Events

An illustrated talk on some of the more unusual English customs with songs and pictures presented by Gill and Barry Goodman. “Good Morning, Lords and Ladies” will lead you through the year to discover the magic, mystery and madness of English traditional customs in story, song and visual images – a truly “multi-media” presentation! Presentation for approx 1 hour, then 30 mins for Q&A. Click on the link below to book a place and you will be sent a Zoom link to access the event.

The history of morris dancing in Adderbury, the 1975 revival and what happened next, and the last 20 years. On 26th April 1975,  95 years since their previous demise, Adderbury Morris seemed to spring fully formed into the world again. Of course this is only part of the revival story and hides what went on during the years before that momentous day. In this talk you will discover some history of morris dancing in Adderbury and what sparked the revival in 1975. You will also find out how the dancing developed over the years and what the Adderbury Morris Men do now. Click on the link below to book a place and you will be sent a Zoom link to access the event.

Rhys Boorman is running a 'return to dancing fitness' programme starting with a 'live' session on Sunday 21st March, and another 'live' session 6 weeks later on Sunday 2nd May. In between the two 'live' sessions, Rhys and the Morris Federation will be sending you workout sessions to focus on improving your fitness in preparation for (finally!) returning to dance practice and/or dancing out.. Click on the link below to book a place and you will be sent a Zoom link to access the event.

Records of sword dancing can be found dating as far back as the fourteenth century, and enough books and articles have been written about it to form a small library.  Much of what has been written focuses upon the action, the events.  This talk takes a look at the people who danced, focusing on Britain and northern Europe from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century, and in particular at certain rare cases where we can investigate individual named dancers and find out a surprising amount about them. Click on the link below to book a place and you will be sent a Zoom link to access the event.

Johnny Haslett takes us on a tour of his book Morris Dancers and Rose Queens (volume 1) - an anthology of reported Carnivals and Galas in West Lancashire between 1888 and 1900, together with the accompanying morris dancing activity. Johnny Haslett has published 3 volumes of Morris  Dancers and Rose Queens; Volume 4 will be out soon. Click on the link below to book a place and you will be sent a Zoom link to access the event.

This talk engages with a recurring popular quandary: Why does England not have a national dress? Starting its exploration in the Edwardian folk revival and finishing in the late twentieth century, this talk will consider the shifting relationships between revival morris costumes and the deliberate projection of Englishness. Click on the name of the event for more info and to register for a place.

Melanie Barber will teach both the Whitby Toesday Hornpipes, for Beginners and Intermediates, comprising ten steps, which she wrote for the Whitby Folk Week Community Facebook Group in 2016. A basic knowledge of clog techniques such as straight and round shuffles would be useful but not essential.  11:00-12:30 and 14:00-15:30. Click on the name of the event for more info and to register for a place.

Andrew Knight and Lin Steel, with musician Tony Warren, will teach a Cotswold morris jig (solo dance) for those with some experience of Cotswold morris, also suitable for those who attended our beginners Cotswold workshop in last year. The dance is 'Nutting Girl' in the style of Ducklington.  Click on the name of the event for more info and to register for a place.