Editor’s note: this story was prompted by Marilyn Barry finding the Community photographs shown in this post in her storage files. She remembered that they were sold to visitors, and that she bought them during her first visit to the Community in 1971.

I first heard about Findhorn in 1970 when a friend visited and was blown away by what was being created up there.

In September 1971 five of us travelled on the night train to Inverness and were met at Forres station by Peter Caddy who took that corner in Kinloss at an alarming speed. I can’t remember how he squeezed all five of us into his car but it was before seat belts were required by law.

We were shocked that the Community was situated in a barren caravan park but the area around the community centre was vibrant and the gardens were abundant, producing food for our meals. Our accommodation was a pink caravan in the herb garden next to the community centre. We were all encouraged to work in the mornings and we volunteered to work in the kitchen. The weather was glorious, as it often is in September, and we sat outside on the patio peeling potatoes.

Joanie, Peter and Eileen on the Original Caravan patio

The community was small with only about thirty members and there was no Experience Week. We were free to meet the members, mostly retired, and living in the bungalows now named after them. After lunch Peter would ask who wanted to go swimming and drive us to the beach where we swam in the North Sea. The members must have cooked the evening meals, for our afternoons were free. Eileen and Peter were very visible as the founders. Dorothy worked in the office (a converted garage) and was not so visible.

Every morning in the sanctuary guidance received by Dorothy/Divina and Eileen/Elixir was read out for everyone to hear. David Spangler lived there and gave talks in the community centre. Friday night was a special meal, at which we were encouraged to dress up, followed by a sharing.

Sanctuary

As three of us were members of an Ancient Egyptian dance group, we were asked to perform outside the community centre and in the Sanctuary in front of everyone, including ROC, who was there for the weekend. Peter often said we brought dance to the community.

Dancing outside the CC, I am wearing a borrowed dress on the left photo Marilyn Barry

At the end of the week we were asked for a donation which included for the unpublished books Dorothy sold from the office/garage.

I would have moved to Findhorn then if I had not been in my final year of teacher training college. I returned in 1974 and moved to Findhorn to live in 1980.

Marilyn Barry

***

Photo Credits: unless stated otherwise photographs by Findhorn Community 1971

Guest Author

Guest Authors are contributors who are not COIF members (for various reasons).