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2 February 2021

Finding Morris Dancing in Archives, by Jameson Wooders

Here is a review of the talk about Morris from the Archives, given by Jameson Wooders on 30th January.  It was attended by around 200 online guests from the UK, Netherlands and the USA.

“Jameson Wooders gave the latest in a series of ‘FED’ talks via Zoom to a large audience.  The title was “Morris from the Archives” with a humorous sub-title making reference to his approaching old age, the state of his body in general, and knees in particular.  For the rest of the talk apart from the title, he acknowledged the work of his predecessors in particular Keith Chandler, John Forrest and Mike Heaney and the research done for their publications.

“The archives referred to are those of various organisations, such as the monetary accounts of noble’s estates; special groups, i.e. guilds; church records; private houses with large rural estates; personal and domestic records and paintings, tapestries and artefacts.  What the accounts show is payment for dancers and morris equipment such as bells and clothing as well as mummers, disguising and boy’s teams.  There was payment recorded for a female musician.

“He recounted his inspiration which was a search for records of any type in his local area of Berkshire seeking reference to morris; Jameson also went back and looked at the original sources used by others.  The earliest reference (found by Mike Heaney), goes back to 19th May 1448, slightly earlier than John Forrest wrote about in his “History of Morris 1458-1750”.  The occasions mentioned are various church ales and events; performances at great houses and guilds; holiday pageantry, Midsummer Watch events and calendar events such as Christmas.

Vinckenboom’s Morris dancers by the Thames at Richmond, c. 1620
Vinckenboom’s Morris dancers by the Thames at Richmond, c. 1620

“Shortage of time curtailed the story leaving out more modern times and into the variety of dance styles, but there was one thing Jameson was keen to emphasise.  Morris dancers may do it all day and all night because it is their fertility rite – but it isn’t.  The oft repeated references to morris dancing and pagan rituals have been known to be wrong for some years.  So teams, why not take the opportunity whenever it arises to tell the truth; morris dancing was and is an entertainment which has gone through various levels of society from nobleman to pub landlord.

“One final thought.  It needs emphasising that one of the skills required for this sort of research on original sources is the ability to read and decipher old writing and language and Jameson deserves massive congratulations for acquiring these skills and sharing them with us all.

by Dave Eyre, Sheffield City Morris Men & Sheffield City Giants

Clip from a painting by Vinckenboom shows Morris Dancers beside the Thames at Richmond from a picture now in the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, and dates from around 1620.

Filed Under: Current Members, News Tagged With: dancing, longsword

20 January 2021

Talk – Goathland Plough Stots Long Sword Tradition

Here is a review of the talk about the history of the Goathland Plough Stots Long Sword Tradition, given by Keith Thompson, Steve Pierson, Jim Eldon and Sally Smith on 10th January.  It was attended by over 70 online guests from the UK, Netherlands, USA and Canada.

“Keith Thompson is the Honorary President of Goathland Plough Stots, one of Britain’s oldest sword teams and his talk was the story of their tradition. It linked a long history of the team dating back to 1812 to social movements in and around the village with a selection of live music, slides and videos.

“By 1885 the railway had opened the village which was becoming a tourist destination & second homes being built for a far wealthier set of people who came to live in the village, work was plentiful and this with the excesses of a Plough Tour and the growing unruliness associated with the event meant the participants decided to stop.

Goathland Plough Stots old photo
photo courtesy of the Goathland Plough Stots

“The revival after the Great War came about under the influence of a schoolteacher – F.W. Dowson – who revived the team between about 1921 and 1923,  Keith mentioned the astonishingly long distances and times travelled on tours which inevitably finished in Whitby where the money collected on the last Saturday went to pay for vouchers for health care, all before the NHS of course. Such actions endeared them to the village.

“Teams such as these ebb and flow over the years but since that revival by Dowson the Goathland Plough Stots have always managed to take the previous tradition from their forebears and pass it on to their successors whether changed or unchanged. Sometimes a TV company might locate in the village; another time it may be a change in a headteacher or a curriculum that effects the development of the team.

“In Goathland such changes have been taken in their stride and at the moment the team is on a clear upward trajectory. Thanks to people from both the village and the energy of others associated with the team, it now has its own Hut as a centrepiece of the village life; home for artefacts; the village library; and even a camping facilities. Long may their enterprises and dancing thrive!

by Dave Eyre, Sheffield City Morris Men & Sheffield City Giants

For more information on the facilities available at the Goathland Hut see: Goathland Community Hub & Sports Pavilion.

Book flyer Goathland in Folk LoreA book is also available: “Goathland in Folk Lore: Fact and Fantasy, memories of a moorland village” – containing a section on the Plough Stots and the song “Scarborough Fair” which was collected by Frank Kidson in 1895 from Alan Wardell who lived in the village.  Available in soft back £20, or hard back £28, both plus £5 p&p – please email Keith Thompson: keiththompson5la (at) btinternet.com.  See cover on Waterstones

There are two more books in the pipeline – one about the Goathland Plough Stots team and another on The Sword Dances of the North Riding.

Filed Under: Current Members, News Tagged With: dancing, longsword

10 January 2021

Talk – Goathland Plough Stots – a Long Sword Tradition (LIVE on Zoom)

Talk – Goathland Plough Stots – a Long Sword Tradition

Keith Thompson will talk about the history of the Goathland Plough Stots Long Sword tradition in North Yorkshire.  Including a tour of their Hut (The Reading Room) where the Plough Stots rehearse and keep their uniforms and ephemera: swords, competition cups, photographs, papers.  There will be time for Q&A.

Your host

Keith Thompson is the Honorary President of Goathland Plough Stots to which he has belonged for some 40 years – a novice compared with some team members who are younger than him.

To register

Please complete this online form: Register for the Talk – Goathland Plough Stots Long Sword Tradition; you will receive a confirmation email immediately (check your spam/junk/promotions folder!).  We will send you a Zoom link a couple of days before the event.  Open to all – you don’t have to be a member of a team in The Morris Federation.

Optional Donations

If you enjoy this event, then it would be wonderful if you could send a donation, small or large, to Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary: https://whitbywildlife.co.uk/how-to-help/

Tagged With: long, longsword, sword

11 March 2020

Giddy Up at Whitby children’s book

Giddy Up at Whitby illustration
Giddy Up at Whitby

Morris dancing parents and grandparents! Lovers of Whitby! Horse fans! If this is you, then watch out for this new book Giddy Up at Whitby – a morris dancing adventure for children.

Giddy Up at Whitby tells the story of Giddy, a lovable but somewhat foolish morris horse who gets lost at Whitby Folk Week.  As Giddy roams around the town trying to rejoin his lost side in time for a big performance, he meets dancers and musicians from all kinds of morris traditions, as well as a few other interesting characters.

The book is written by Katie Palmer Heathman, and illustrated by Geoff Roberts, who are both morris/sword dancers based in the North East, where Katie is squire of Black Gate Morris and Geoff is squire of Hexham Morris Men.  As well as a love of morris, they share a fondness for bad puns and Dad jokes, so Giddy’s story became an obvious way to teach tomorrow’s future dancers about both.

If you wish to order a copy and have it posted to you, the book is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter to finance the first print run, with the campaign running until 9th April 2020, see: Kickstarter campaign for Giddy Up at Whitby

A bit about the morris and sword dancing backgrounds of the author and illustrator: Katie grew up watching Mendip Morris Men and always wanted to dance. She started dancing in 2007 with Pigsty Morris in Bristol, before moving on to Cardiff Morris – Y Morys Caerdydd – during her university years, followed by Lady Bay Revellers. Geoff started dancing in 1993 with Woodside Morris Men, quickly joined by Chiltern Hundreds North West Morris, and then Rockhopper Morris.  Since moving to the North East he has joined the newly-formed Amble Sword Dancers, Hexham Morris and Black Gate Morris, where Katie and Geoff met as founder members.

 

Filed Under: Current Members, News Tagged With: children's book, longsword, morris dancing, rapper, step clog, sword dancing, whitby

10 December 2019

Goathland’s Peak Performance

Goathland Plough Stots

Late on 20th September 2019, Goathland Plough Stots Longsword dancers set out on their ‘Folky Three Peaks’ challenge – with a plan to dance on the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon.  And all within 24 hours!  And they hoped to raise £1,000 for the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG).

They managed it within 23 hours and 48 minutes and raised over £8,000 for the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia  Group! Alongside another £150 to sponsor an end of treatment bell.

Read the full article in the FedExtra magazine, Autumn 2019, pages 6-7

See the video on facebook of the Plough Stots’ dancing Longsword at the top of Ben Nevis: Goathland Plough Stots dance on Ben Nevis

For more information on the team see: Goathland Plough Stots

Filed Under: Current Members, News Tagged With: 2019, charity, Children's Cancer, fundraiser, Goathland, Leukaemia, longsword, north yorkshire, Plough Stots, three peaks

News

Shrewsbury Morris and their 102,000 twitter followers

26 February 2021

Appalachian Clogging Basics – USA style

26 February 2021

More online Talks & Workshops to April

23 February 2021

Upcoming Events

  1. Talk – Morris Music – a history – Taborers Society (LIVE on Zoom)

    Saturday 6 March @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
  2. Workshops – Clog Stepping for Intermediate – Melanie Barber (LIVE on Zoom)

    Sunday 7 March @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
  3. Talk – Sussex Bonfires – Keith & Heather Leech (LIVE on Zoom)

    Sunday 7 March @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
  4. Talk – Clogs in Britain & Beyond – Michael Jackson (LIVE on Zoom)

    Saturday 13 March @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
  5. Workshop – Fiddle Playing for Morris – Sarah Matthews (LIVE on Zoom)

    Sunday 14 March @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

View All Events

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