Camber April 07 ; the aftermath

[Lee Bartholomew]

{Stuff}

Would just like to add I wasn't dancing on my own. lol

Great moment when I was sitting down having a kiss and couldle with the other half in front of the empty pub floor. Andy comes on the mike and says "Thats right! I play a great Moton set for you two just to sit there snogging". So we got up on the dance floor. got in a close hold possition and snogged along to the song 'Lady in Red school disco' style. Adny back on the mic "oh great. You snogging on the floor now. Umph". lol

I think the problem that night was more to do with the fact there was nothing else on so no one bothered venturing out. Most people 'pop' in to the pubs and don't realy go there for a specific reason. Just venture in to see whats on whilst travling between rooms. Also the fact the floor wasn;t great didn't really make it overly tempting.

Schedual made it look like Andy was going to also be playing latin and WCS music.

[Gav]

the few forumites that were there are my favorites so thats one of the things that made it special for me.

I'm cut to the quick!

Yes, I can imagine , ,

[Double Trouble]

Yes, I can imagine , ,

Gav. You know damn well you are my favorite forumite. Favorite person full stop actually and I missed you like crazy this weekend. So stop fishing, you big girl.

[Cruella]

Gav. You know damn well you are my favorite forumite. Favorite person full stop actually and I missed you like crazy this weekend. So stop fishing, you big girl.

I'm a big girl, can I still fish?

[Double Trouble]

I'm a big girl, can I still fish?

I'm sorry, do I know you.?

[Lee Bartholomew]

Gav. You know damn well you are my favorite forumite. Favorite person full stop actually and I missed you like crazy this weekend. So stop fishing, you big girl.

She's right gav. Wouldn't stop going on about you. She was Gav this and Gav that. Made me sick. lol

You had nothing to worry about. Me and Coni looked after her. The only time she got tempted by another man was when the Corpse made a move for her. We talked her out of it.

[Andy McGregor]

I'm a big girl, can I ...

.. be your blouse?

[Cruella]

.. be your blouse?

There's already lots of big girls blouses on here!

[fletch]

That was a strange experience. I rushed from teaching my "Ladies Learn to Lead" class to find nobody in the pub Absolutely nobody. I played a 2 hour set to an empty room ue. My guess is that everybody was getting ready for the dancing on Saturday night or going out for meals.

My fear was that Soul & Motown is not popular with Jivers.

Was I missed

You were on at the wrong time. I really wanted to listen to your soul and motown set, but I was sleeping. I think most people are relaxing or eating at that time & things don't get going until at least 10 or 11.

Sleeping on a weekender

you big wooosie

Would just like to add I wasn't dancing on my own. lol

.

yes and your point is

There's aleady lots of big girls blouses on here!

true

[detomo]

Fake Trampy. There was one poor poor guy there that looked the spitting image of Trampy. Even dressed the same only he was slightly lighter. Both double Trouble and me shouted out "Trampy" to him on seperate occasions only to find he was a lookalike. Poor bloke being called tramp by two different people in one weekend.

Hey Woodface. That was probably me. Its been commented on before (at Warmwell and Southport), but you get used to it. There are worst people to look like, although I am a little younger and a little slighter .

Thanks for my dance, DT, I'll post properly on my first Camber when I have a few more mins.

[TheTramp]

There are worst people to look like

There are? I need names!

[Jamie]

Have Detomo and Trampy danced yet? It'd be great to see that

[DJ Andy]

....there were even a couple of real soul fans who made some slightly obscure requests for tracks that turned out to be fab for MJ - has anybody else danced to Northern Soul singer, Marleena Shaw's version of Wade in the Water?....

Yup, it's a superb track isn't it Andy - I've been playing it on and off for years

[dave the scaffolder]

Aye aye then here we go

Woodface you is not right my lovely

1 left me like a lemon gyrating me hips and you buggered off nice

2 Cartwheeled all 13.5 stone of me like i was a girly. Connie lovely in all ways XXX

Jamie excellent dancer

Kaz marvellous dacer

Trouble and Double Trouble same as always outrageous to the extreme, i will miss miss Trouble now she has moved out of my flat. Will love you forever. XXX

Onkar dances like an angel always ready with good advice about my dancing

Mr and Mrs Under Par lovely the two of you

Mikey R boy can he dance

Sheepman you is the man

Andy McGregor Lovely boy you is

Mikey and Serana i would do the both of you, fabulous fun the pair of you and dont forget Minnie Mouse dances like a diva

Spent most of the time in the blues room had some lovely dances and would like to thank everyone who danced with me.. XX XXX



"

[Yogi_Bear]

Old men, braces, waist coats and stupid hats were the dress requirments. Very dissapointed.
:

...oh dear, I will have to change my wardrobe before Southport, then....

[detomo]

Okay, after dancing til half six on Monday morning and the five hour journey back to Exeter, I'm now ready to review my Camber experience .

This was my first Camber, and also the first one of my Chalet mates, excepting Phil who had been several times before. I wasn't expecting anything like Southport, but more like a Bognor.


Pros
- Great chalet mates, Matt, Steph, Laura and Phil. Good company, good dancing, good cooks. No problems over food, the shower or sleeping arrangements.
- Had lots of good dances with people I'd never danced with before. It was slow on Friday night, but managed to find several interesting dancers and had a great time from 2 onwards for the rest of the weekend.
- Forumites, old and new. Said hello to Trouble, Minnie M and Double Trouble. Met Jamie for the first time, who added the comment that I looked like Trampy to the others I had received
- Music. There were some great new songs, upstairs and downstairs, which I hadn't heard in my part of the world, and had some fab dances in the bar on Sunday afternoon. Whats old to one person can be new to another.
- The Cabaret. I really enjoyed it. It was short and sweet, with a different feel to the ones I've seen at Southport, Rock Bottoms or Beach Boogie.
- Blues Room. Although numbers weren't always that high, I didn't have any problems in getting good dances downstairs, and numbers would swell when upstairs closed around 4am. I just enjoyed the chance to dance for long periods to music we just don't get in my part of the world. Although after a chat with Nelson and a planned event in June, this may be looking up for things in Exeter .

Cons
- Friday Night Dance Floor. It was too small upstairs for the numbers we had. I spent several dances looking in all directions as punters encroached from all sides, paying less attention to my dancing and partner . Thankfully this was fixed the next morning with extra flooring, which seemed to do the job.
- Music. There was a couple sets upstairs which I found uninspiring, and I lost count of the number of times (and different versions) I heard "fever" being played.
- Damp in the chalet. Open windows for most of Saturday fixed the problem, but a minus nonetheless.

Overall I really enjoyed the weekend, and had a great buzz on Monday morning that's still going . I only did four lessons over the weekend, saving most energy for the freestyles. All of my chalet-mates enjoyed it, and got some good out of the lessons. There is a good chance I'll be back this year or next year.

Several of the dancers I spoke to said they would be at Southport, and thats what I'm really looking forward to . See you there

[Spiky Steve]

I`ve just returned from the worst weekender IMHO i`ve ever been on @ Jive Time`s Camber

What a shame for you. I kinda think you were not there though. You missed so many opportunities. You could have been part of some of the smoothest stealing and swapping that I have been involved in. Where were you all weekend?

I've never had a bad weekender. That was my sixth this year all between 99% and 100% great.

Had a fantasic double trouble strictly sinful class with Mikey. the man is a legend in my opinion.

Friends make it though but you need to be with them.

Disappointed for you.

Spiky

[Sheepman]

The sun was on my back, the blossom and leaves waved a greeting in the breeze. The colours of the village houses contrasting against the clear blue sky. I cruised through the Sussex countryside as Fingal's Cave was building to a crescendo on the radio, everything seemed so bright and alive, and I felt myself welling up at the thought that it was over...

I don't think I have missed any of the spring Camber weekends. From a very slow start on the Friday, this turned out to be among the best, and without question that is always down to the people, old friends and new.

OK, that's the interesting bits, skip the rest if you're easily bored!

I arrived on Firday with little expectations of the weekend, knowing that some of my favourite dancers would be here, but many wouldn't, being danced out from the previous weekend. For me this was going to be a "working weekend." Dining alone isn't designed to lift the spirits, the only good point being watching the sun go down, and listening to some music.
I did some work on my set then headed off to the dancing about 11. Meeting John Ford on his way back, he'd had a tough time DJing in the blues room from 8pm, when most of the time the room was empty. Is this too early to open the blues room?

I had some nice dances, with quite a few new people, but nothing to make the earth move. I went upstairs briefly, but only had one dance, it was far too crowded there for my liking. The blues room all felt low key, and it was hard work keeping the (small) crowd entertained during my set from 2:15 to 4, especially with various technical problems going on. With a crowd surge from upstairs, I stayed on for some dancing afterwards, but by the time the earthquake struck I was fast asleep, and didn't notice a thing.

Waking well into the afternoon on Saturday, my first objective was the beach, just dropping in on the pub en route. I deliberately left my dance shoes behind, but it was still an hour or two before I got out of there, chatting and watching the dancing, while some great music was played. Getting to the beach was also time consuming, every few yards coming across somebody to catch up with, more dancers were found on the beach, although the sun was getting low, and the temperature dropping.

Halfway through eating dinner, I got an invite to dinner, so I finished dinner, then went to dinner, (having double helpings of dinner of course). That's enough to make it a perfect evening! The wine, company and music made it even better, I was in no rush to do any dancing, but did just make it in time for the cabaret, this was interesting rather than spectacular, all the spots contained something impressive.

A few hours "serious" dancing before work, a fab set played by John Ford, brilliant partners, and feeling much more into it, I really didn't want to stop. But worked beckoned, so at 4 it was onto the decks. I really didn't expect to keep it going to the end, but my head expanded a couple of sizes when I announced the last track at 6:30, people were offerning to pay me to keep playing, sadly an offer I couldn't accept.

Getting to bed after 9am, I knew stimulants would be needed to get me through Sunday. I started dancing at midnight, wired, but kind of looking forward to my 1am set in the pub, not expecting any customers, I'd be slumped over the decks, snoring rhythmically to some off the wall music.
But people came, and danced and made me work, this was probably the set I most enjoyed. The freedom to play a wider range of styles and tempos, and no technical problems!
So I couldn't head off to sleep after that, maybe just one hour's more dancing...
It really is cruel to schedule Nelson as the last DJ on Sunday night, he foiled my intentions to sleep, definitely up there with the top DJs, he has a knack of putting in the odd track that seems undanceable, then the rush comes in as I find I can dance to it. I had to keep going till the end again, helped along with some wonderful dancers. The second night that really buzzed for me.

So if you've read this far, you're probably sick of the psycophantic luveyness, fair enough, but you've got a taste of what the weekend was for me. There was stuff that wasn't so good, (eg I've still not danced with Jamie ) but more of that later.

Greg

[mikeyr]

I don't think I have missed any of the spring Camber weekends. From a very slow start on the Friday, this turned out to be among the best, and without question that is always down to the people, old friends and new.

I have been to every weekender in Camber since 2003 and I agree with Greg, it turned out to be one of the best yet and it was all down to the people.

The friends I share with have mostly been the same people for all of that time, and again as always it was priceless.

There were lots of familiar faces, so good dancing and conversation was assured and delivered.

Minnie Mouse, you know who you are, stand up and take a bow.

So with that said it was always gonna be a good weekend...........!

But it was those new faces, (certainly to me) that made this an exceptional experience for me. Mostly I found these people to be non forumites (shock, horror) so while wont mention names I will say a big THANK YOU to them...!

But there were forumites here whom I was to meet for the first time too.

To those lovely Trouble sisters , Thankyou for your very special introduction saturday night and the look on your faces when I turned out not be gay afterall was priceless too and for Sunday night some of the best dances Ive had, Ever

A particular highpoint of my weekend was watching Jamie dance, there was no hype, no crowd just the man. I am not gonna get luvvy, just to stay. Here is a talent that can elevate MJ to the next level, plain and simple.

Yeah there was some, not so good stuff. The music - well thats always personal. Gender balancing - you ask you get. The temporary floor -better than the decking outside the southport blues room IMHO. Get over it, Weekenders are what YOU make them. I will continue to support this event.

[dave the scaffolder]

I have been to every weekender in Camber since 2003 and I agree with Greg, it turned out to be one of the best yet and it was all down to the people.





To those lovely Trouble sisters , Thankyou for your very special introduction saturday night and the look on your faces when I turned out not be gay afterall was priceless too and for Sunday night some of the best dances Ive had, Ever

A particular highpoint of my weekend was watching Jamie dance, there was no hype, no crowd just the man. I am not gonna get luvvy, just to stay. Here is a talent that can elevate MJ to the next level, plain and simple.

Yeah there was some, not so good stuff. The music - well thats always personal. Gender balancing - you ask you get. The temporary floor -better than the decking outside the southport blues room IMHO. Get over it, Weekenders are what YOU make them. I will continue to support this event.

I am with you there big boy DTS XXX XXX