Mersey Morris Men’s Mersey Tour

The Squire

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Letters

September 2010No 62

page 2

page Steve Felton, Antony Heywood and Chris Hutchinson 6

by Alan Barber

The day got better and better and itgotofftoanamazingstartastheminibus,alreadyhalffull,arrivedaheadoftimeonasunnymorning.Maybeafter50yearsof trying,Mersey timecouldhave caught up with UK time? Yes,25yearsaftertheirSilverAnniversaryanda50+yearsafterthemergeroftheLiverpoolandWirralmen,MerseywerecelebratingtheirGoldenAnniversaryon26thJune2010.Dancersincludedtheirfirst Squire (Ken Winter) and returning dancerDanCorcoran-whoalsobroughthis dad (and Ring Bagman) Charlie.We arrived at our rendezvous pointearly and so travellers stopping atLymmservicesweresurprisedtoseeadozenmorrismenhavinganicecupofcoffeeandasitdownwhilstwewaited

for the second mini bus. This got theday back on to Mersey time (20 min behind the UK).ThesourceoftheMerseynowappearsto be underneath a Shopping Mall inStockport, so after bacon butties nearthe bus station we danced outside,above the river, which, it has to besaid, had a distinctive odour. Thingspicked up at the next stop where theriverwasodourlessand,refreshedwithbeer, one dance was performed on anarrowfootbridge.Thosewatchingthesuspensionbridgemoveintimewiththeperfect synchronisation of the dancerswere wondering how the Morris Ring wouldreacttothelossoftheirbagmaninto the swirling waters beneath(actually shallow and calm waters but the bridge was moving a lot)By now the sunny day was really

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Dicky 5

John Bacon 8

Mike Garland 10Third Army Rest Camp 13

Editorial 7

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Mersey Morris Men 1

North British 13

Chanctonbury 14

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Mersey Morris Men on the Mersey celebrating their 50th Anniversary

After the ARM it was back to business as usual. At Easter ImademyannualvisittoTongerenin Belgium for a sword dancing weekend. This year it was theturn of Sallyport and Pengwyn(an account of this may be in the next Morris Ring Circular). I was planning to go to the JMOevent in Bury St. Edmunds but unfortunately the volcanic ashcloud delayed my return froma visit to Northern Ireland andI didn’t get home in time. Thefollowing weekend included St.George’s Day and I enjoyed awonderfulweekendofdancewithChesterandlearnedhowtopolka!I danced “Step and Fetch Her”with Thaxted and was surprisedto discover that like Hartley theyfinish the dance after the rounds by turningin.AswedidthisIshouted“Hoy”aswedoinHartley.Iwasalone in this and as we walkedoff Daniel Fox whispered to me“There’s no “Hoy” in Bampton”.The first weekend in May was the Morris Ring Meeting, hosted by Helmond. A splendid weekendwith lots of excellent dancing. Iwas very impressed by both thequality and the variety of the dances performedby theGreatYorkshireMorrisMen.TheydanceCotswold,border, longsword and rapperandhave an interesting repertoireof songs and monologues. I wasamusedbyatextreceivedbyoneofthe Helmond men: “Don’t expecta lifthome,wife inebriated”.ThefollowingSaturdaywastheannualWestminsterdayofdanceattendedthis year by twenty sides. I wasdancing with North British, an occasional sword side with no fixed abode.Someonesaid“WhyistheSquire wearing a three piece suit?”. Well it wasn’t a three piece suitbutoursmartkitofblacktrousers,

waistcoatandtieandtweedjacket.Tweed is very fashionable at themoment, or so the North Britons believe.In the middle of the month IattendedSouthportSword’sannualdayofdanceinLiverpool.Thisisorganised on very similar linesto the JMO day of dance withtwentyonesidespresentincludingsix from the Morris Ring. The Coconutters danced outsidethe Maritime Museum to theconsternation of the curator whowasnothappyabouttheirblackedupfaces.Hewouldprobablyhavebeenevenlesshappyhadheseenthem posing for a photo next toa poster advertising the SlaveryMuseum. They danced to theirsilver band which was fantastic

andgaveawholenewdimensionto their dancing. The sameweekend my wife’s side, KettleBridge Clogs, were out dancing with North Wood. Roger Comley was there and introduced himselfto Carol as the Squire’s Fool, to which she replied: “Yes, and I’mhis wife!” Roger apologised for notrecognisingherwiththeexcusethathehadnot seenherwithherkitonbefore.Later inMayIwasinvitedtoattendachildren’sdancefestival in Plumpton, in Sussex.Primaryschoolchildrenfromninelocal schools had been taught avariety of Cotswold, North West,borderandmollydancesandtheyperformed them with energy andenthusiasm. If ventures like thiscouldbeheldalloverthecountry

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The Squire of The Morris Ring -Brian’s Final Report –Summer 2010

Castleford Longsword with Brian Tasker holding the sword lock at the Meeting of the Morris Ring, hosted by Castleford Longsword

Photo:CatherineMcArdle

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thefuturehealthofallourtraditionswould be assured. Remember, the Youth Fund is there to help withthecostsof settingupnewyouthsides.Over the late May bank holidayweekendIwenttotheIsleofManwith North British. While there I hoped to do some research intoscallop dancing. In particular Ihoped to make contact with FredScuttle, a local fishmonger who is an authority on the subjectaccording to an article publishedin the Isle of Man Examiner andpassed to me by Roger Comley, the foremost English exponentof scallop dancing. Sadly, Fredwas nowhere to be found but wedid meet up with the Perree Bane folkdancegroup.Wejoinedthemone evening and we each dancedour own versions of the WhiteBoys sword dance. They are aware of reports of the scallop danceand are conducting their ownresearch……June started with the annualMorris Ring Meeting in Thaxted. Thehighlightoftheweekendwasthe attendance of the AdelaideMorris Men who were elected tomembership of the Morris Ring at the ARM in March and danced in duringtheSaturdayeveningshowinfrontoftheGuildhall.Wewishthemwell for the futureand lookforward to the first Morris Ring Meeting in South Australia! ThenextweekendwastheHartleyAleto which we welcomed the Squire Elect,PeterHalfpenney.DuringtheSaturdayIcrossedovertherivertojoin Rumford for their Golden Day of Dance, celebrating their 50thanniversary.IattendedtheannualMayor’sDayatAbingdon in June and had thepleasure of watching Abingdondance.Ihadnotseenthembefore

andwasmuch impressedby theirlively styleofdancing.Formanyyears the Abingdon Morris MenhaveconductedtheelectionfortheMockMayorofOckStreet.Iwassurprisedtolearnthattherearenowsome2,000peopleeligibletovotealthough only a small proportionactually do so. Duncan Brown, the current Mayor of Abingdon(not to be confused with the Mock Mayor), is a member of the side and he invited us to join him intheMayor’sparlourwherehehadthoughtfully provided a barrel ofbeer.At4.00pmpollingclosedandthe votes were counted. Roger Cox wasre-electedandpresentedwiththe Mayor’s baldrics, goblet andsword before being carried alongOck Street in a flower bedecked chairbytheothermembersoftheside.WhoeveriselectedasMockMayor also becomes the Squire of thesideuntilthenextelection.On the first weekend in July I joined Ewell St Mary on theirannualfamilycycleride.ThisyearthetourwasbasedatTenterdeninEastKentandvisitedSissinghurstCastleandsomeofthesurroundingvillages. It was a very warm andsunnydayandweallhadagreattime. Ewell have developed theirown repertoire of dances basedon the Adderbury format. Rather unusually, I spent the next twoweekends with Hartley. The first was the annual Shepherd Neametour where we visit a number ofShepherd Neame pubs in EastKenttravellingaroundonanopentopbus.Thesecondwasa trip toFrance, visiting Azincourt andBergues where we were the warm upactforanopenairconcert.The first week in August is Sidmouth FolkFestivalandIjoinedthesideson the esplanade for the Sundaymorningdisplay.IntheafternoonI

tookpartintheannualJohnGassonjigscompetition,dancing“Lumpsof Plum Pudding” from Bledington tomusicprovidedbyFrankLeeofthe Hexham Morris Men. Afterthe dancing I said to Jack Worth(Bristol and Nonesuch): “Well Jack, I thinkit’sbetweenyouandme”,anditturnedouttobehim!Jack’swinningjigwas“TheNuttingGirl“fromAscotwhichhelearnedonthe Friday evening of this year’sMorris Ring jigs weekend. He is keentopublicisetheSidmouthjigscompetitionandencouragemoreofthemenwhogotothejigsweekendto enter. On a personal level Ienjoyed taking part but of courseit isaneventprimarily foryoungdancers and that is how it shouldbe.Neverthelessitisimportantforthebalanceofthecompetitionthatsomeolderdancersenterandshowtheirskillsandtheirinterpretationof their jigs. The competition isas much about taking part as itis about winning. I was the first Squire to enter since Roy Yarnell nearlytwentyyearsago.The following weekend was theDartmoor Folk Festival whereon the Sunday I had the pleasureof dancing with the Exeter men.The end of August was verybusy with Saddleworth Rushcart, Whitby Festival, where I taughttheEscrickdanceatthelongswordworkshop and danced a doublejig with Peter Halfpenney in theShamblesbar,andtheShrewsburyFestival, which I attended withNorth British, all following each other in quick succession.September arrived and the final two Morris Ring Meetings of the summer. The first was hosted by theTriggMorrisMeninCornwall.Twelve sides made their way toSt Austell for what was a very

..... continuing Brian’s Final Report –Summer 2010

continued on page 4

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enjoyable and relaxed weekend.ThepaceoflifeissupposedtobeslowerandlessstressfulinthefarwestandIsawanexampleofthiswhen Trigg Squire, Ian Chanter, left a bag containing some importantTrigg possessions, including thespecial Squire’s bell pads, at the site of the first display in Bodmin. He showed no particular concernand calmlypicked themup againsome two hours later when wepassed through Bodmin en route to ourlunchtimestand.The final Morris Ring Meeting of

the summer was based in Selbyin NorthYorkshire and hosted byCastleford Longsword. It was anexcellent meeting and especiallyenjoyableformeasIamamemberof the side. It was great to danceout as Squire at a meeting hosted by Castleford and attended byHartley, my Cotswold side whowerewithmetwoyearsagowhenI danced in at the Dartington Ring meeting.I look back with great pleasureon all the events I have attendedand all the new friends I have

made during my term of office. I would like to thank Charlie andEd, my fellow officers, and Paul, the Chairman of the AdvisoryCouncil,forallthehelptheyhavegiven me. I wish my successor,PeterHalfpenney,anenjoyableandproductive two years as he copeswiththechallengeswhichfacetheMorris Ring. I would also like to thank you all for the support youhavegivenmeandIlookforwardto enjoying your company in theyearsahead.Brian Tasker

..... continuing Brian’s Final Report –Summer 2010

hottingupandattheFerryTavern.Mersey’s Cheeky Peasants drankthemoutofCheekyPheasantbitterbefore eating lunch. A vigorousUptonstickdance,fullofcontrolledpower and dynamism, impressedsomeofthelocalyouths–shameit’s a bit far for them to join usonpractise nights.As we left thelandladyhandedusafullbottleofBushmills which disappeared into thewrongminibus!Arriving at Speke Hall we wererelieved to find half the bottle of Bushmills was still left and its level rapidly diminished. TheNationalTruststafflookedafterusexceptionallywell,evenprovidingus with a rose for the Fieldtowndance.Theheathelpedusattractalargeandstaticaudiencewhodidnot run away when the hat wentround. A dance for all MerseySquires present (Lichfield too, we had eight out dancing) revealed how some of our dances haveevolvedovertheyears.As we were now running late,even by Mersey standards, a quick show of hands led us missingthe Anthony Gormley statues onCrosbybeachinfavourofadance

spot at a great little back streetCAMRA pub, the Volunteer. The regulars were enthusiastic andpeople came out of the terracedhouses all around to watch. By then our minibus contingent hadpolished off the Bushmills so Kevin asked the landlady if hecould buy a bottle. No need saidthe landlady – and gave him one (a bottle of Bushmills that is.)Halfthebottlewasdrunkonrouteto our last pub and evening mealstop, The Egremont Ferry, whichwasbackontheWirralsideoftheriver. The other half bottle wentmissing but it was noted that ourbagmanwasnolongercapableofwalking in a straight line. Aftermoredancingweadjournedtothebar for beer, hotpot and a grandfinale rapper set from Scally Rapper.Presentations were then madeto Ken Winter and Bert Eccles (original bagman) as the latter had beenable to joinus for themeal.Unfortunately Jim Jones as anoriginal Liverpool man and longserving Mersey squire was not able tomake itandnorwasJohnStapledon (originally a Wirral

man) but they will be out with us againsoon.Finally thanks to Tony for mostof the organising and specialcongratulations for arrangingdispensationfortwominibusestoparkondoubleyellowlinesinthemiddle of Stockport. Big thanks too to Ron and Peter for staying alcohol free and doing all thedriving,alongdayforbothofyou.Last,butnotleast,abigthankstoourguestsforcoming.Seeyouinanother10yearsforour60th.

Mersey’s 50th(continued from page 1)

Tony Foard and Charlie Corcoran, and top, Mersey Morris Men

AllPhotos:PhilHughes

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All the latest gossipIloveagoodoldgossipespeciallywhenmeetingupwitholdfriendsat a Morris do and this year Iwas at Saddleworth Rushcart weekend, which is a perfect timefor indulging in a bit of chat. Inthe Waggon on the Friday nightit was absolutely heaving but it’sthe place where everyone passesthrough at some time during theeveningandthereforeifyou’vegotthe stamina to keep drinking andlovetheseamlesstumblingstreamofMorrismusiccomingfromthefront bar it is an ideal venue tomeet up with lots of old friends.Sureenoughitwasn’tlongbeforeIwasshakinghandswithTomandDick,andthenevenHarry!I had a chance to hear about allthelatestaboutthegoingson,whowas praising who, and who wasoutoffavourfordoingthisthatorthe other, and what they thoughtabout Brian and what they hoped for from Peter and so on.At onetimeitwaspossibletospota‘knot’of ex-Ring Squires in the corridor enjoying each other’s companyand having a good chuckle aboutsomething.AnexSaddleworthmaninterrupted my thoughts pushingpast me with a huge banjo caseand I remembered the time whenhe was jockey on the Rushcart, but my memory isn’t always as goodasthat.Its always an interesting momentwhenyourememberafacecomingtowards you and then realise youcan’t quite recall his name or be quite be sure of which side he dances with,buthecertainlyknowsyou!

A few exchanged reminiscencesand it usually floods back into yourmemorybeforeitbecomesanembarrassment.Itisn’tlongbeforeyoutalktosomeoneaboutadanceryou expected to be there but notyetseenonlytohearsadnewsofan illness, personal problems oreven death. Then the mood quickly changeswhenafriendturnstoyoutointroducetheirgrandsonwhoisnowdancing.ApintofLongwoodThump bitter is thrust into yourhand and the evening fun flows on, a smile here, a kiss on the cheekfrom someone’s wife, a wavedhandthere,andawonderfulfeelingofhappinessthatcomesfrombeingpartofitall.It is often at such informal timesof chat and gossip that valuableinsights arise. Charlie Corcoranwas there and smiled as he wentby, and Iwas remindedabouthispieceabout theageingpopulationof dancers and the likely demiseof Morris. Looking round at allthe men in the pub with that onmymindInoticeditwascertainlythe case that the older generationwasapparentbut thenitsuddenlydawneduponmehowmanyyoungmen I could spot in the companythere. Not only standing chattingamongthoseenjoyingadrinkbutalsointhelargegroupofmusiciansplaying instruments. It wassomething I watched for the nextmorningaseveryoneassembledinfrontofTheCommercialreadytothe Rushcart to set off, and indeed theyoungfaceswerethereamongtheteams.

LuckilyMorrisisateamactivityandsidescanassimilatenewmembersintotheirstyleofperformanceandwayofdancingastheyarriveintothegroup.Manycomments,however,arestillbeingmadeinthecirclesofpowerabout “youth”, recruiting youngmen,andtheimportanceofyoungermembers and perhaps there is adanger of creating a feeling offailureinouroldermenorwithinteamswithoutanyyoungsters.Themessages about recruiting youngmenarecorrect,but Iworry theyare sometimes delivered withoutthe sensitivity that recognisesthe sound and often stunningperformancesofsidesmadeupofolderdancers.Lookatteamssuchas Bacup Nutters, older dancers but exhibitingamagicunsurpassedbymostofourefforts!I’m sure Charlie’s worries of ourimminentdemisewillprovetobeunfounded because at least someteams seem to have found a wayto regenerate their numbers withyoungmen.Letuscelebrate theirarrivalbutstillvaluetheexperienceand quality among our long serving members. Our incoming Squire has great plans to concentrateon recruitment and I hope thefirst signs of a new generation of dancers I saw at Saddleworth areonlythevanguardofanewgoldenage for The Ring. Someone has to be there at the Rushcart weekend intwentyyearstobuymeapint!Dicky

Morris Ring Circular No 63Nov30iscopydate,tofeaturethefinal two Morris Ring Meetings of 2010-Ifyouwent,howaboutyourreportfromtheevent?Men of Wight and Harthill at Bodmin, Trigg were the hosts

Photos:HStevenson

The Morris Ring CircularSeptember 2010

Issue No 62

Letters To The Editor

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FromSteveFelton

HiHarry

Ihaveacopyofthejigsawpuzzle(complete) you refer to on the final page of the circular (good issue by the way) and it features the Pebworth Morris Men(Worcestershire), who are not members of the Ring. Theyarelocaltome.Theypractiseat The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, a thatched pub, owned by theNationalTrust. The landlord isamemberofthe side. Bizarrely I bought my puzzleonholidayinPorthcawl.Hopeyourseasonisgoingwell.

Alltheverybest

Steve Felton, Shakespeare MM,IlmingtonMMBagman, 2012 Cotswold Olympics Morris Ring Meeting

FromAntonyHeyward

DearHarry,Helmond Morris Men weredelightedtoseetwophotosoftheirperformances at the Fools andBeasts Unconvention in Utrecht last October (in The Morris Ring Circular No. 61). However the second photo (page 5) was wrongly captionedasbeingUtrechtMorrisMen performing Step Back, Fieldtown. Actually the pictureshows Helmond Morris Menperforming a four-man Bledington dance, the Black Joke. Wassail,

AntonyHeywood(Apologies, I replaced a photo, but did not amend titles. Ed)

FromChrisHutchinsonDearHarry,Morris Solutions R Us plcI would like to introduce myselfasthemdandmarketingmanagerof the dynamic newly formedcompany Morris Solutions R Us plc. We are here to help you,Harry,sortoutthoseannoyinglittleproblems about morris dancingwhichhaveevadedsolutionsincebeforeCecilSharp’stime.For example, Harry, how oftenwhen going round with thecollection box has a member ofthe audience said to you “Howoften do you hit yourselves withthesticks,haha.”Or“Whyisthatman lying motionless on the floor amongsttheotherdancers?”Well,Harry,allthiscanbeathingof thepast!Simplykityourmenout in our novel Basic Overall LongLastingOrthopaedicContraKnockSystem!Wearetryingtothink of an acronym for this butforthetimebeingarejustcallingitasuitofarmour.Well, Harry, I think you can seethatwithasuiteofarmourbruisedknuckles will be a thing of thepast.Youcanownasuitofarmourforaverycompetitivepriceorgiftonetoyournewesttrainee.WewilldoadiscountforasetofsixandI’msureyoucanthinkofatleastonemorrissideyouwouldliketosee(trying) to dance in suits of armour

-especiallyonahotdaywhen,ofcourse,accidentsaremostlikely.Evenbiggerdiscountsareavailablefor Lichfield sides.Weareworkingonasuitofarmourfor musicians but at present itlookslikethereisonlydemandfordrummers’ortrombonists’suits.Especially for you, Harry, Iattach a photograph [see below, ed.)

of a prototype in action (as a coat stand) in the Argyll pub in Henley whenKennetdancedtherefortheRegatta earlier this month. Kennet tell me that since this event theyhavealwaysbeenoneshortforanyset,butnoneofthemcanrememberwhoitisthatismissing.Nevertheless,feelfreetoadvertisethis unique offer in the Morris Ring Circularifyouwish.Best wishesChrisHutchinson,KennetMM

The Morris Ring CircularEditorial

Editor: Harry Stevenson 59 Oliver’s Battery Road North Winchester Hampshire SO22 4JB

01962855911trunkleshs@btinternet.com

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Ritual & Entertainment

Mike Garland’s response to JohnJenner’s article (Issue 61) has added tothedebateaboutentertainmentandritual.Mikeargues that ritualandentertainmentarenotmutuallyexclusive; thismaybe correct andcites the example of choristersat The Morris Ring Meeting in Canterbury. The singing waspractised regularly and taught byexperiencedchoirmastersandthusitsexpertisegaveitboththeritualandtheentertainment.Morris Dancing taught well andpractised regularly can be bothritual and entertainment. Morrisperformed shoddily is mostcertainly not ritual but maybeviewedbysomeasentertainment.It is our duty as Members of theMorris Ring to uphold the quality of dancingasourmainraisond’etre.ItisalsotruethatanothertenetoftheMorris Ring is its maleness. This

is being diluted somewhat withthe current discussion on womenmusicians.Ithasbeenproferredbysome that the Constitution of theMorris Ring does not specifically exclude women or womenmusicians. Surely, item 2 of theConstitution states: ‘The Ring shall beanassociationofMen’sMorris,Sword and Mummers Clubs andTeams.’Thatisunambiguous.

Composers and Folk Tunes

In Mike’s article he refers tocomposersof100yearsagoturningto the folk world. This theme isexamined in Rob Young’s excellent book,‘ElectricEden’,publishedinAugustthisyear.

Celebrations & Anniversaries

Finally, another theme in Mike’sresponse is celebrations-as in thefarmingyear,churchcalendardays

ofChristmas,Whitsun.Sean Goddard asserts (page 14) that Morris Dancing survives onanniversaries. So, in Brian Tasker’s final report as Squire of the Morris Ring he highlights Rumford’s GoldenJubilee.TheMerseyMorrisMen report (front page) their antics on their 50th Anniversary.CongratulationstobothandindeedSean and Chanctonbury MorrisMenre-enactingthefamousTimesphotographof1stMay1956.

Sidmouth Jigs Competition

In Brian Tasker’s Final Report as Squire of The Morris Ring (page 3), he asserts that the jigs competition (at Sidmouth) is an event‘primarilyforyoungdancersand that is how it should be’. Isthis strictly true Brian, or just your view?ArewetorestricttheMorrisRing’s Jigs Instructional to men underacertainage?

Three Squires in a Row

During the Morris Ring Meeting based in StAustell, hosted byTrigg Morris Men, three Squires of The Morris Ring, Past, Present and Future, perform in Bodmin.

Brian Tasker, far left, the then current Squire; Mike Chandler, Past Squire and the then Squire Elect,PeterHalfpenney

Photos:HarryStevenson

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by John Bacon

Last years traditionaldance festival for theChaileyclusterofprimaryschools,EastSussexwasso successful, that theydecided that it shouldberepeated in 2010. Fourschoolstookpartin2009and nine schools wantedtoparticipatein2010.Since South East FolkArts Network (SEFAN), believed thatallchildrenshould know about ourfolk art heritage theyagreed to support theproject. From earlyJanuary the schoolschose and learnt one ofour traditional regionaldances. Ditchling Morrisfounders Ann and JohnBacon, (also SEFAN Trustee) together with GailandLucyDuff,fromTRADS, (Traditional Arts Development South

East), provided the tuition.Theclassteachersthen worked with thechildren to produce avaried programme ofdances covering Morris,Molly, Maypole and

Socialdance.Over 300 children tookpartandsome400parentscamethroughthefestivalvenueduringtheday.Thecostumeswereoutofthisworld,andinkeeping

with the styles thatwereperformed.The Festival took placeat Plumpton Race Course in their events marquee andthedayendedwithatraditionalCeilidhforthe

Primary Schools Traditional Dance FestivalMay 21 2010

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community in PlumptonVillage Hall with the local band, “Unreel”.Plumpton School Morris

Club performed duringtheinterval.The very successful daywas organised, managed

and run by PlumptonPrimary School withDaveJohnstheirPhysicalEducation Link Teacher

astheFestivalDirector.SEFAN’s Patron ShirleyCollins MBE, the Squire of the Morris Ring, Brian Tasker and Rachel Elliott, Director of Educationat EFDSS attended thefestival.The whole event,including tuition, thefestival and Ceilidh wassponsored by SussexCommunity FoundationSEFAN,DitchlingMorrisand Plumpton Race Course.

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The Morris : What is it? Why is it?A response to John Jenner’s article*

by Mike GarlandJohnJenner’sarticle encouragingus to take theMorrisDancebackto a suggested true purpose ofits traditional ritual roots raisesmany questions. Any discussion about something as old as theMorris is bound to run intodifficulties, but when this is linked to the problematic concepts ofcommunity,traditionandritualthetask becomes almost impossiblycomplex.InhisarticleJohndrawsheavily on the work of Russell Wortleyandhispaper“TheXYZofMorris”1.AlthoughIalsoacceptedmuch of what Russell said at the timethathewrotethepieceIhavesincechangedmyviewandnowIthink that in his writing Russell was bothrightandwrong.Hewastrueto the artistic culture of his time,but I believe he was historicallyincorrect.In his book on the history of theMorris John Cutting2 lists manyof the earliest references to thedance,notinginparticularthewayin which there are fifteenth century recordsfromacrossEurope.Thesetendtobeofthesamepatternthatwe see in the Betley Window3,andapparentlyshowaLadyasthecentral figure in a circle dance. She isknownasMaidMarian,butcouldequally be regarded as a Madonna, and it is interesting that manyTudor critics of the dance referto “popish practices”4. If it doeshave references to the CatholicChurch the figures surrounding the Lady could easily be charactersrepresenting The Feast of Fools,but whether or not this is aChristianised version of an oldercelebration I suggest will neverbeknown, andwhile itmaybe afascinatingstudyforahistorianofthepre-ChristianeraIdon’tthink

itneedtroublethemoderndancer.From the time when the dancewas performed in the royal courtin the fifteenth century it was seen as an entertainment and itsoriginal practitioners were highlypaid. Cutting notes that the courtof Henry Vll paid 40s in 1494 and 53s4din1502forperformancesofthe“moresdance”5,butincommonwithallotherart forms thedancemigrated to the world first of the growingmiddle class and then tothecommonpeople.Arrivinginthewidercommunityitwasnecessarilyan entertainment that took placeon the only days that they hadavailableforsuchpastimes,whichwere days in the church calendar–Sunday,Christmas,Whitsun–ordaysofcelebrationinthefarmingyear when the working man wasallowedtimeforrelaxation–May,hay harvest, Autumn and PloughMonday.Malcolmson,inhisbookon Popular Recreations notes that many recreations took place inchurchyards. “Moreover, manypopular diversions occurred attimeswhenpeoplewereexpectedto be devoting themselves toreligious observances.”6 Puttingthedanceintothiscontextcertainlyleavesitopentolatersuggestionsabout a connection with religiousrites.Andalongwithentertainmentcametheneedtocollectlargess.TheMorriswascertainlynotalonein this and Bushaway7 says thatmany pastimes demanded money,food or drink from the upperclasses within the community.Indeedinanagewhenwagesweregenerallylowthisformofritualisedbeggingwasseenasavitalwayofprovidingalivingwageforalargepart of society. But Bushaway also notesthatthisstructureoperatedasaveryimportantcheckandbalance

withincommunitiesandtherewasalways an underlying, unspokenthreat,akindof“giveusthemoneyorelse….”ThePloughboysthreattodigupthelawnofthebighousemayhavebeennomorethanlight-hearted banter but the threat wasstill there. Unfortunately it was athreatthatledtothesuppressionofmanyevents.Such implied threats from the“common man” could not betolerated at a time when Europewas in revolutionary turmoil, sothe gentry, the upper and middleclassesandmembersoftheclergy,began to question whether or not it wasrighttosanctionsuchapparentlegalised begging, however itwas dressed up, in their society.This combined with the rapidgrowthinthepopulationofmajorcities following the IndustrialRevolution, the increasing ability of gangsofyouthstotravelintoruralareas, and concern about alcoholconsumptionledtomostoftheoldpastimes being banned. Dover’sGamesatChippingCampdenwasstopped in 1852, the KirtlingtonLambAlein1858andtheOtmoorGarlanddayin1863.8

However, having stopped the oldentertainments because of thethreattheyposedtopolitesociety,the same people who instigatedthebanrealisedthatsuchpastimescould be used to good effect todraw communities together. Ina modern day parallel to PopeGregory’s edict to St Augustineto use pagan rites for the gloryof Christ, the morris was re-introduced to show the beneficence ofthePowerful.Morrisatthebighousewasnolongertheproletariatexercising their rights anddemanding recognition, but TheGentry allowing the little people

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toentertainthegreatandthegoodas a part of their natural place inSociety. “The popular customarycalendarhadbeenannexedbytheVictorian middle class, purged of its disagreeable features andrestored as a respectable mediumfor the expression of social orderwithin the village community inwhichconceptsof‘MerryEngland’actuallyrepresentedanewformofdeference.”9And in1848agroupwasfounded thatwas tomakeanenormous and lasting impressionontheculturalethosofthewholecountryformanyyearstocome.The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood included not only the paintersRossetti, Hunt and Millais, but also thewriter,craftsmanandsocialistWilliam Morris. Their ideasdominated the cultural landscape,led naturally into the AestheticMovement, to Art Nouveau andthe Arts and Crafts Movementand certainly had an impact onCecil Sharp, Mary Neal and onthe Christian Socialist ConradNoelinThaxted.Atthesametimecomposers were turning to folktunesandsongsfortheirinspirationand Frazer was publishing hisepic work The Golden Bough10.WhentheMorriswasfoundinthevillages of the Cotswolds againstthe background of this culture itmust have seemed to some likethe final glorious chapter in a book that was pointing the way into abravenewcentury,andwhenthatcenturydescendednotintoaruralutopiabutintothemudandhellofFlanderstheycouldbeforgivenforhangingontotheirdreams.I am quite sure that it was against this cultural background thatRussell grew up and developed his thoughts and theories of theMorris. I have agreat respect for

both Russell and his theories and because society constructs andbelieves in the traditions that arerelevant for it, as Hobsbawm haspointed out with relation to bothScotland and Wales11, I wouldhave no hesitation in saying thatRussell was right to work within his own cultural background.YetI would still contend that he washistorically wrong, and that theavailable evidence as outlinedabovewouldallpointtothedancebeing used as an entertainment.Any connection to ritual has tobe supposition, because it goesbeyond our current historicalknowledge. I realise that seemingto both agree and disagree withRussell’s argument is an awkward position to justify, but as I saidat the beginning of the piece theconcepts involved are difficult and complexandIamsurethatpeopledance formanydifferent reasons,allofwhichareperfectlyvalidforthatdanceratthattime.However,I think it is also important to saythat ritual and entertainment arenotmutuallyexclusive.When thechoristersofCanterburyCathedralsang the piece by William Byrd at the Canterbury Ring meeting it wasnotonlyanimportantpartoftheritualoftheCathedralServicebut also the most wonderfulentertainment.Intheworldpriortotheonslaughtof the twentieth century dance,musicandsongwereentertainment.Brueghel’s paintings of villagers dancingbringtolifetheexuberanceandgreatjoyofjustbeingalivethatthose folks experienced throughdanceanditisperhapsunfortunatethat no contemporary artist didthe same for the Morris Dance,except possibly Erasmus GrasserinMunich,ifyouarehappytocall

his figures Morris Dancers. In the twenty-first century things are very differentandentertainmentisverymuchseenassomethingthatisdonetopeopleratherthansomethinginwhich we take an active part, sowhen we try to entertain on thestreet we must fight the draw of the televisionandthecomputer.Itmaybe a dreadful indictment of oursociety that people would rathersitalone in frontofascreen thanbe out enjoying good company,butalltypesofclubsandsocietiesare saying the same; numbersare falling and the young are notjoining, whatever field we consider, from the sports to the arts. ManypeoplewouldfarratherTwitterorwatch Big Brother than play an active part. But we can fight back, and we can do it by combiningentertainment and ritual. It ispossibly taking a very broad andgeneral view of the situation, butit does seem that regular eventsthat Sides have developed, wherethe community involved knowsthatsomethingwillhappenonthesamedayeachyear,attractalargeraudience than the weekly clubnight out. The ritual of a regularevent helps, but it still needs theencouragementofentertainmenttokeep the audience. We are fighting a hugely sophisticated world ofentertainment and unless we canprovide something special for thepeoplewhohavemadetheefforttocomeout theMorriswill lose thebattle. Perhaps it was ever thus?John Byng wrote in 1784 that he “attended to a troop of MorriceDancers headed by the buffoon;buttome,theirmummeryappear’dtedious, and as little enjoyed bythe performers, as the spectators:the genius of the nation does not

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take this turn”12. I rather thinkthat the final part of that quote has beenlearntbytheorganisersoftheOlympics!In conclusion therefore John, Iwouldsay that the“truepurpose”oftheMorrisisstilltodaywhatithasdemonstrablybeensinceAlicede Wetenhalle made her will in1458, toentertain theaudience. Itmayoncehave alsohad religiousovertones, be it Pagan, Roman CatholicorAnglican,itmayhaveprovided Guilds with a means ofentertainingtheircustomers,itmayhavegiventhecommonmanfoodfor his table and allowed him toasserthisplaceinsociety,butasitwascollectedandasthemajorityofteamsandcommunitiesuseittoday,it was and is an entertainment.

Individualmenmayfeelthepowerof the years as they dance; theymaywellbeawareoftheweightofhistoryandofthemanyfriendsandfamily members who have gonebefore,butthegreatestservicewecandoistogivethedancebacktoourcommunities,toinstilinthemthesenseofthepassingyearsandtheplacetheMorrishasoccupieddownallofthoseyears,andabovealltoEntertain.

MikeGarlandJune2010*see The Morris Ring Circular No 61, Ed

(Endnotes)1 Russell Wortley The XYZ of Morris (The Morris Ring 1978)2 John Cutting History and the MorrisDance (Alton, Hampshire 2005)3 Now in the V&A Museum, but see the

excellentarticleon theWindowbyJohnPriceaspartoftheStAlbansMorrisMen’swebsiteathttp://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.e.price/betley.htm4 Malcolmson Popular Recreations in EnglishSociety1700–1850pp.6-75Cutting,pp.107-1086Malcolmsonp.57 Bob Bushaway By Rite: Custom, Ceremony and Community in England1700 – 1880 (London 1982)8 Bushaway By Rite p.2469Ibid.p.27410SirJamesGeorgeFrazerTheGoldenBough: A Study in Magic and Religion (London 1890)11 Eric Hobsbawm, Terence Ranger eds. The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge 2009)12 Bushaway, p.242. The note says – F.Harvey-Darnton,EnglishFabric:Asudyof Village Life (London, n.d., probably 1935), p.205 which quotes the Torrington Diaries ed. C.B. Andrews, (London,1934), vol.I,pp.124-5

As a seasoned morris dancer anddealer in old postcard, I collectmorrisPCs.GenerallythoseoftheoriginalteamsinEdwardiantimesareeasytoidentifyiftheyarenot

annotated through dress style,faces,etc.Theattachedhasthrownme as it appears to show morrisdancers in part army uniforms.The back is annotated with From

Third Army Rest Camp. The rest campswerefortroopstohavesometimeawayfromthefrontinWW1andIsuspect thatpossiblymorrisdancingwasencouragedasaform

ofrelaxationandexercisebytheauthorities.Thereweresomanymencalledup that I suspect thatthere were some withmorrisexperience. Notethe knot with what looklikeproperswords.Hopefully something forthe circular in the hopethat somebody knowsmore or possibly canrecogniseafacefromoneoftheoriginalteams,Regards Chris – East SurreyMM

‘From Third Army Rest Camp’

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North British v. the TT...being a tale of steam, swords and kippers

by Martin HanleyThe inimitable gentlemen ofNorth British Sword Dancers have for many years includedin their repertoire the delightfulWhite Boys’ Dance from the Isle of Man, and have therefore longyearnedtotakethedancebacktoitsorigin.Theyoriginallyintendedto do this a couple of years agobut were scuppered by some sortof motorcycle race, which wascelebratingitscentenarythatyear.Acoupleofyears’delaylater,theydecided the time was ripe to tryagain.Due to a major misunderstanding(namely that the author counted as a responsible adult), the team met up in Liverpool in two differentpubs, but it didn’t take longuntiltheir collective wits managed tojoinup intoonehuge, tweed-cladgroup, leaving them free tomaketheir way to the ferry and surgeforthtothegemoftheIrishSea.The weekend proper began earlyon Saturday morning (earlier for some,whohadcopulatingpigeonsin their rooms, at no extra cost!) with an trip on the Electric Railway to Laxey to view the spectacularLaxey Wheel, a workingwaterwheel more than 22m indiameterwhichusedtopumpwaterout of the nearby mines. NorthBritish used the platform on top ofthestructureforarathernerve-wracking rapper dance whilstvariouspeoplegazedupadoringlyattheirmanlycourage.Fromhere itwasbut a short rideto the top of Snaefell where thebalmy temperatures gave way tosleet.Onlythehardiestoftheteammadeittothesummit,andthewindwassuchthatplanstodancetherewere abandoned, leading to our

first White Boys’ Dance on the Isle ofManbeingperformedinsidethesummitcaféinstead.Afterreturningtomorereasonableheights, we decided it was timetocall inat thepub,andany thatknow us will realise how hard ithadbeen forus towait this long.We performed Elgin longswordand Saddleworth rapper, beforerepeatingtherapperatthecafébyrequest of the owner.That evening, we switched torapper for a pub crawl aroundDouglas.Thepubswereincrediblywelcoming, with the high pointbeing (as so often it is) bumping into ahennight.As isnow tobeexpected,theladiesstartedtodancealongsideusbut,inamoveagainstthe norm, they were actually intime with the music. What couldbegoingon?It emerged that the hen and hercohorts were members of PerreeBane, the Isle of Man’s preeminent

traditional dance side. It furtheremerged that they also dancedthe White Boys’ Dance, so we all troopedoutsideforarunthrough.However, it finally emerged that ourinterpretationofthedanceandtheirsdifferedinanumberofwaysand that, while it was clear thattheywere the samedance, itwasalsoabundantlyclearthatthetwocouldnotco-exist.Much hilarity followed this,of course, plus we received aninvitation to join them at theirpractice the following evening.The rest of the crawl passed inthenormalmanner,with theonlynotable incidents being dancingin theManxLegionfor acoupleof hundred aged revellers, plusof course the classic sight of theSquire falling off his bus seat for noapparentreason.Sundaydawnedandbroughtwithit another day of travelling by

Right:Lady Isabella. also know as the Laxey Wheel, is the largest working waterwheel in the world.

Above, inset, North British attempt a rapper dance in tight circumstances

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unusual public transport (today includedasteamtrainandahorse-drawn tram), with many dance spots, quite a few of which were large enough for Papa Stour. WeincludedthenowobligatoryNorthBritish paddle followed by a dance for the local youngsters on thebeach,adanceinapubdedicatedto Norman Wisdom and finally a meeting with Perree Bane where we compared our approaches tothe White Boys’ Dance. We also joinedtheminasocialdancewhichsawoneofournumberendingup

fallingonhisbackside.AsAndrewsaid, “Well, at least you didn’tembarrassyourselfinfrontoffortypeople you’ve just met. Oh no,holdon...“Oureveningrappercrawlwasalittleunusual,mainlybecausesomeonewho should remain nameless (but won’t: it was Ken) left our rappers on the train. Our evening rappercrawlthereforebecameaneveninglongswordcrawl,withmuchinthewayofElginandalittleinthewayof the White Boys’ Dance.It ended with the author beinginterviewed for Manx Radio, under strict instructions from theinterviewee that every answershould in some way relate to theTT Races, since he was the TT correspondent. Apparently theinterview went very smoothly,which is surprising given that ittookplacesometimeaftermidnightfollowing heroic sampling ofthe local beers from Okell’s andBushey’s. The evening descended fromhereintomuchmoresampling,withoralsustenanceintheformofpickledeggs,andnasalsustenanceintheformofmedicatedsnuff.It’sthese little differences that markoutatrulyclassyside.Sunday morning arrived early,

givingusjusttimetonipdowntoPeel for kipper baps, beer and adance spot in front of a group ofappreciative motorcyclists beforewerushedbacktoDouglasfortheferry home. Ah, the subtle scentof slowly-warming kippers as wewalkedontothatboat!Our final memories of the Isle of Manwereofabeautifulandtrulyunspoilt island with an amazingamount of industrial heritage (or “public transport system” as theycall it), but more than that, of a warmandgenerouspeople,ahugepercentageofwhomwerefamiliarwith sword dancing from theirschooldaysandwhowelcomedusinthemostpleasingmanner.

Following in the Footsteps

North British v. the TT.....continuedfrompage13

North British, left, at the appropriately named ‘The British’ and above, perhaps an even more appropriately named pub, The Terminus Tavern. All photos, Brain Tasker and Jeff Lawson

by Sean Goddard

Morris dancing survives onanniversaries. The ChanctonburyRing Morris Men were formed in September 1954, and held theirfirst ever tour on 1st May 1954, As thatwasaSaturday, and1stMay2010wasalsoaSaturday,wefeltitappropriatesome56yearslatertodanceatsomeofthesamespots.But, there is more to this than you

first think.Chanctonbury started in 1953, asan offshoot from the ShorehamCountryDanceClubbymenwhowishedtoexpandtheirknowledgeofMorrisDancing.TheShorehamClub had already displayedMorrisDancing inSussex,and inAugust 1953 they had attendedthe Europaische Trachenwoche[European Endeavour Week] atNeustadt, Holstein, Germany

with the support of the British GovernmentwheretheyperformedMorrisandCountryDancing and met performers from otherEuropeancountries.The Shoreham Country DanceClub in theearlymonthsof1954decided that they were going todanceinShorehamon1stMaytocelebrate the arrival of Summer.TherewouldbeMorrisdancing

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by the Chanctonbury Men andCountrydancingbytheShorehamClub, followed by breakfastof eggs, toast and tea (but no coffee!!!). Then the Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men along with Ravensbourne Morris Men from Kent would tour Mid-Sussex,while another tour consisting ofthe Martlet Morris Men fromChichester and the UniversityMorrisMeninLondonwouldtourWest Sussex. Both tours to meet upagaininShorehamwheretherewould be more dancing followedby a large Barn Dance in St. Mary’s Hall.Thisallhappenedandwasagreatsuccess.The Chanctonbury andRavensbourne tour’s first stop was at the Shepherd and Dog pub inFulking, at the base of the SouthDowns just north of Shoreham.Here they found a large crowdof spectators along with a BBC Outside Broadcast Unit and a staff photographerfromTheTimes.Paul Plumb the founder of theShoreham Club and a foundermember of Chanctonbury, wasworking as a National WirelessBroadcaster for the BBC, and had arranged for Harold Rogers to film the dancing at the Shepherd and Dog for the BBC’s Permanent Archives-theywerebroadcastedagain several years ago on theJack Dee show so they stillsurvive. The BBC’s publicity unit had circulated tonewspapersabout the filming, and The Times telephonedPaulafewdaysbeforethetouraskingif theycouldsenda photographer down – of coursePaul said yes. A photograph wastakenandpublishedinTheTimesthe following Monday – on page14:thebackpage!Thisphotographshowsanidealviewofthedance:outside a pub, good view of thedancingandmusicians,goodbackdropandgoodcrowd.Ithasbeen

usedmanytimessincetoillustrateMorris Dancing including TheTimesCalendarfor1956andTheMorris Ring’s very own With a CrashandaDin...The original photograph isreproduced here and close

inspection will see that theChanctonburyMenareperformingthe Processional Down from thedance Lads a Buncham from Adderbury. On the extremeright hand side there isWilly theHobbyhorseandtheMan/Woman.Chanctonburydecidedthisyeartore-enactthephotograph,especiallyas 1st May was a Saturday andmenwouldn’tnecessarilyhave togotowork.Eventsstartedearlyinthe day by dancing on top of theSouth Downs at ChanctonburyRing at 7am. This was followed by a BIG traditional May Day Breakfast in Shoreham and then two dancing stands in Shoreham(both at the War Memorial where Chanctonbury also danced in1954) before we made the short trip out to the Shepherd and DogatFulking.

Theonlyproblemwecould thinkthat would stop the photographbeing taken was the amount oftraffic and the addition of a man-hole cover in the dancing area.Back in 1954 you’ll be lucky to have5carsanhourdownthisroad,

nowit’salmost5carsaminute.Wedidn’tworryaboutthattoomuch;anyway thebright sunlightwouldshineoffourdazzlingwhites andredandgreenbaldricssowewouldbeseen.Weknewwhere tostandas our fiddler Jim Hoare (nearest the camera in both photographs) wastherein1954.Willy the Hobbyhorse has beenretiredforsomeyearsnowandisstabledattheMarlipinsMuseuminShorehamforsafekeeping:hegotquite upset when Chanctonbury tradedhiminforanewdragonintheearly1960s.Well,thedragondoeseatlotsofmoney!Astheoriginalskirt material is quite fragile, a newbodyandskirtwasmadeforWilly,andthemuseumgenerouslyallowed his head out for the day.ItwasjockeyedbyJohnGoddard

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The Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men, at Fulking, 1954Photo:©andcourtesyof‘The Times’ newspaper

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whojoinedChanctonburyin1955.The Man/Woman was a problem.We contacted Alec Davey whotook the part in 1954, althoughhewouldbeable tocome for thephotograph he felt unable to takethe part of the Man/Woman – asheno longerhad thedress.Quiteby chance, one of our membersGavin Bayfield (regular readers of The Morris Ring Circular will recallthereportsofhisoutlandishactivities at the Bathampton Ring meeting last year), said his sister ‘Gavina’ would be keen and shehad a handbag. Unconfirmed reports from numerous unnamedsources suggest she was wearingtwo ‘Bonny Green Garters!’ Of the men in the original side,only 4 still remain – Jim Hoare(fiddle player), John Portlock and

Paul Plumb (dancing 2 and 6) and Alec Davey (the Man/Woman). The remaining participants fromthat day, I am sad to report havepassedaway.Iwillendwiththeweather.For1stMay1954,theTimesdailyweatherforecaststatedthattherewouldbea Depression over the SouthernEngland, with a Moderate South-westwind, veeringNorth-west orNorth.Cloudy, rain at times.Andthe Midday temperature 50-52deg.[That’llbeFahrenheit,forthemodernMorrisManitsapprox10Celsius].NotidealMorrisDancingweatherIhearyousay,butit’lldo!Itwasjustthesamethisyear.ChanctonburyMenintheoriginalphotographareJim Hoare, Michael Nutt andArthur Edwards fiddles

Dancers 1, Geoff Biggs. 2, John Portlock. 3, Tony Woods. 4,Richard Trigwell.5,Derekpeachy.6PaulPlumb.TakingphotographMikeNashWillytheHobbyhorsePaulMorrisMan/WomanAlecDaveyFoolIanScott-Walker

In the 2010 photograph the menare: Jim Hoare fiddle. Doug Parott melodeon; Brian Cooper concertina; John Grzegorzekhidden, but you can see hismelodeon!Dancers 1, Sean Goddard. 2 DonFaulkner. 3 Keith Willis. 4 ColinSansom. 5 Mike Bloxsome. 6 Wal Jarvis.Willy the Hobbyhorse JohnGoddardMan/Woman ‘Gavina’ Bayfield

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...continuing: Following in the Footsteps

Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men, Fulking, 2010 Photo: Roz South.