Mensans Strike Gold
A weekend away with a clutch of assorted Mensans and friends is always good for a laugh, and the gold panning weekend at Tyndrum was no different. Laughs there were a-plenty.It was an interesting bunch - some well-known faces mixed in with others who were coming out to a Mensa event for the first time in many years, or who were at their first Scottish Mensa event.
They all worked hard that first day, with Alan and Colleen brought along as expert tutors. Gold was found in all the pans and even the soup pan had a golden glow if you went for the squash and coconut option.
It wasn't all work: those who wanted a break were able to go for a stroll to the nearby Dalrigh falls, snooze in the sun, or simply chat with their fellow panners.
You'd think that memories of a gold panning weekend would concentrate on the excitement of finding gold. And maybe they will, after the laughter has subsided over the photographs where everyone seemed to have their bottom thrust in the air as they bent double to swirl water through the gravel in their pan.
Even standing up, the Mensans provided fodder for a giggle or two as the forest of multicoloured Marigolds made not so much a fashion statement as an outright threat. Let's not even mention the wellies and the flowery trousers…
Unfortunately for those who were more photogenically challenged, most of the photos got displayed on the large screen after Callum, our friendly neighbourhood Park Ranger, had finished giving his Geology and Chocolate demonstration. A fun talk, but I’ll never look at a Mars bar in quite the same way again… Especially not one that has been stuck in a PartySIGger’s armpit for quite some time.
Afterwards, Andy Farrell was awarded a gold pan of his own for being the most successful panner, then we had some DIY entertainment – Headbandz was the game of choice: a variation of twenty questions. The ‘helpful’ answers by Mensans ensured that it took at least twice as long for the person with the card in his/her headband to guess what the word was. A careful selection ensured that Maxine was ‘nuts’ and Andy a ‘jackass’ – but I’m sure they only made me ‘Attila the Hun’ by accident.
Sunday had different things going on – some were so enthused by the panning that they headed for the hills for a further go, while the rest went off with Gavin, another ranger, for interesting snippets about the Caledonian Pine Forest, insectivorous plants, more geology and the history of mining locally.
Once enough 4x4 vehicles were rustled up, we were able to go off to see the old gold mine up the rough farm track. Rustle’s an appropriate word, as we managed to stampede a herd of Highland gold (a.k.a. Hielan Coos) all the way up the glen in front of us. I think someone should have explained more clearly that the Klondike was in Canada’s Northwest, and not the Wild West.
What holiday is complete without some rock? We got ours in the form of core samples abandoned by the old miners.
The weekend was based at By the Way, a hostel and campsite run by Jean and Jim Kinnell, whose names will be familiar to many Mensans. Thanks are due to them for organising such an interesting and unusual event.
The new hostel is still being finished: the Kinnells didn’t allow 35 weeks for a 20 week build… What was ready was very comfortable and well appointed - it's clear that such high quality accommodation, in such a tranquil location, will ensure that By the Way is used regularly by Mensans.
However, when the weather gets a bit cooler, not everyone will want to be doing outside activities, so Jim and Jean are already thinking about an alternative. They’re planning to run another weekend in late October or November, but with a completely different theme: writing. Maybe see some of you there?
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