Adult Learners' Awards 2002

We have been preparing for this night for a long time and getting people ready for it too. It took a long time to organise people and tell them were to met on that special day. The weather for that day was nice for us that day.

We started off by applying to them for adult learning award. We were chosen out of 300 hundred people or so for this award. We were one of the groups of many people and groups who applied for the award. We have been preparing for it for weeks before. We were chosen by a group of jury of people at the award. We were at the top three places, because we had won before last year. We had to settle with a special award for continue learning. We got two sets of tickets because they thought we were a new group. The first set of ticket had each person name on them. The second set had the group name on them.

On the 16 May 2002 we started to get ready to go to the Adult Learning Award Celebration at 5 pm. All came in our good clothes apart from me because I was not to well that night for the night and to have a good time too. I arrived at 1.00 pm to meet the rest of the group and had a chat with them. The coach was there when I arrived we were to meet at South Bridge Resource Centre at 1.15 that afternoon, because the coach was leaving then at 1:30. Some of them early at the South Bridge Resource Centre they had some water to drink and something to some sweet to eat too. Outside the build the coach was there ready to go. Which was taking us all to Aviemore to the hotel where the celebration was to be hold in.

Before we left the build people telling us good luck at the awards celebration at Aviemore. We all walked out of South Bridge Resource Centre down the road a bit to the coach and the driver was waiting for us all. Alicia said, “The driver was that coach for us.” He said, “Yes it is for you all.” Then we all got on the coach that was they for us all. We walked on and seat down. Then the driver said “Is that all of you now.” Alicia said” will, another man was to be coming but he late and we can’t wait any long. So Alicia said to the driver, we have to start going, because we have to man outside Edinburgh.”

So the driver of the coach started the coach up and got on our way. The driver opens the window by his side a bite for us because it was a bit hot in side the coach. On the way Alicia give out some sweets to us that she bought before the trip began. Then the driver was speaking to her too. He was asked her why we were going to hotel and she said we have won awards for adult learning and our hard work too. She was also signing to to the deaf people there. The whole journey will take us 4 hours to get to the hotel. Before we could carry on the journey the to the hotel. We to pick another man outside of Edinburgh that was going to the hotel to for the awards celebration. The journey was great and there were a lot of nice things to see out of the window for us to see. On the way there I fell asleep while the other were signing to each other.

We arrived at 5 pm at the car park beside the hotel, which was beginning to get full of cars and coaches and bus too. The hotel was big and beautiful from the outside as we drove into, before we came to a stop. The grounds were nice and clear as well as they had nice flowers in garden too. We were a bit away from the hotel enters. We got ourselves ready to get off the coach and walked up to the hotel. As we walked in other people were arriving to at the same time as we were in cars coaches and bus too.

As we got to the enters there were the organiser waited to welcome us into the hotel. They all had their good clothes on and had camera with them too. So of them arrived in cars and some of them arrived in coaches like us. All the people came from different part of the country. You could see all the people talking to other people from the outside of the hotel to. In the inside you could feel the stress and tense of people. Who were waiting to see if they have won award for they learning and hard work too? As we walked in to one side of the room was a bill post to tell us our table that we would be sitting in. So we look at it to know our number of the table. Then we had time to settle down before all the stress level go up again.

The hall was full of people from different background and culture too. You could have drink and a bit to eat. They were waiters there to pour out the drinks to you if you wanted to have a drink. Also there were 5 different majors too from different apart of Scotland in the hall too. People were talking to other people and they were talking to the organisers too. The hotel was very nice from the outside and even nicer from the inside too. There was a fire inside which was lit up which made it very hot inside too. There were a lot other people who were waiting to be given an award. This were we met some other people and had a drink before and a bite to eat alone with chat with people before we went into to had dinner in the hall. During this time the organiser were getting the table and the meals ready to serve to us. On the billposter was last year winner on it for everyone to see. We went to look at it and we were on it for everyone to see then we asked a lady took some photos of us beside last year winners. She did it for us and we thank her for taking the photo of us for us. Then we continue to talk and drink and seat by the fire if we were cool.

One of the orangiser comes out of the hall to tell us all that dinner with served soon. We were called to go into the hall and to take our seat at our table. As we all walked in to the hall you could see how full the dinner was full of table. We all went to our own table and set down with our drink that we had in the enters. It was very hot in the hall that night too. The whole hall was full of table and people in them too. At one side of the hall was a bar that you could buy some drink if you wanted too. Which was laded out with heather and the menu for to see.

We all want into the hall and seat down at our table. The table for us was 33. By the seat on each table had our name to so we seat in the right place. Also there was a clock by our seat for us to take away with us when we leave that night. The hall was light up very beautiful and the staged was already too. On another table were there awards and letters to be given to people who had won that night. The people who were to given the awards out were ready. The person who took the photographs was there and waiting for things to start.

We seat down and had our meal served to us by waiters. If you not eat meat you could get a meal without meat. On the table in front of us was red or white wine with the menu with want we were going to eat that night. We had a three-course meal and the waiters served meals to us all. The table was set glasses and forks and knifes and spoons with nice flowers and the waiter were very nice. We all seat down and in front of all of us were on the table there was a clock, which we could take home with us at the end of the day. It wasn’t long before we were served our first course meal and you could choose which one you would like first. They asked us all if everything was OK with the meal. I just had cold water to drink with my first course.

During the meal the awards were taking place and giving out to the people who won award. The awards was given out my a MP of some sort. The awards were given to the People and groups who won for different types of learning in different cultures and different background and much more that too. Alicia took a lot of photo during the meal of us having fun with the digital camera. We also listened to other getting their awards for their learning new skills. We talked or signed to each other at the table with a people who can sign for the deaf and hard of hearing people. What the award person was saying to each group or person as they got their award and the person taking the photographs in the hall and out in the garden too on the beach. After that they went back inside to have the rest of the meal.

After a while and after some people got their awards it was our turn to come up and receive. We waited for a while then it was our turn to get our award. We got up and walk towards the stage to receive our award for continue learning. We were so happy with the award and letter from the Art Council. We couldn’t stop talking about the letter and showed it to everyone in the group. To help us with our Deaf Art Forum Group and the people in it to. We didn’t money but we were told to tell them the things we needed for the group. So our pictures were taken inside and outside in the garden too. We came back into the hall and seat down and talk to each other about the award and letter from the Art Council.

After a while a women came over said she was from the Art Council. She asked us if we had made up our minds what we would like to have for the group. We told her we had to think for a while. She said that would be OK and to tell her what we want. When we had made up our minds. She also said if we had enough to drink on the table. Someone said no or something like that and she got another bottle of wine (red or white) for us to drink. We all thanked her for the letter and bottle of wine. I can’t remember if it was red or white wine she gave us to drink. Many people there didn’t got award they did very well in there own right. After all the awards were giving out to the people and group who were to get award that night.

During things time we all continue with meal and drinking too. We continue with our three-course meal and talking to other at the table. Alicia took some more photos with digital camera. After awhile we were giving a cup of tea or coffee with a mint biscuit too. During this time the band come up and set up to play some music to us. They played different music pieces to us music went on until 11. We listen and talked for a bit too. We enjoyed all the music and continue to drink our tea or coffee with our mint biscuit too. The evening went very well and they was laugh and tears too, because the people who did get anything for their hard work they did at their groups or on their own.

The time was getting closer to the time to close up the wonderful evening efface of that night and to back things to pack up. Everyone and us got ready to leave the hall and pick up our clocks and jackets to go to the coaches, car, bus and taxis too. We had to wait for all the people to get into the bus by this time I was asleep on the coach. The people were get on the bus and seat down to start the journey back to Edinburgh again, but we couldn’t go because of a persons won’t to came on board with alcohol on to the bus. But the driver said “no” to that person and the driver of the bus drive was not going to change his mind for person. So we waited so for a while before Alicia told him to put the bottles down and at on the coach. It time to go back to Edinburgh again and back to normality. After awhile the driver got ready to start the coach.

So we left the Aviemore Hotel behind and made our way back to Edinburgh again. By the time we left the hotel it was night time and a bit cold on the coach too. On the way back to Edinburgh people were still talking about the award and the letter from the Art Council. That they got from the adults learning awards celebration and letter too. The weather had chanced on the way home it was cold and dull too. By this time I was asleep on the seat in the front of the coach. I could talk to them about it then but I was still asleep, but I woke for a while and fell back to sleep again. The coach driver suggests that we made an extra stop at Perth grange. So some of us can buy some coffee and something to eat for the rest of the journey back to Edinburgh. We stay there for half an hour or so to give the driver a rest, before we continue the journey back to Edinburgh. A while went by and we got on the coach again to start back.

On the way back to Edinburgh we were drop of people near there home or close to there home. We didn’t arrive back in Edinburgh until very early Friday morning. I think it was about 2 0r 3 in the morning. I was very tried from the night before celebration at Adult Learning Awards.

It will be a night that I’ll never forget this night in a hurry for a long time. It was a very special night for all of us who were there to see and join in too. I’ll treasure this moment in time for a long time to come. It was a great feeling for all of us.

The organisers say good-bye to all of us too and have good luck with the rest of your learning. After the people and groups lefts the hotel the organiser have to clean up the place and put away the tables. They have to wash and dry all the dishes and tables. I hope next year will be as good as this year for all of us. They to had to make there way back to where they live that night too. The orangiser was great and they been working hard to orangising it all for all of us too.

This is the end of my report on the adult learning award for this year until next year celebration. This starts all over again for the orangiser of adult learning awards.