The spiced drinks are in, the lights are turning on, and John Lewis has aired a heart wrenching advertisement… Yes, Christmas is rapidly approaching. With the Stannary’s annual Snow Ball on its merry way, and mountains of Christmas markets all over the country, there is certainly no lack of things to do – but I want to shine some light on a very different Christmas experience. Hosted by the Cornwall Shinty Club and BF Adventure, I would like to introduce you to the Cornwall Christmas Ceilidh.
A ceilidh is a dance that originated from Scotland and Ireland, and is quite similar to a barn dance. The Cornwall Christmas Ceilidh plays host to The Brim Ceilidh band, and a “caller” instructs people on the dance floor as they move with a partner or in a group to the Celtic music. It’s already a lot of fun as a traditional dance form, and definitely makes a nice change from Club I – but what makes this event even more special is the people who host and attend. CSM Shinty.
As I’m sure you’ve never heard of shinty (I hadn’t until my friends started playing), I asked Tom Carlin, a player of shinty for three years and team captain from 2012 – 2015, to explain it to me. ‘Shinty is sort of like a 400 – 500 year old Scottish version of Hockey mixed with Rugby. It’s a totally different experience than anything I’ve played before. It brings together a great sport, gaelic culture and a unique social scene with shantying, ceilidhs and games.’ Having known the team personally for a while, I’m still constantly kept on my toes by the team’s high spirit and their will to try absolutely anything. When asked about the team’s social habits, CSM Shinty member Amy Cole told me “Nicknames, fun drinking rules and Cornish sing-alongs at the pub are some of the things that make our club unique.” The ceilidh is particular to the Shinty team because it shares in their Gaelic routes, but any excuse to gallivant around, drink copiously and push the boundaries is right up their street.
The ceilidh is something that has been enjoyed by the shinty team before, and very successfully so, as Tom Carlin told me. ‘CSM Shinty club has already hosted 2 Ceilidhs, selling over 300 tickets and showing everyone a fantastic and unique experience. Everyone loved it, even if sceptical at first. We aren’t afraid to frequent the bar and love getting people involved to show them how great our team is.’
The Cornwall Christmas Ceilidh will be held on the 28th of November at 7pm. There is even a mini bus to pick people up from Penryn campus and Falmouth Marine School at 6.45, and tickets are £8. If you’d like to buy tickets, and find out more, visit the event’s website at http://www.bfadventure.org/cornwall-christmas-ceilidh/
Can’t wait to see you there!
Picture Credit: Jamie Goodship