Tag Archives: visiting speaker

Alternative medicine – visiting speaker for March

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Sue Balcon, Reflexology-w500-h500Sue Balcon, full member of the Association of Reflexologists, will be the visiting speaker for the monthly meeting on Wednesday 27th March at 7.30 pm at the Congregational Church Hall, Bowden Lane, Market Harborough.  For more details and background click on Holistic Balance Therapies.

Sue will be demonstrating 3 technqiues know as alternative medicine: reflexology, head massage and ear candling.   If you are not sure what these are, then reflexology, or zone therapy, is about applying pressure to specific zones of the feet (it can also be the hands or ears) with the use of oil or lotion that brings about changes to other parts of the body.  Indian head massage is performed on the the head, neck and face to manipulate  energy channels.   In Hopi ear candling, one end of a hollow candlie is lit and the unlit end placed in the ear canal with the aim of improving general health and well-being.

What to know more?  Then see you on 27th March.

Self defence at our fingertips

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A big thank you to Mark Rowley of Natural Self Defence who introduced members to this fascinating skill.  I certainly came away much more confident that I had picked up some easy tips to defend myself with, should I ever need to do so: finger darts, ear clapping, edge of hand, pinching the inner thigh, kicking shins or ankles, plus pressing that small triangle at the base of your neck where it meets the chest.  My partner now trembles as I dart about the house practising my moves!

Mark’s style of delivery was humourous throughout the evening.  He began by explaining why natural self defence became a passion:  as a young man in his twenties he was attacked by 3 people, thought it was macho to fight back, and ended up in hospital with several injuries, including being stabbed in the back.  He also gave members a brief history of the development of self defence.

Finally, Mark invited volunteers to help him demonstrate some very useful techniques.  Thanks to Fiona, Gemma, Tina (not sure what your partner will make of this picture!) and Jo.

How bodyguards work – Wednesday, 27 February

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BodyguardMarc ROWLEY, from Natural Self Defence, is the visiting speaker on 27 February.  Marc is based in Husbands Bosworth. His passion is teaching self defence using natural body movements not strength.
Using natural body movements that can be used in times of induced stress, you will be able to confidently repel attackers, intent on causing you harm, without the need to remember complex moves.
Marc has spent the last 12 years looking for self defence moves/techniques that work under fear induced situations.
A fun and informative evening and a chance to have a go.

Fun evening with Rosie Metaxa demonstrating Egyptian dancing

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Rosie Metaxa entertained us on Wednesday with a demonstration of Egyptian dancing.  She began with a short, fascinating talk on the history and background of Egyptian dancing, supported with the opportunity to see and handle some beautiful examples of handmade costumes.  The bead work was exquisite, as you can see in the pictures below.

Rosie expertly demonstrated an Egyptian dance, then showed us some of the individual movements.  At that point, members had great fun having a go themselves.

If you want to have a go, then Rosie runs a number of classes locally.

Uncorking the mystery of wine

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This week Sue Lobb unveiled the mysteries of wine making, including the world’s major wine producing regions and the vast range of ingredients that can be used, as well as the characteristics that should feature in the finished product – even the taste of old leather in one wine.  I now know that red grapes also make white wine!

Hints and tips followed on sampling: sight, smell, taste, and, yes, touch (your palette!) and suggestions for food and wine matching.  Best of all, we tried wine tasting with a Veltliner, Syrah and Monbazillac.

From priesthood to policeman

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An engaging talk last night from Rich Keenan, a Chief Inspector in the Leicestershire Constabulary.  Rich grabbed our interest right from the start, explaining how, as an 18 year old, he plucked up courage to tell his father that he was planning to go to priest training college.  Located in the wilds of the Durham hills, he spent 2 years’ training before a group of female friends lurred him away.

He began a chequered career from selling aluminium double glazing, doing shifts as an overnight care worker in a hostel to teaching in a devoutly run Jesuit school.  Eventually joining the Met, Rich humourously took us through his training, placement in upper class Kingston on Thames to handling protest crowds in Trafalgar Square.  Family needs brought him to Leicestershire, where diverse roles have included work in rural Melton Mowbray (making decisions on whether the road was too muddy) to the Somali community in Highfields.

His local link?  Getting married 22 years’ ago in the Congregational Church where we meet monthly.