Holistic Health Show, Donnington Exhibition Centre, September 2008

On a sunny Saturday evening in September I found myself idling through thenew (and very polished) St. Pancras Station, looking for a train headed forDerby. I balanced a cup of tea and my ticket in one hand and pulled a heavywheelie trolley in the other. Whilst waiting for the platform number toappear on the departures board I kept asking myself 'have I got everything,have I got everything?' and mentally checked off the contents of my bag:hotel details, venue details, entry pass, handouts, sweets, etc. I was on myway to the Holistic Health Show where I had been invited by the Federationof Holistic Therapists (FHT) to present two workshops. I was curious aboutthe event as I was used to presenting at CAM Expo here in London, but hadnever been to this show, held at the Donnington Exhibition Centre abuttingthe famous Donnington race track. I wondered what sorts of lectures andworkshops were being offered in addition to mine, and what sorts ofcompanies and products had been set up for the massage therapists. Moreimportantly, I was wondering about the environment in which the workshopswere to be delivered and had all the usual sorts of questions teachers askthemselves: how much space was there going to be? Would the couches bethere as requested? Would there be oil and towels? What temperature wouldthe room be? How many therapists were booked onto each workshop and did Ineed to give them feedback forms (as is often requested by show organizers)?Would they have pens? My first workshop was planned for 10.30 on Sundaymorning, the first day of the show, and I planned to get up early and makesure I had everything I needed.


In Derby I arrived at the hotel at about 8.30pm and found it full of veryhappy wedding guests. The bar was heaving with posh frocks and smart suitsand there was an atmosphere of celebration that made me smile. It's a goodfeeling to be amongst happy people. If, like me, you live in a flat crammedwith textbooks and teaching aids, a nine year old and a huge dog, you may beable to relate to what I did first on entering my hotel room. I lay on myback on the floor like a starfish and moved my arms and legs up and down asyou do when you make sand angels. It was great. You could fit most of myflat into this hotel room. So for the first 15 minutes I revelled in thespaciousness of it, stretched on the kingsize bed, the sheets of which I hadnot had to iron, and searched for the tea and coffee drawer which hoteliersseem to get better and better at hiding.


The next morning was bright and sunny as I crunched over the carpark whichwas already starting to fill with cars. FHT staff were on hand to greet meand show me to where I was to teach. I like the FHT people. They are kindand helpful and for the most part seemed very well organized. They had astand at the entrance to the show and told me that throughout the show theyhad had people trying to book onto workshops which were already sold out, 'amessage for next time,' I thought. I had 30 people attending each of myworkshops and was pleased to have brought with me an adequate supply ofhandouts, despite it making my trolley to heavy.


The venue was cold, with a high ceiling, like an aircraft hanger, and thestallholders were already fully set up, smiling and waiting for customers.Smaller than CAM Expo there was still lots to look at, including a bookstalland many stalls selling clothing for therapists, and crystals and schoolspromoting different forms of massage training; there were equipment sellersand couch sellers and lots of beauty and skin care products. The smell offresh quoissants and coffee emanated from the two cafeterias as the FHT tookme to where I was to teach.
Both workshops, Deep Tissue and Muscle Energy Techniques, went well, and Ireally enjoyed meeting the 60 therapists who attended them. It was however,quite challenging from a teaching point of view, for several reasons. Theteaching 'rooms' were areas cordoned off from the rest of the show and thefloor was concrete and the back wall brick. It was therefore very cold.Secondly, despite requesting many couches, the show organizers had assumedthat the therapists attending would be satisfied to watch the presenters,and would not necessarily want to take part in practicing the skills beingdemonstrated. A camera had therefore been set up in the centre of the roomwith a cameraman assigned to project everything he filmed onto a screen. Thechairs were in regimented rows.


Those of you who have attended my workshops before will know that I'm notoverly fond of the chalk-and-talk style presentations when it comes toteaching hands-on practical skills. I like attendees to have the opportunityto actually practice the skills they are learning and to ask questions.People began to arrive early so while the FHT checked everyone in and gaveout my handouts, I quickly messed up the beautifully set out room. I draggedall 30 chairs forward, making a circle the best I could, politely dismissedthe cameraman, placating him with handfuls of Foxes glacier mints, andscrounged two additional couches.


Even with a microphone it turned out to be difficult for people to hear whatwas being said as there were workshops going on to each side of me and thevast ceiling height meant nothing was contained. Perhaps the strangest­andfunniest‹aspect of teaching here was that every now and then there would bea colossal droning sound, like the approach of a plague of bees or anaircraft about to take off, which I was told were the motorbikes revving upfor the start of a race, their track being right behind the 'room'. Threecouches between 30 attendees is not great, but then those of you who teachknow that you need to work with what you've got and sometimes, adaptabilityis the key to success.


On the train on the return to London I reflected on just how adaptable youneed to be sometimes as a teacher. I would have liked it to have beenwarmer, less noisy, with more couches and with time to chat to everyonefollowing the workshop, but overall everyone seemed to take away somethingthey found useful and could incorporate immediately into their practice. Imade notes, as always, and felt satisfied in myself that I'd done what Icould with what was available. I would certainly be willing to work at Donnington again, but would definitely take a vest.

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