The Newsletter No.58 October 2008

Out with the old and in with the new at Dartington

Brian Tasker (above, right), of Hartley Morris Men & Castleford Longsword became the Squire of the Morris Ring, taking the Staff of Office over from Paul Reece (above,left), of Thaxted Morris Men, at the 316^th Morris Ring Meeting in Totnes town square on Sunday August 7^th. Brian will be Squire for the next two years.

 

Dartington was a wonderful Morris Ring meeting and I could not have wished for a finer occasion at which to dance in as the new Squire of the Morris Ring. I look forward to working with you all during the next two years to ensure that our dancing tradition, in all its various forms, continues for the enjoyment of future generations.

Handing on the staff of office

 

See film of the handover as four videos on a playlist at YouTube
A (very large - 138MB) continuous MPEG4 version is also available on the Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/Morris_Ring_New_Squire_Sept2008

Massed Dances

One of my first duties as Squire of the Morris Ring is to select those dances that I hope to see performed as part of the massed displays at Morris Ring events.

My initial thoughts were based on the general idea that the objective is to achieve uniformity between dancers from different sides. I now, however, appreciate that whilst this might have been possible twenty years ago it is no longer achievable or even perhaps desirable as sides have evolved their own sometimes subtle and sometimes radically different interpretations of what used to be considered standard dances. Therefore, in order to avoid the show looking like poor quality scratch Morris I needed to find about ten dances which are:

1. Interesting for the audience to watch
2. Provide a balance between stick and handkerchief dances
3. Are danced reasonably consistently by all sides
4. Provide some variations to those chosen by Paul
5. Ones I like dancing

After much deliberation, discussion and soul-searching my final list is therefore:

Those with singing add contrast and audience impact!

New Look Annual Representatives Meeting

Friday 6^th to Sunday 8^th March 2009

Longslade Community College, Wanlip Lane, Birstall LE4 4GH - Multimap Link

In an attempt to attract a wider participation in this central plank of our organisation the Advisory Council suggested that we combine the important business element of the weekend with some instructionals. Not with the intention of showing how things ought to be done but to give participants the opportunity to see and learn one interpretation. We unashamedly want to lure more people to attend the event to both introduce them to our democratic processes and to help keep the costs down as economies of scale work with this as with any other meeting. As previously explained men can attend only for the instructional elements and attend the ARM if they so wish, or attend only the ARM joining the instructional element if they so wish. All in all we hope that the combined event will remain the pleasant sociable weekend surrounding the ARM as has become the recent tradition.

We hope there will also be a strong representation for the weekend by the various specialist Morris Ring Archivists with examples of their collections on display. Their individual reports will have been circulated prior to the weekend so there will be ample opportunity to informally as well as formally ask questions, make suggestions and offer help in this important area.

The provisional programme looks like this:

Friday evening.
The usual mixture of informal conversation, interspersed with dancing, singing and drinking as the mood takes you. There will be facilities for showing archive film and data-projection of photographs.

Saturday
7.30 - 8.30 Breakfast
9.00 - 10.30 Instructional Session 1
10.30 - 11.00 Coffee break
11.00 - 12.00 Instructional Session 2
12.15 - 1.00 Buffet lunch
13.15 - 16.30 Annual Reps. Meeting
16.30 - 17.00 Tea break
17.00 - 18.15 Instructional Session 3 /Advisory Council Meeting.
19.00 - FEAST (followed by informal dancing/singing)

Sunday
8.00 - 9.00 Breakfast & departure

Planned Instructionals
1. Longsword (Tutor: Barry Evans of Castleford)
2. Illmington Tradition.' from the point of view of the current generation of dancers of that village.

We are in negotiations concerning of an extra 'special' event so timings may change - watch this space.

The Morris Ring has become a member of FolkArts England. This is both a supportive and lobbying organisation which has amongst other things, strong links with the Cultural Olympiad.

Morris Ring Meeting hosted by Whitchurch - Lovely unsolicited comment:

My Mum and Dad have asked if I would send an email on their behalf with regard to your Morris Ring meeting on the 6^th July in Cheddington. They thoroughly enjoyed your performance and found it such a novel and wonderful experience watching your dance in the church. It made for an unusual but lovely Sunday. Thank you!

Morris Photos

Thirty years ago Bill Smith, a young newspaper photographer in Stevenage, put together a superb exhibition of Morris photos, which he's recently re-published on the internet, at http://www.onemansmorris.com/gallery.html and should interest many of you.

Moulton Village Festival

Teams who came to this years Moulton Village Festival might like to view the short Penkat video of the weekend on their website www.moultonmorrismen.com and follow the Festival link. Ignore the first five second commercial bit!

Standards: The presentation of the Morris

Sally Atkinson, an extremely experienced and well-respected dancer and teacher recently ruffled a few feathers right across the Morris community when she sent a letter to all three Morris Organisations commenting upon poor standards of presentation, costume / kit and dancing. The tone of her letter can be judged from the extracts I quote below:

I am writing with great and mounting concern about how our much loved and respected dance traditions are being disrespected, not only by some members of the public who know no better, but disturbingly, by the dancers themselves!

"described a team of fat, old men in tatty kit, wandering around with no energy"

To me, there are two issues here. One is the fact that as soon as you dance in public (how ever large the audience), you are conveying the image of morris dancing (the public lumps us all together as ‘morris). The other is the disrespect the dancers themselves are showing for their own traditions

There is a place for doing the odd daft dance with balloons, buckets and spades etc and that is in front of peers who (a) know how good you dance normally, and (b) know the difference between serious dancing and a fun spot.

I once told some morris dancing friends of mine (in the nicest possible way!) that their kit was looking tired, they agreed, and had new baldricks and badges made. What a difference it made. Good on them! And they knew that my telling them was because I cared about their team, not because I wanted to be critical or make them feel bad. It is in fact, not difficult to raise standards, a kit overhaul, watching lines, turning together and getting off the ground.

There are many ways to solve the problem ...(and) ... the morris organizations need to be involved (Good teams) have standards, they teach people to dance in their style and to their standard and people are given kit when they are ready. .. everyone should aim for excellent and be achieving at least good. Certainly not adequate or very poor indeed.

A supportive response to Sally and all Member and Associate sides of the Morris Ring:

From time to time complaints are heard about sides whose public performances fall short of the standard we would all like to see. When we dance we are presenting to the public a tradition with an ancient pedigree and one which we hope will continue long into the future. The impression the public take away with them could well determine whether we have a future or not.

The easiest aspect is the quality of our kit. Tatty hats, creased shirts and handkerchiefs, dirty shoes, etc., all convey a poor image. Then there is the question of our behaviour in public. We all like a drink while we are dancing but over indulgence presents a shocking impression to the audience. Finally there is the question of the quality of the dancing itself. This will always vary from side to side and we cannot hope, as we get older, to continue to dance like twenty year olds. Nevertheless, we can still strive to dance well and give a good account of ourselves. The public will make allowance for age but not for downright poor dancing. There will come a time for all of us when we must make the painful decision to stop dancing in public.

If you feel that your side needs help in any way to improve the standard of your dancing please contact me. Within the Morris Ring we have a vast pool of expertise and we will find someone who can give you whatever help you need.

Morris Ring Meetings and Women musicians

I have been concerned for a long time about the number of Morris Ring sides who do not participate in Morris Ring meetings. One of the reasons for this is that a sizeable number of sides have women musicians.

I considered various possibilities which might have allowed such sides to attend Morris Ring meetings again, while respecting the views of those who would prefer that Morris Ring meetings remain all male events. I drafted a proposal which I discussed with my fellow Morris Ring officers and then with the Morris Ring Advisory Council. I received some support from the Advisory Council but the overwhelming response was that I should not pursue my ideas at the present time. A number of reasons were put forward but the one I finally accepted was that my proposal might not achieve the objective of greater participation in Morris Ring meetings and end up having the opposite effect by splitting the Morris Ring. This I felt was a risk I could not afford to take.

Joint Morris Organisations

Cultural Olympiad

On 24th August 2008 the Cultural Olympiad was launched in the regions. A comment from Paul Reece:

MORRIS INTO SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS INTO MORRIS.

One aspect of East Suffolk's 50th Anniversary events was the two day children's festival held at Kesgrave Sports Centre, near Ipswich on 10th and 11th July. The event attracted over 800 school children and was brilliantly organised and delivered by Dick Thornborrow of East Suffolk Morris Men.

The event used to be staged as part of the Felixstowe Folk Festival as was, which gave school children the chance to learn and experience different aspects of the folk tradition, not least the Morris, in the capable hands of East Suffolk.

As this link was sadly broken and a generation of school children have largely lost out on being introduced to the folk tradition through dance and song, this initiative by Dick and East Suffolk has to be applauded and built upon.

Having witnessed what can be achieved with this and the work done by Ouse Washes Molly in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire Schools to reintroduce the dances and myths and legends of the Fenlands over the last five years, these would seem to form the successful basis for developing an educational programme, one offshoot of which would possibly lead to performances as part of the Eastern Region Cultural Olympiad over the next four years.

The Morris Ring, along with the Morris Federation and the Open Morris as the JMO now need to get the same sort of thing happening in the South East, the Cotswolds, the Welsh Border, the North West, Yorkshire and the North East where we can tap into the traditions of those areas thus returning that culture through the children to their parents.

There are now pictures of the event along with other Jubilee events available on this website eastsuffolkmorris.com under the Jubilee link.

THE VISION CONTINUES

As the Dartington Morris Ring Meeting brings to a close this years Morris Ring Meetings and my period as Squire it enables me to take a look at what has been achieved during my two years of office and what still needs to be done.

The legacy of any Squire is to leave the Morris Ring and the status of Morris Dancing in a better shape than when they found it. The Squire needs to be able to read the conditions and cultural signs of change and know when and how to stimulate that climate to be more favourable for the Morris Dance to thrive and for the people and indeed a nation to take it to their hearts as an important element of national identity and culture. That moment when these changes can take place is now. I honestly believe that there is a new confidence, vision and positive focus for the future that will enable us to deliver our objectives by 2012.

Never has the media been more supportive, in some ways even doing our job for us, in keeping Morris Dancing in the public spotlight and alive in the popular imagination. Seized by an idea and a vision that brings Art and Sport together, or more specifically Morris Dancing and Sport together, the media have run and run with it to the point where Lord Coe when put on the spot for an idea to compete and even better the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games, his reply was, "5000 Morris Dancers". I rest my case.

This change does not happen by chance, or overnight. It has to be worked at by continued lobbying and putting the case for what has become identified as our native dance needing to be part of our national profile, a symbol of the enduring spirit of what we are all about. If we have the imagination and vision to project this spirit to the people, nation and the wider world we need to start now to make it a reality.

Our core objectives for achieving this need to include the setting up of:

1. A Morris Public Relations forum and website to deliver our message.
2. Specially trained, regional, crack display and demonstration youth sides to go into schools and perform at important events and competitions, including the regional Cultural Olympiads and the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Games.
3. An educational programme to return our native dances to the curriculum of our schools and make amends for the break in a generation of young people having no ownership of their culture, no understanding of it and unable to participate in it.

Magic of the Morris?
Asked by a reporter why do I do the Morris? Does it matter if it dies out? I wish I had thought quickly enough to quote Past Squire of the Morris Ring who recently wrote:

...its that moment of magic in a dance which occurs on certain occasions when each dancer in the performance feels the potency of the dynamics involved coming out in them because that set is moving as a single unified expression of music and movement, and at such moments they all feel it together. It is strange but often the magic reaches those watching and they realise the moment is special too. It doesn't happen every dance, or even often, but good sides reach it often enough to share the wonderful pleasure it brings.

CELEBRATING BRITISHNESS - THE BRITISH BANK HOLIDAY

This was sent to The Times in response to the Britishness debate and the suggested British Bank Holiday to coincide with the Olympics and what may or may not be appropriate as British. Sadly they did not publish it - so I will:

The notion of designating one of our bank holidays to celebrate Britishness is a curious one. May Day Games, Whitsun Ales in particular have traditionally like the various regional guises of the Morris dance been a pan European phenomenon, whose vestiges stretch in a broad swathe from the Basque and Catalan regions of Spain through Europe, North Africa eastwards to India. The idea from the historian David Starkey, that to celebrate with Morris dancing is wrong anyway, its just an English thing, misses the point. Its survival is perhaps richest, more varied and complete in England, but its regional cultural variety throughout our islands, especially northward to Scotland where in Perth the Glovers Guild performed Morris dancing for Charles 1 and earlier for James and Mary Queen of Scots suggest that the Morris was an accepted part of the Scottish Court before that of the English Court. The Morris Dance and tune Highland Mary amplifies the Scottish link. Should Andrew Marr's head come out of the clouds and gaze back Scotswards and come down to earth over Banchory-Ternan he would see the Morris performed by this Scots side over much of North East Scotland. Similarly if Chancellor Darling sailed his boat from Lewis round to Papa Stour off Shetland, he would be pleased to learn that its sword dance is still performed throughout Britain at no cost. Perhaps Gordon Brown knows more than we give him credit for. As Lord Coes response for London to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games was "5000 Morris Dancers", this is around the average number of Morris dancers performing on any bank holiday, May Day, St Georges Day or Boxing Day nationally. The Whitsun Dover Games near Chipping Campden founded on its Cotswold Olympics of 1612, the earlier Cornish Games at Halgavor near Bodmin and the many Highland Games are traditional manifestations of the holiday sporting competition and rivalry that has always been part of this sporting and dancing nation. A visit to Bampton, Oxfordshire on the late May bank holiday is to witness the true spirit of what a bank holiday can be like or even better still visit Padstow on May Day. As for my own Morris side Thaxted, we have an unbroken tradition in the town of having danced every bank holiday since 1926.

Recruitment - Hartley Style

Recruitment: On 19^th September Hartley (Morris Ring) and Invicta (Morris Federation ) ran a joint "have a go at the Morris " evening. Three men and four ladies turned up and they had a very enjoyable evening. Afterwards, Invicta had a chat with the ladies and encouraged them to join them and Hartley took the men down to the pub for a pint. All three men are in their forties which is the target age for our mature side. A useful cooperative recruiting initiative mirroring at side / club level the cooperation that we have for several years enjoyed at JMO level. Well done.

 

2008 Longsword Tournament and Day of Dance

Saturday 4th October, Derby

12.00 Noon Welcome at the Guildhall Theatre
12:30-2:30pm Dancing in Derby city centre Cornmarket & St. Peters Street
3:00pm Longsword Dance Tournament at the Guildhall Theatre
Order of performance:

1. Ryburn Longsword
2. Newcastle Kingsmen
3. Stone Monkey Sword Dancers
4. Lord Conyers Morris Men
5. Ryburn Longsword (youth team)
6. Essex longsword girls
7. Sir Harrys Sword
8. Redcar Sword Dancers
9. Grenoside Sword Dancers
10. Sallyport Sword Dancers
11. Triskele Sword

Followed by Presentation of awards

Leicester Morrismen

Photo of Geoff Halford Esq. - long time fiddler for Leicester Morrismen and singer of renown - blowing away the years on the occasion of his 80^th Birthday.

Geoff has not retired - he played for the dancing as he does every week and performed the Fiddlers Jig.

Geoff does not like real cake so this was a carefully decorated round of fine Leicestershire Stilton Cheese.

Travels of the Squire Elect

Sidmouth
There was a good showing of Morris Ring sides on Sunday morning on the Esplanade. I saw Plymouth (complete with cutlasses), Exeter, Kennet, Mendip, Bourne River and Dartington. I understand that Bathampton and Faithful City were also there but I didn't see them dance.

In the (John Gasson) jigs competition the Morris Ring was represented by Andy Wilson of West Somerset who danced I'll Go and Enlist while accompanying himself on the fiddle, and by John Maher who danced Ladies Pleasure accompanied by his daughter, Joanna, of Pecsaeton Morris.

USA
On his recent trip to the USA Brian spent an evening with the Pinewoods Morris Men.
He reports:

The Pinewood's Morris Men joined the Morris Ring following a trip to Pinewoods camp by Nibs Matthews. He was very keen for them to form a regular side and give dance displays in public. They are still the only Morris Ring side in the USA. They dance regularly in the Boston area of New England but it is many years since they have visited the UK. Their bagman, Shag Graetz, has spent time here including a year when he danced with the Bedford Morris Men. He is dancing No 2 in the photo. Tom Kruskal, who is dancing No 3, runs a rapper club for youngsters which regularly enters sides in the annual Dancing England Rapper Tournament. The photo was taken in Concord, Massachusetts in July this year.

Treasurers Ramblings

Annual Subscriptions:
My grateful thanks to those that have taken the initiative to set up a Bankers Standing Order to ensure that your future Morris Ring annual subscriptions are dealt with on time. What price peace of mind eh? The take up on this was less than steady to start with but is increasing as our members and associates enter into their respective AGM season.

With (the paper copy) of the Morris Ring newsletter you will find your Annual subscription / registration form. For those of you who are not able to flit across to payment by BSO in time for the 30^th November deadline. Worry ye not! We can still accept cheques in the old fashioned way. If you are one of the growing number of sides that has already, or is about to, set up your BSO, do please complete the top section of the registration form and return the same to me. The information this will contain is essential to the continued smooth running of our organisation. If you have any queries or are experiencing any problems with all this, you know where I am.

The Letchworth CDs (formerly known as The Letchworth Tapes):
As earlier reported, this mammoth undertaking is now progressing at a pace. By the time this publication reaches you, all proof copies for editing will be with the duplicators. Most of the design and art work is completed after having to undergo a considerable amount of re-writing in order to bring every thing into our time. I was hoping to have some prices ready for you with this Newsletter. Alas, we have run out of time and this has not been possible. However, it is hoped, I emphasize hoped, to be able to produce all of the below listed CDs at a retail price of £8.00 for a single CD and £12.00 for a double.

• LMM CD 1 Morris Dance Selection (Single)
• LMM CD 2 Kenworthy Schofield / Mike Chandler MDs (Single)
• LMM CD 3 Lichfield and Ducklington MDs (Single)
• LMM CD 4 & 5 Headington MDs (Double)
• LMM CD 6 Bucknell MDs (Single)
• LMM CD 7 & 8 Bledington MDs (Double)
• LMM CD 9 & 9a LongboroughMDs (Double)
• LMM CD 10 &11 Fieldtown MDs (Double)
• LMM CD 12 Brackley & Hinton MDs (Single)
• LMM CD 13 Rapper (Single)
• LMM CD 14 & 14a Sherborne MDs (Double)
• LMM CD 15 Ascot-U-Wychwood & Oddington MDs (Single)

Once all of the above is completed and therefore made available to you, we hope to venture onto the creating of an LMM CD16 to include some of the dance tunes not currently listed. I will have more news and fuller details for you with the Christmas Newsletter. My grateful thanks go to Mike Chandler for all the time and effort he is putting into this.

An Index of the Meetings of the Morris Ring

This list, initially put together by Chris Metherell and others for the Morris Ring website, appeared as a centrefold. Apposite for the Morris Ring's 75th Birthday! Here it is available as a link - www.themorrisring.org/previous_rings.html

The Morris Ring Musicians Instructional

Whitchurch Morris Men will be continuing their celebrations of their 60^th anniversary with a special Autumn Feast. on Saturday 8^th November at Wilstone Village Hall. Dancing after lunch on Saturday, through to evening feast, and overnight indoor/outdoor camping for those who wish to stay. This will form part of The Morris Ring Musicians Instructional that weekend 7^th- 9^th November.

Full details and application form here

Big National Ceilidh

This is not Morris but it is related. Think Globally - Dance Locally

On Saturday 18th October the English Folk Dance and Song Society is pleased to host Mr Gubbins' Bicycle band with caller John Kirkpatrick at Cecil Sharp House. Other performers include John Kirkpatrick, Benji Kirkpatrick, Jobie Kirkpatrick, Sally Kirkpatrick and Martin Britnell. The event is part of the Big National Ceilidh, when in cities, towns and villages all over the country, thousands of people will simultaneously be dancing to the music of live bands - local events with a national significance.

Each event will be locally organised and distinctive, but two main elements will bind them together:

• the proceeds from all the events will be given the charity, WaterAid;
• at 22.00 all the bands will be playing the same tune ("Jamie Allen") and as many people as possible will be dancing The Circassian Circle.

Join in the fun for an excellent cause. The ceilidh is open to people of all ages with absolutely no experience necessary! Further information and tickets available from http://folkshop.efdss.org Full information about the whole national event from www.bignationalceilidh.co.uk

Etcetera Morris Men

An open invitation: Are some of your younger members going to University in or around London? Do they want to keep up with their Morris studies? Then why not pass on our details. Etcetera Morris Men are keenly looking for dancers and musicians to help keep the side going. We are based in Enfield on the outskirts of North London and are easily accessible by:

Bus: the 121, 191, 192, 231, 307, 313, 317 and 329 all go to Enfield Town.

Rail: three stations are close to where we practice ' Southbury, Enfield Town, and Enfield Chase.

Road: just off the A10 and 10 minutes from Junction 25 of the M25.

We meet on a Monday night (during Enfield school term times) in the Enfield Professional Development Centre, Kimberley Gardens, Enfield, EN1 3SN between 20:00 and 22:00. More details (such as practice evening dates and our contact details) can be found on our website: www.etcmorrismen.org.uk. Thanks!

Fools and Beasts Unconvention 2009: Last call

Concern has been raised about the lack of good fooling. Some "fools" simply walk around the set in a funny costume, while at the other extreme some fools run their own show distracting the audience from the dancing. Many sides have no fool at all. Class fools are those that relate to the dance, bridging the gap between audience and dancers and so getting the audience emotionally involved in the dance.

If you would like an opportunity to meet with other Fools and Beasts to swop ideas and to simply learn from others as you develop your own Foolish or Beastly persona this Unconvention is for you. It is a wonderful blend of a fun get together and serious learning..

Just had confirmation from Henning that the dates for Utrecht Unconvention will be 23-25 Oktober (sic) 2009.

Jigs Instructional

16^th'18^th January 2009.
Sutton Bonington Village Hall

Following the success and obvious demand for a dual-sessioned approach covering beginners and experience dancers this will form the basis of this intensive, but highly entertaining weekend where you get a chance to be an individual and get to know fellow dancers from as far afield as Banchory and Bodmin.

Whether you are a relatively new dancer needing to work on your stepping and hand movements, or a more experienced dancer with bad habits in need of an MOT, retune and a chance to work again on your stepping and hand movements, the jigs instructional provides the ideal opportunity to improve as an individual dancer and to enrich your teams dance repertoire with the most concentrated and individually expressive form of the Morris, the jig.

Give the rest of your team a bit more of a rest and your audiences a bit more variety.One and two man jigs and jigs for multiple dancers may well be the answer. The main morris traditions will be covered plus several others. Every side should give it a go and every new recruit should be sent to the weekend to learn what the Morris is really about.

Application form included at the end of this Newsletter but for more information

Morris in the Media 1

Morris and Deviancy.

The latest slant on 'you should try everything once except incest and morris dancing', (quoted by Andrew Marr in the Britishness Debate in The Sunday Times 14.09.08) was used by the critic AA Gill when he described 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles as: 'a mordant story of snobbery, social climbing, rape, debauchery, lies, lust and morris dancing'.

Earlier in the same piece Gill wisely recalled his father's favourite old German saying 'If we do as our fathers did, we don't do as our fathers did'. This he divines as meaning:

'that to continue with traditions, re-enactments, revivals and doing things because that's the way they've always been done is never to be like the original, because, by its very nature, that won't be original'.(The Sunday Times Culture Supplement 21.09.08 p.16-17) Now that really could apply to morris dancing.

Morris in the Media 2

The Whitchurch Morris Men appeared on GMTV's Richard Arnold show on Friday 1st August. The recording was done at the Full Moon at Hawridge Common ( Between Tring and Chesham). Richard interviewed Leonard Pepper, Kitted himself out in whites and Whitchurch lent him the Bells and other kit.

He had instruction from Mike Chandler and danced in the middle of the set with John Bush. Squire Richard Moorhouse called the dance.

Their Green Man Peter Rollason was as usual giving out the fertility cake and landlord Peter Alberto was appropriately serving the beer from the Whitchurch jug.

Morris in the Media 3

From the Daily Telegraph 17^th Sept 2008
Morris dancing, alcohol and bad jokes fuel Britishness
Morris dancing: only fun if the crowd isn't entirely sober?

Sir, The Governments suggestion that we celebrate Britishness with a days drinking in association with other activities has merit (report, September 15).
The entertainment value of Morris dancing is increased when a few participants fall over, and any discussion of community matters becomes more productive.
Gordon Haines, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Sir, Anyone still searching for the definition of Britishness need look no further than the Proms in the Park.
Forty thousand people queued patiently, carrying picnic baskets, rugs and chairs. They bought exorbitantly priced flags, most of which had been assembled upside down, and waved them assiduously at every opportunity. They laughed at Terry Wogan, and even Aled Jones. They would probably have endured Morris dancing and plain chant.
They consumed a great deal of alcohol, but the only rowdy behaviour occurred under official sanction when they roared along with one voice to Rule Britannia.
Sally Gibbons London SW5

Morris in the Media 4 In the beginning ..

The Gloucestershire Morris Men, like many Morris sides, are a splendid bunch of chaps but like many Morris sides are an ageing population. For a couple of years now we have agonised about how to ensure that our tradition continues when we are all in our dotage. Our age profile is that we had one brilliant 24-year old dancer, who has now moved away, a couple of chaps in their 30s, a couple more in their 40s and the rest in the 50-75 (sic) age group. We are passionate about our dancing and about continuing the tradition, especially as we live in the Cotswolds and specialise in the dances collected in that county, having carried out extensive research. Like many Morris sides, we have regular trips abroad, including this year a trip to a town festival in Spanish Catalonia. Whilst there we observed how the local folk dance teams plan their succession by having a main side plus youth sides of varying ages and this helped to concentrate our minds. In Spain as the dancers get older they move up to the older sides! We also noticed how the local dance teams are taken seriously by the local population and also how well our Morris went down, again as we were taken seriously as representing our own, English, tradition.

After some brief discussion at our recent AGM, our newest and also one of our youngest recruits sent off a couple of emails to the press, which has certainly caused a ripple effect through the media. It was taken up by the local press, the Gloucestershire Echo and then by a couple of radio stations Five Live and Talk Sport. The Daily Telegraph printed this on 30^th Sept 2008:

Morris dancing under threat from lack of young blood By Richard Savill

THE English tradition of morris dancing could die out if more young people cannot be persuaded to take up the ancient art, a countys dancers have warned.

Gloucestershire Morris Men made a plea for the younger generation to join in the social pastime, which is believed to date back to the 15^th century.

Lee Powell, one of its members, said:

At present we have an ageing side, apart from a few young dancers. We are desperate to keep this proud English tradition alive, so we are now looking to attract new dancers.

A Morris dance is a form of English folk dance, usually accompanied by music. Objects including sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs are wielded by the dancers.

The Western Daily Press is now running with the story and is planning to send a press crew down to our next practice to film and photograph the practice and to interview some of the chaps. We welcome this as it is an opportunity to put a positive spin on Morris as opposed to the usual childish mocking attitude taken by the media.

At the same time, the Gloucestershire Morris Men are planning to set up an associated youth side. While this is still in the planning stage ideas that have emerged so far are that we should hold out the carrots of interesting foreign travel, performance at festivals and other high profile events, comradeship and a good social life, coupled with the satisfaction that they are helping to keep an English tradition alive. We will keep you posted on this scheme as it develops.

Following the appearance of this article I was phoned by the Daily Mirror asking lots of very positive questions. He wanted a comment on the story on the wire that Gloucester Morrismen were seeking new young recruits or they would fade away. He told me that he had already arranged to go along to a practice with Woodside MM who are based in Watford to learn how to Morris Dance for his article. I talked about how all three Morris organisations share the problem of an aging profile of many sides and the importance of encouraging youngsters to join. I referred to the frequently negative media image, mentioning Lord Coes apparently throw-away comment about 5,000 morris dancers at the opening of the 2012 Olympics. I used this to bring up our hope to get into schools- possibly as part of the National Curriculum sport/ exercise requirements.

This is wonderful and potentially very positive publicity but as this Newsletter goes to print I have no idea what will eventually hit the headlines.

I have also been contacted by our local evening paper, The Leicester Mercury, and they are going to send a photographer along to our next practice evening ' to take photos of our side of under 25 year olds practicing! Thanks Gloucester ' Leicester certainly are going to capitalise on this as much as possible.

If you gain any publicity and / or new recruits can you please let your Morris Ring Area Reps and myself know. Newspaper cuttings and photographs gratefully received for the Newsletter.

Reminder: Pipe and Tabor Players

Morris Musicians Workshop: Pipe and Tabor - The Original Morris Instrument

Whether you are an experienced taborer, or thinking about learning, this is the workshop for you.
Sunday 26^th October 10am to 4pm
Pitchcombe Village Hall,
Pitchcombe, Stroud,
Gloucestershire.
£12 includes lunch.

To book contact Steve Rowley 01453 763181 or email:

Further details of all three can be found on: www.pipeandtabor.org

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Joint Morris Organisation (JMO)

I hope that you are by now aware just how closely we are working with our sister Morris Organisations: The Open Morris and The Morris Federation. Whilst retaining our individual identities, in areas of common interest the three organisations cooperate to our mutual benefit, as demonstrated a few years ago over the issue of Morris and the Licensing legislation. Building on this initiative, we now have biannual joint dance events, send representatives to each others AGMs and the various Officers correspond regularly.

In addition to our JMO insurance (Public Liability and Personal Accident); Performing Rights Society Music Licence and the bulk purchase of Morris bells, the JMO is currently working towards presenting a common front concerning the Cultural Olympiad (see Paul Reece's article) and any potential input into events surrounding the 2012 Olympics. Watch this space!

To further this spirit of cooperation, you might like to read the current Newsletters of our fellow Morris organisations by visiting their websites:

http://www.mfnewsletter.info/ and http://www.open-morris.org/index.html

Rattle Up My Boys

Click here to see the cover of the new edition of RUMB, then use your browser to increase the image size so that you can read the print!). Castleford are dancing the fourth figure of Boosbeck, not the Escrick dance as stated. If you don't subscribe, then it is a good £7.50's worth for four editions.

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And finally I leave you with this thought:

I was having trouble with my computer. I was moaning about it to my next door neighbour when his 11 year old son, who is bit of a computer anorak, butted in and offered to have a look at it. He came in, clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.
Astounded I thanked him and as he leaving I asked him "So, what was wrong?"
He replied, "It was an ID ten T error."
I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, "An, ID ten
T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again."
He grinned.... "Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error? Write it down and you will understand.
So I did .......

Future Dates:

2009

For details please see the link at http://www.themorrisring.org/rings.html, all of Charlie's files with details of the 2009 events and meetings have been put into this link.

2009 THE MORRIS RINGS 75^th ANNIVERSARY

6^th - 8^th March ARM Hosted By Leicester Morrismen (See above)

28^th March Nottingham Revels - JMO event Hosted by the Open Morris.

29^th May - 31^st May 317 Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting

12^th - 14^th June 318 Hartley Morris Ring Meeting Wrotham in West Kent

24^th - 26^th July 319 Exeter Morris Ring Meeting

21^st - 23^rdAug. 320 Men of Wight Morris Ring Meeting Based in Cowes

4^th -6^thSept 321 Bathampton MM "Double Diamond Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting

2010

Notice the gaps here! Is your side going to host a meeting in 2010, or 2011, or 2012?

5^th - 7^th March (?) ARM Hosted by TBA

30^th April - 2^nd May Helmond MMs 75^th Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting

4^th June - 6^th June Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting

TBA Croydon (Northwood) Morris Ring Meeting

2011

4^th - 6^th March (?) ARM Hosted By TBA

3^rd June ~ 5^th June Thaxted Centenary Morris Ring Meeting

Bristol 60^th Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting

2012

3^rd - 5^th March (?) ARM Hosted by TBA

25^th - 27^th May Chipping Campden Cotswold Olympic Morris Ring Meeting

1^st June - 3^rd June Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting

27^th - 29^th July Hartley 60^th Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting

2013

? March ARM Hosted by TBA

31^st May - 2^nd June Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting

? Dolphin Morris Men

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