Tripping the light fantastic with a dancing robot

As one of a handful of oldies, Fiona teams up with the Secretary of State to help celebrate Scotland’s Year of Young People

It is a colourful event. Then again this is the annual LGBT national youth gathering

It is not often I find myself at a disco. These days a Saturday night tends to involve a TV dinner and some serious catch-up telly time.

But this is a one-off. A gala dinner followed by a dazzling show: an expert juggler and an 8ft high “robot” that struts its laser stuff on the dance floor.

Inside the flashing costume is presumably a man, or woman, on stilts. It is good to know that someone is making a living out of doing something different.

It is a colourful event. Then this is the annual LGBT national youth gathering. Hundreds of young lesbian/gay/bisexual and transgender people from all over Scotland, getting together in Dumfries for a weekend of workshops and talks.

From yoga to mental health awareness. From campaigning for change, to volunteering. From online safety lessons, to how to get yourself a happy head space.

We are all in need of that. And I am honoured to be asked along for the evening.

Also supporting the occasion is the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, who, two years ago, came out as gay. He and I are among the handful of oldies in the room.

For this event is celebrating Scotland’s Year of Young People. And the youthful delegates I meet are bright, confident and welcoming.

They have come from right across the country. Some being accommodated in tents erected at the conference venue.

For their overnight stays they have brought sleeping bags and waterproofs. And they will need them in this part of the world where rain is a fairly constant companion.

They tell me the small tent city is comfortable. And, let’s face it, everyone should have a go at this some time in their life. For camping is characterbuilding.

It certainly is. Twenty years since I spent two nights under the stars. My daughter was six and we took her and a friend to Galloway, where we stupidly pitched pegs in what turned out to be a field of stubble.

When I woke, stiff was not the word for it. Covered in red welts, it was as if I had been poked by a witch with a very sharp broomstick.

Nursing a body of bruises, the rest of the time was spent trying to keep the midges at bay – they love newly-cut fields – and worrying about the night to come.

The family still laughs at the memory of me drinking wine at 10 o’clock in the morning to try to drown camping sorrows.

But the children had a high old time, as did the chief. He and they built a barbecue and washed plates in a nearby stream.

The answer is: pitching a tent is probably for the young, or young at heart. And, if you are going to do it, do make sure it is on a nice, flat piece of grass.

But back to the gala dinner. A great night – and thank you for letting us be part of your youthful celebrations.

Picture: Getty. Fiona hit the dance floor at the annual LGBT youth gathering.