The second annual National Social Services Conference in Wales last month coincided with Community Care's special edition on how social care has changed in different UK regions since devolution.
I hopped over the Severn Bridge for the two-day gathering in Cardiff, returning to the city where I spent six years as a student and local newspaper reporter.
I was struck by a number of incidents supporting Community Care's observations around "the distinctive Welsh approach", confirming many of the nation's unique personality traits I had already experienced.
For example, the Welsh are:
Bold - the Welsh assembly government's integrated family support teams were a hot topic over the two days. Due to start on a pilot basis next year, the scheme will pioneer new ways of keeping families together through early intervention
Conscientious - the Welsh assembly government is clearly making social services a priority: three cabinet ministers, including the first minister, turned up to address the conference
Friendly - the organisers of the event, the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru and the Care Council for Wales, certainly kept a welcome in the hillside for the Community Care team. The close-knit bonds in Welsh social services were summed up by deputy minister for social services Gwenda Thomas, who described the sector as a "family"
Proud - of their heritage. While speeches were mostly conducted in English, many of the chair's comments were made in Welsh, with live translations transmitted through headphones
Original - a surprise inclusion on the list of speakers was football chairman Peter Ridsdale, who runs Cardiff City football club. His speech about the challenges of leadership turned out to be one of the most memorable of the event, including plenty of encouraging soundbites such as "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never made a decision"
Rugby mad - the host of the Care Accolades 2009, BBC Wales sports reporter Jason Mohammad, broke off from announcing the winners to read out the line-up for the Lions team from his Blackberry
But for me, the Welsh directors of social services showed their true character when they let their hair down for the evening's entertainment, held in the illustrious surroundings of the National Museum of Wales.
First, though, delegates enjoyed a dinner of braised shoulder of lamb in a redcurrant and rosemary dressing, that could only be described as gwych. (That's Welsh for "excellent" - my knowledge of the language has improved immeasurably thanks to the headphones.)
The wine then started to flow as directors took to the makeshift dancefloor of the musuem's ground floor, their body-popping unhindered despite the glass cases containing medieval swords and Palaeolithic sculptures all around.
The director of social services at Newport Council, Stewart Greenwell, took to the stage as trumpeter with house band the Soul Destroyers, leading renditions of Abba, Beyonce, and Robbie Williams.
The quality of dancing (well, dad-dancing, to be more precise) was second to none, as the pillars of their communities forgot about performance data and looming discussions with council leaders, loosened their ties and began to strut their stuff.
Having consulted ADSS Cymru members on the matter, delegates made an extremely strong nomination for the first ever Community Care award for best conference dancer on behalf of Parry Davies, director at Ceredigion County Council.
There was also a special nomination for best 'virtual dancer' submitted by a female director, who felt it should go to Keith Ingham, director of children's health and social services policy at the Welsh government - a reluctant participant if ever there was one.
No one else came close to challenging their energy on the dancefloor, which leaves me only to say:
Llongyfarchiadau, Parry a Keith, fe fyddwn i'n cadw golwg arnoch chi ar Strictly Come Dancing. Ar gyfer ein holl ddarllenwyr Cymraeg eu hiaith, allech chi roi gwybod i'n siaradwyr di-Gymraeg sut wnaethon nhw!
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