If you were to have seen the barn in the run up to the event, you would have been hard pressed to have imagined what would come. Bales piled high, remnants of apple pressing strewn everywhere, scraps of wood scattered in corners. And yet, from that mess, came magic. In the days prior, everyone on the farm pulled together, giving the barn its own Cinderella moment. The bales became comfortable straw sofas and apples were transformed into refreshing juice to be sold at the bar. Banners were hung, bunting and fairy lights festooned the rafters and a disco ball spun gently, scattering stars across the walls.
The clock struck five-thirty and guests began to trickle in, following the torch-lit path through the fields from the green burial ground to the barn. Opened up to the community for the first time in a few years, around two hundred people, new friends and old, descended on Lower Sharpham Farm for the much-anticipated Barn Dance. Light and laughter spilled out from the barn doors into the darkness, illuminating the drizzle. Children ran feral around the yard. Guests fuelled up on Will’s delicious stews and crumbles, and, once sated, the dancing could begin.
Everyone, sometimes quite literally, threw themselves into the ceilidh. A swirl of colour and delight and movement as couples charged up and down the dirt floor. Finishing my shift working outside on the welcome table dolling out wristbands and walking into the barn for the first time that evening, was like walking into a wall of joy. It was impossible not to tap your feet even if you weren’t dancing, and I don’t think I stopped grinning all night. The band was incredible, their music lifting us, and the instructions called out over the microphone kept the dancers somewhat coordinated. Soon, though, everyone was ready for a breather and it was time to draw the raffle. The generous prizes kindly donated by local businesses generated a lot of excitement and speculation of what we might all win. Compèred by the indomitable Joe, the Ambios trainees cornered the market, winning three of the prizes! Another round of celidh dancing followed, perhaps even more enthusiastic than the last, as people found their feet and the enjoyment flowed freely.
All things must come to an end, and eventually the band put down their fiddles and closed up their accordions and handed over the reins of music to the DJ. Most of the guests began to filter out, hopping on Bob the Bus to take them back up the hill to their cars. Finally, after all of the preparations and a long day setting up the barn and working shifts at the bar, the kitchen, the parking and the door, all of the Ambios staff, volunteers and trainees had finished our shifts and were able to spend the rest of the evening together, dancing, singing along at the tops of our lungs and thoroughly celebrating our first three weeks on the farm. Most definitely a fairy-tale of an evening, so much so that waking up the next morning, none of us were actually sure we didn’t dream it. Only our dance-sore feet, full hearts and pile of raffle prizes on the kitchen table told us it was real!
Thank you to everyone who made the barn dance come true, whether preparing the barn, running the event, donating raffle prizes, or any of the other myriad of tasks behind the scenes, as well as all of the wonderful guests who’s joy and enthusiasm made the evening so magical.
✍Harriet Wigginton – Autumn 12-week Nature Recovery Trainee
