Moving in the right circles: Ruth Garnault-Harding reports from Meeting of Friends in Wales

‘Those of us from towns and cities took solace in the mountain air and woods.’

There have been many benefits for Friends in connecting digitally. We have reduced our travelling, released more time, and enabled people with limited mobility to contribute equally. So why spend time and money gathering in person?

Last month, nearly fifty Friends from all parts of Wales and the Marches gathered at Plas Tan y Bwlch, a grand nineteenth- century mansion built by wealthy slate quarry owners. It stands in beautiful grounds, with the Afon Dwyryd snaking through the valley below. Those of us from towns and cities took solace in the mountain air and woods.

It was a joy to meet Friends in person. Even though we resisted hugs and maintained masks, a Friend spoke during Worship of how she missed the physical sense of warmth sitting between Friends. On the Friday evening we joined the dawns werin (folk dancing), accompanied by a scratch band of musical Friends. On Saturday evening, Friends contributed to the Noson Lawen with songs, poems and stories. As Eli Jenkins says in Under Milk Wood: ‘Praise the Lord! We are a musical nation.’

We held a blended and bilingual business meeting on Saturday morning. It showed how blended meetings can work, although its success relied on detailed preparation by the clerks, and hard work by technologically-minded Friends. Those of us in the room felt connected to Friends who appeared on Zoom. We hope they felt as much a part of our discernment. It will be a challenge to ensure equality between digital and in-person spaces. We were reminded that a search for simpler structures does not in itself reach the heart of what God wants of us. 

We had many ways to spend the afternoon. A talk by Karen Devine of the British Ecological Society challenged us to think about the complexity of climate justice. David Gwyn told us about the local slate landscape – now granted World Heritage status. Martin Hughes led a game identifying the carbon created by different foods. Waldo Williams’ poetry is much celebrated in our culture and Helen Lewis led a workshop in English so those who didn’t speak Welsh could better understand his work.

For those who wanted creative time, Moragh Bradshaw led a workshop making greetings cards. Puzzles and games were laid out in the wood-lined Tudur Room, with views across the Vale of Ffestiniog. Some went for walks; the Victorians planted a wide variety of trees and dammed streams to make lakes and waterfalls. The hooting of the steam train echoed through the clouds.

On the Sunday we were inspired by the Wales Peace Schools Scheme and Mid Wales Peaceful Schools project, whose workshops are in huge demand.

During worship we felt we had created wreaths, circles – cylchoedd. We thought of the circles created by a stone in water; of those created as a tree grows; of the outer bark protecting the living circles within. Connecting digitally is here to stay, but our experience in Plas Tan Y Bwlch shows that meeting face-to-face cannot be replaced.

---

Comments

Please login to add a comment