Alison and I have just got back from a ballroom dancing weekend at a Warner Hotel on the Isle of Wight. We enjoy dancing but three evening dinner dances plus classes during the day is quite a challenging schedule for me. But we could sit out dances whenever I felt too tired and we were able to participate in the whole weekend by pacing ourselves. Our dancing definitely benefited from the concentrated period of practice, especially the Rumba for which balance is particularly important, something I have had difficulty with since my stroke. I think the quantity of food we ate during the weekend was probably a disadvantage. The highlight of the weekend was the black-tie gala evening although Alison enjoyed dressing up in ballgowns and other finery for the whole weekend (me, not so much. Definitely no sequins or bare chests).

The weekend reminded me not just of the pleasure we have had over the years from dancing but also what it has taught us about ourselves and the contribution it made to my stroke recovery. We started ballroom dancing nearly ten years ago with an adult education class because we wanted to learn how to waltz for our wedding day. Although our repertoire was quite basic, it seemed to impress most of our guests. We carried on with lessons, moving on to Frank and Kay Mercer's dance school, because we enjoyed what we had discovered. We can now manage Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Tango, Cha-cha-cha and Rumba with varying degrees of elegance. Dancing teaches you a lot about each other, how you each learn new things, how to communicate, compromise and work as a team. Every couple from time to time has arguments in the middle of the dance floor about who got it wrong, who forgot the steps and who trod on whose foot. But you get over it and learn to grow as a couple.

When I had a stroke, I couldn't walk let alone dance for some time. But once I got back on my feet, we soon went back to dance classes. This proved to be a real boost to my recovery. The turns and spins provided a great challenge to my balance which gradually helped me to overcome the worst of my problems. The physical exercise and aim for precise movement also helped me to stay fit and focus on improving my balance and gait. Frank Mercer was a huge help as he modified his classes to gradually stretch me and challenge me to improve. It is so nice to be able once again to take up the hobby that we had enjoyed before my stroke and where we made some great friends.

We have moved away from London and now go to dance classes in Christchurch. But we went away for this weekend with a group from our old dance class. They are a fun crowd to be with and we were particularly impressed by Clive and Hillary's Jive and Ken and Sheila's one-handed, forehead-to-forehead Quickstep (you had to be there). We enjoyed it so much that we've already booked to go again next year! Eventually we had to return to home, work and real life. But we now have another memory of a weekend that, a few years ago, we weren't sure we could ever enjoy again.