Morris

Old morris dancers don't die.

And here is 'The Rose Tree'


and the 'Bonny Green Garters'

What you have to understand is these blokes start the first dance at 8.30 am and dance more or less continuously all day in various gardens and public places round the village till 6.30 pm. (break for lunch and tea). At 6.30, a few visiting teams, from other parts of the country, dance and then our lot do a few more. The oldest dancer now is only about 55 but Francis Shergold (above)was still dancing in his late seventies. Also, this team is one of three remaining in the country who's Whit Monday tradition has been unbroken since the eighteenth century (I'm guessing but I think that's about right). while other teams gave up and vanished, only to be revived by earnest young men in later years, in this village, they just kept on dancing year after year, ignoring the mockery and derision of the modern world. (during the war, women danced instead of blokes). It's a *very* chauvinistic activity. It is, in fact, history on the hop...skip.
Well they deserve a bit of a pat on the back that's all.
OK. that's enough morris. Promise :)

Till next year.