Every Monday in the Gregson Hall from 10am to 11.30am. £1
per session. Gregson Playgroup
This playgroup meets every Monday, from 10am
until 12 noon; a contribution of a pound covers room hire plus a drink and
biscuit for both old and young alike. In many ways it is similar to all
the other such groups - mix a bunch of parents and under-fives with a
roomful of toys, and witness a chaos of extreme emotions and variations in
volume.
However, this being The Gregson, the group is
also different in a few ways.
First, there is no leader. Apart from the
obvious advantage that when things go wrong it is no one's fault, this
means that group is run cooperatively by all the parents. So it's easy to
bring new ideas to the group - for example, one mum recently set up a
dressing up box.
Second, this is the only play group I know
where men are regular attenders, and where (at least on one occasion) they
outnumbered the women. This provides a welcoming environment for the many
men who are doing childcare, and who feel awkward or unwelcome at all the
female-dominated mums and toddler groups.
Third, this playgroup has a cafe (with a great
kids menu) and bar attached! This means that there's always the option of
retiring to the bar or garden for lunch and more play once the playgroup
has finished. Aside from enjoying good food and drink, this provides a
good means for for getting to know other parents and their children
better.
Fourth, the group keeps meeting throughout the
year, including school holidays and, usually, bank holidays. With no
leader needed to lead, all that is needed is for people to turn up and get
the toys out. During school holidays some parents bring older children
along as well as their baby, toddler, or pre-schooler.
If you would like to come along, just turn
up.
The
class teaches Lee style T'ai Chi as taught by The Taoist Cultural
Arts Association. The class begins with some warming up exercises which
starts to activate the internal energy. Throughout the class you will
learn Tai Chi Dance, T'ai Chi Form, Taoist yoga and a variety of
exercises which help you to learn how to apply the energy and Taoist
principles to everyday situations.