Summary: Vol. 32 Issue 2
Editor: Simon Vaughan
Published: Summer 2025

Table of contents

• Notices
• Editorial
• If It’s Easter, This Must Be Belgium…
  Once again, North British enrich countless lives
• Towards a History of Lingdale Sword Dancers
  Part Two: The 1930s and the (in)famous German exchange trips
• DERT 2025
  Hosted by Rockingham Rapper in Peterborough
• News
• Obituaries
• Going for a Song
  1977 Silver Jubilee Sword
• Letter From America
  Half Moon Sword Ale 2025
• Jeff Lawson’s Notebook
  The life and times of a sword dancer

Editorial

Which one is Morris?
There is a thread running through the Spring edition, one I didn’t notice until I sat down with a pint to read the printed copy after all the stuffing, stamping and mailing was done: Morris.

Funny that, in a sword dance journal, but there it is. The Lingdale Sword teams and Boosbeck Tulips all danced Cotswold and were photographed in bells with hankies (pg.7). The Ravens noted that Morris and Sword are closer bedfellows in the US, and this was examined further by Gillian Stewart (pg.15), who noted that Sword dancers in America are often also Morris dancers of one form or another.

“Morris dancer” is not a term that I personally identify with. Do you? Not that there’s anything wrong with Morris. Some of my best friends are Morris dancers… It’s just something other people do, and it usually involves bells not swords. Primarily I associate the term with Cotswold, but it is equally applied to Border, North-West, and of course Fluffy. I guess Molly is “Molly” – does anyone call Molly “Morris”? Is Clog dancing Morris? It’s all beyond my ken.

What is certain is that old man Sharp didn’t put Sword dances in his three-volume Morris Book, he put them in his three-volume Sword Dances of Northern England. Even The Morris Ring, that bastion of English folk dance, considered by some to be the premier body for “The Morris”, defines itself as an “association of Morris and Sword dance clubs.”

Now, some Sword teams do call themselves Morris, Monkseaton Morris being chief among them, but they do dance several styles. Is that because they started as a Cotswold team that added other dances to their repertoire, or because they saw no demarcation to start with? (This is one question that may be answered in the forthcoming potted history of Monkseaton, coming soon to RUMB).

The Newcastle Kingsmen, now firmly regarded as a Sword team, started life as the King’s College Morris Men.
To this day they perform the Royton North-West Morris dance, but I’ve never seen them do a Princess Royal. That said, I expect several of their members could probably perform one at the drop of an iconic Morris dancers’ hat.

The Kingsmen dance up the sun on May Day, not with a Sword dance but with Royton. Do any Sword teams ‘dance up the sun’ with the clash of steel, or is this quintessentially a “Morris” gig?

I’ve always called myself a “sword dancer” and consider Sword to be a quite separate, Morris-adjacent, folk dance. All Morris is folk dance, but not all folk dance is Morris – surely? Does it matter? Should we care? Well, I don’t know. You tell me. I’d love to know what you think. (And forgive all the capitalisation).

As the well-worn Tommy gag for introducing Rapper dancers goes: “This is Morris. This is Morris. This is Morris…”

Of Bogs and Boilers
I’m very grateful for all the good wishes I’ve received since becoming editor, thank you. I’ve also been very pleased to receive all the contributions of news, articles and information. Please keep it all coming. If your team has been up to anything, big or small, please send me a write up for inclusion here. It doesn’t have to be a work of literature, just let me know what you’ve been up to, where, and include a decent photo if you can.

The look and feel of this iteration of RUMB is still a work in progress. I’m also looking at ways to streamline the admin side of things too, using online tools to process subs and organise addresses. This does not mean I’ll be starting a website or social media page. No one needs that. I am determined to keep RUMB as analogue as possible. That was always part of the joy for me as a reader.

I think it’s important to note too that the current price for the journal is unsustainable. Charging £2 an issue no longer covers costs. The price of UK postage alone is £1.55 per issue. I hate to be so vulgar, but I think it’s important to be straight with you all, dear readers. Inevitably this will mean a modest increase in annual subs for the next series, but don’t worry, it’s not going to be as expensive as the Radio Times. Subs have remained unchanged at £8 since 2012, and I have absolutely no idea how Jeff managed for so long in the face of current inflation.

Aside from subs, I am also considering other “revenue streams” to support RUMB’s finances and ensure a sustainably self-supporting future. Paid advertisements will continue to be verboten, unless the bailiffs turn up, then I may need to reconsider my life choices. However, sponsorship from Timothy Taylor’s beers (if they’re reading) would be heartily agreed to…

The most important thing you can all do to help this endeavour is by spreading the word about the journal and encouraging your friends and team mates to subscribe.

This Edition

Summer is here and there’s lots to enjoy in this edition of RUMB. There are several reports of dancing and doings, the second instalment of Katie Howson’s excellent in-depth examination of the Lingdale sword teams, Half Moon Sword have sent a letter from America, and there’s a review of DERT 2025, alongside our regular columns.

Don’t forget to keep your articles coming. The most important thing about RUMB is you and your team, so tell us what you get up to during festival season and have a great summer.