May I start for
apologising for the fact that I just did not find the time to reply
to you comments last week. Must try and do better!
Many years ago, I found
myself working alongside a chap called Ken Hudson. His spare time
seemed to be divided by two very different activities. He refereed
football matches (and there are few sports more popular than soccer
in this country) and he was a member of the Dartington Morris Men –
a Morris Side that is (as the name suggests) based in Dartington –
(and there can be few activities less popular than Morris dancing in
this country).
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| My friend Ken Hudson, left, with Robin Springett with the Royal Castle in the background. |
After a while we both
moved on as people do and we lost touch. That was about twenty-five
years ago. Then, a week or so back we received a lovely surprise: a
letter from him. Ken is still a member of the Dartington side but I
have yet to ask whether he still referees the odd soccer match. I
will next time I see him.
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| Adam Garland |
Nobody really knows
when Morris dancing as it is now practised started but there are
written records dating back to the 1400's which mention them and then
there is this from the mouth of another member of the Dartington
side, Christopher Farr.
'According to hear-say
in the Cotswold village where I was brought up (Chipping Campden in
Gloucestershire) Morris Dancing first came to England in 1367 when
the dance was brought back by troops in John of Gaunt's army after
the battle of Najera, which is in Northern Spain.'.
This could well be the
case (and some say the name derives from 'Moorish dancing' – Spain
had been occupied by the Moors from about 700 ad until the mid-1700's
and their influence is evident to this day both in architecture and
culture. However it started, it is a tradition with a history of over
five hundred years.
The Dartington Morris
Men follow the Cotswold tradition (there are other slightly different
traditions who practice different but similar dances) and so are
member of The Morris Ring which is an association of the sides that
follow the Cotswold way. The boss man in Morris Dancing is known as
the 'Squire' and so it is that the top man in the Morris Ring carries
that title. The Squire of the Ring serves for two years and then
hands over to someone else over two events. The first is a feast
during which the old Squire gives his successor the Chain of Office
and the Badge. The second is a ritual during which the outgoing
Squire dances himself out, the incoming Squire dances himself in and
then receives the Staff from his predecessor.
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| On the left a retired rocket scientist (Jim Gailer) with a retired tree surgeon (Peter Metcalf). And what do they have in common? They are both members of the Wessex Morris Men |
Now it happens that Ken
is the Squire of the Dartington side and another member of that side,
Robin Springett, was the Squire of the Ring and his two year term was
up last week-end. The Morris Ring members descended on Dartmouth for
the week end: the feast was held on the Saturday evening and the
second part of the ritual – the hand over to Adam Garland from the
East Suffiolk Morris Men – took place on Sunday in the Royal
Avenue Gardens.
Marcia and I toddled
off down to Dartmouth to watch the proceedings and to enable me to
take some video. Click here if you want to see that video.
Most countries have
some form of traditional culture and most treasure it – but in England it is far from treasured. During one of the lulls, Marcia was chatting to Anthony
Frost, a cabinet maker from Sherborne who belongs to the Wessex
Morris Men, and they were wondering why that should be the case. In
Ireland, Scotland and Wales the old traditions are being kept very
firmly alive and it would be nice to think it was the same in England: perhaps it will become so once again.
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| Marcia with Anthony Frost |
Final thought:
everything comes out in a book sooner or later. I will leave you to
brood on that.
Two dogs for the price of one this week. Please note: these are not just any old blog dogs - they are Morris Men Blog Dogs.
