See list of Honorary Life Members and Friends of the Morris Federation.
David Armitage – Honorary Life Member (2026)
Nomination by Belles of London City Morris at our AGM in 2026:
We would like to nominate David ‘Daisy’ Armitage for Honorary Life Membership of The Morris Federation. He currently plays melodeon with The Belles of London City and has invested a huge amount of time and energy into the side over the past few years, something which we’ve come to realise is a pattern across his life.
Most of us in the Belles are fairly new to the Morris and to the folk world, and he is endlessly kind, generous, nurturing and supportive. He’s not one to blow his own trumpet so it’s taken us a little while to uncover his backstory – and we’re still learning more about his impact across the Morris and the wider folk scene. The more we learn about him, the more we realise what a legend he is and the high regard in which he is held across the community. We already knew we were lucky to have him, but this just confirms it.
David played a huge part in Hammersmith Morris Men, Blackheath Morris Men, and in helping to form Greenwich Morris Men. He is mentioned several times in Fed newsletters as teaching women’s sides in the 70s and 80s, helping to keep the Morris alive. He is mentioned as teaching Meridian, a side which began in February 1974 formed by wives and girlfriends of Blackheath MM, and teaching Bucknell to New Esperance in 1985. (https://www.morrisfed.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-Morris-Federation-Twenty-One-Years-1975-1996.pdf)
His dancing can be heard on the iconic Son of Morris On album as Daisy Armitage, and he was a founding member of Blowzabella, a group which continues to this day (albeit without his involvement). He began his career as an instrument maker, training at London College of Furniture, where he met many of the other founders of Blowzabella. He found the name in a book of old tunes at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, where he was working at the time. He has quietly had huge impact.
As well as playing with the Belles, David also plays melodeon with Black Swan Border Morris, which he shares with his son Eddie. He also runs the house band – affectionately known as the Horace Mouse Band – for the Morris Folk Choir and can regularly be seen at melodeon courses and ceilidhs with his wife Jocelyn. Among many talents, his skills (as listed in an Blowzabella CD booklet) include stilt walking, ceilidh calling, long drum & nakers.
Dave began dancing in 1967 when he joined the Hammersmith Morris Men and continues to this day to quietly breathe life into the thing we all love. He never fails to offer excellent music, good humour, and gentle guidance. There is a throughline across his life of actively opening doors to tradition, particularly to new sides – and particularly to women’s sides – and empowering others. He came to the Belles after some time away from the scene and has shown incredible dedication not only to our side, but to the Morris and to wider folk culture. On behalf of his many friends across the Morris, we think he deserves this highest level of recognition.
David will receive his Honorary Life Membership Certificate and Badge at a future date.
