen

This little chap presides over the bar

Saturday Morning

Off to Portmadoc to meet up with Clerical Error for our trip on the Festiniog Railway

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

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.

Tan-y-Bwlch

Below left: The Clerical Error Band

Below right: Clerical Error dancing what looks rather like "Much Wenlock"

Right: OBJ dancing "the Hitchhikers Guide to Bracknell". Jill, Susie and Jenny

Below: Witchmens Thistle. Susie, Chris and MikeG in foreground

Below right: something really quick. Jenny, Nikki, Rob and Susie

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?

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

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.

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

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: DaveK sings one of his twelve songs about going to the toilet (CD due next year)

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"

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.

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

Right: The band wedged itself in behind the bar. Pam (part of), Colin, Ian, Martin and Jan

Below: Sheepskins. Jill, DaveK, Nikki, Diane and Chris

Below right: Witchmens Thistle. Jill, Jenny, DaveK, Linda

The rain eased to a downpour, so we performed one (very quick) Worcestershire Monkey outside, then posed for a picture before darting back inside

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.

Martin and Jan

Left: A bit of a session in progress on the Saturday night

Below left: Nikki, Jill and Paul

Below: Pam and Diane

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

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)

Criccieth is nearby

Chris makes use of the amenity

So is Portmerion.

Many of us managed a visit

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.