Summary: Vol. 18 Issue 1

Published: January 1999

Table of contents

• Editorial 
• Waldron Smithers’ Knockholt morris dancers 1909 – 1913 3 By George Frampton
• But why are they called Half Moon ? By Jill Griffiths and Rhian Collinson 
• The Forgotten Mary Neal  By Shirley Dixon
• Wantage 1998 – another reunion  By John Lewis
• Of Hector and Lysander and such great names as these  By Steve Poole
• Letters page

Editorial

Another year on – I anticipate this will be a year of “nostalgia” as people plan their acknowledgement of the approaching Millennium. Will we morris dancers get more or less invites to fetes and processions ? Will folks be too busy planning for next year to remember about this one?!

As ever, the Christmas holiday was for me spent in a worry of “will anyone ever write to me?” – not long forgotten friends who haven’t sent a Christmas card but you, my dear readers! One or two regular contributors but what about any new subscribers sending us something about themselves, their morris interests, how and why the team started ( or folded), problems of organising tours …..

We had an odd experience on the subject of taking children into pubs. I can quite understand that some publicans may wish to keep a certain atmosphere which is not appropriate to the presence of children and also that some drinkers may want to get away from a reminder of their own families! Last year, one of our members arranged a tour and one pub when we got there had a clear “no children” sign – so those of us affected stayed outside while the others did jigs inside! However, this year she asked in the same pub and was told, if they’re with morris dancers then kids are OK We
must have some sort of good reputation then!

Another interesting tour was on a day when we danced at a venue which was “shared” with a group who were re-enacting forced marches during the Napoleonic Wars – in full kit. Partly to find a group of people who would be viewed as about as eccentric as morris dancers and equally enthusiastic about their hobby – and also for the agreement that they wouldn’t shoot while we were dancing!

I ran my spell checker ( different system from a year or so ago) and found one really
nice one which the author concerned has probably already found. The article on Half
Moon was co-authored , if you are to believe my PC system, by one Rhino Collision.

Best wishes for 1999

Beth