IT was an annual general meeting with a difference - people were asked to put on sparkly wigs, hug each another, and talk about the best moment of their lives.

They also had to laugh is if they'd just been told a joke on a mobile phone.

As if that wasn't unusual enough, Scotland's internationally famous jazz guitarist, Martin Taylor, donned one of the multi-coloured wigs as he entertained them.

The result, at the end of the day, was laughter - which was the intention all along.

The AGM of Royston Stress Centre, which provides holistic stress management services, was followed by a laughter workshop run by Margaret McCathie, also known as Bubbles the Caring Clown.

In a blue wig and clown outfit, Margaret promoted the healing power of laughter as she got more than 50 service users, employees and board members touching, sharing and giggling.

Margaret, who celebrated her 63rd birthday yesterday, said the beneficial effects of laughter lasted for no less than four hours.

She pointed out that while kids laugh around 350 times a day, adults laugh only 17 times a day. "We need to let go of that and have a bit more fun," she said.

"Every morning, when you're brushing your teeth, just look in the bathroom mirror and laugh for five minutes."

However, there was a serious message underlying the laughter. Margaret, a trained therapist and mum of four, spoke frankly about her own problems with depression 10 years ago, including being in a locked ward in a mental hospital, being sectioned four times, and making three suicide attempts.

She had earlier seen Dr Hunter Patch' Adams, the American doctor, activist and clown, portrayed in a film by Robin Williams, in Glasgow, and faxed him a "despairing" letter from her hospital ward, asking him to take her to his hospital in the US.

"I loved how he worked with people, and I remember him saying he didn't believe in medicating mentally ill people - love, kindness and humour were the best medicine."

Adams replied, urging her to "go out and serve others and see your depression lift".

She began a course of psychotherapy, and later worked with Patch Adams, and has travelled widely with him.

Inspired by his example, Margaret, 63, said she planned "to dedicate the rest of my life to bringing love and kindness and humour to people".

After her laughter workshop at Petershill Park, Margaret said: "I didn't plan to be a laughter therapist at this age, but I had a very difficult, dark night of the soul experience, and I know that all of that journey was the blessing of my life.

"It was to turn things around, and for me to do the work I'm doing today."