Wakefield Morris 2010

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****** JANUARY ******

****** FEBRUARY ******

24th PONTEFRACT SCOUT CENTRE 19.30 to 21.00 Talk and demo for Scouts
A big thank you to Chris W, Barbara, Maureen, Doug and Anne O who joined me at the Pontefract Scouts last night and helped to raise the profile of the gentle (!) art of Morris and got the young'uns up and dancing. They managed to make up 3 sets and some of them really seemed to be enjoying it - I felt there were definitely 2 future dancers in my set! It was a very successful evening (probably more so than I expected to be honest) and it was great to see Doug back in kit and even dancing a Guisburn - hope you didn't hate yourself for it this morning Doug!
Well done us and thanks again.
Anne x
Sat13 - Sun14 Invite to Cheltenham Folk Festival. REJECTED.

****** MARCH ******

6th Invite to dance with Rattlejag at Doncaster Folk Festival. Start at 10:00 finsih at 3:00 and time off for lunch and a session. What more could you ask? And it's local.
20th March-DARLINGTON SPRING THING. So a wonderful spring week - right up to Saturday when the rain came down, and continued to come down all day. So a couple of dances in town, then lunch at the Pennyweight. Back to the Arts Centre and when all were gathered in John sorted out a spot in the beer festival for which the festival generously provided a beer for the dancers - thanks for that folks. Then the dance concert for a two dance spot and the run home for some whilst others stayed on to check out more of the beer festival. So some light shopping, a bit of dancing, a taste of some beers and indifferent weather. All in all a pretty typical Darlington then.
20th Fez Heads Fig and Date Fayre - Upware - Cambridgeshire- DECLINED
30th Request to dance/educate at Burton Salmon Primary School - They got a Leeds team!

****** APRIL ******

17th Invite to JMO Day of Dance Bury St. Edmunds. Long way and masses of dancers with quantity rather than quality being the aim? But don't let me put you off! - REJECTED.
23rd Invite to dance for St. Georges Day at Barnsley Retro Bar - REJECTED.
24th Amounderness Day of Dance - Chorley. The sun shone and Amounderness were as ever the perfect hosts. For some reason the natives of Chorley seem to believe in keeping a healthy distance between themselves and any dancing so audience reaction was a bit hard to judge. Pre lunch at the Market Tavern was a mite stressfull when the query "What's on the hand pumps?" got the answer "Nowt!". But we buckled down since as essentially a Methodist side drink is not the raison d'etre of our dancing. POst lunch John and Sarah led(?) Brigate in the "Celebration" dance - a first there. Altogether a good day out.
27th Educate/demonstrate at Herringthorpe School Rotherham. So Doug and Mo, Anne and Ian turned out. We took Meg as Plan B since if things get rough she has a tirck of stunning young people into obedience just by looking at them. However this skill not required as Racheal and the two other teachers led in three classes who listed attentively whilst Doug did the "History of the Morris in 20 minutes" chat. Then eight willing volunteers got up to have a go at Gisburn and soon found another eight wanting to get involved. So two sets up and we ran out of time! Great kids and a good feel to the school - we enjoyed it, hope the kids did as well.

****** MAY ******

1-3rd Invite to Skipton Boat Festival. So a warm spring day in Chorley last week and what do we get in Skipton? A wet and chilly winter effect on what many would take to be the first day of spring. But arriving to find the organisation working like clockwork and a dance programme that gave time for the all important shopping helped to perk things up a bit. So four spots two up town and two down at the canal. "Portland Hill" made an appearance after much practice and went well so that should be part of the repertoire for the season. The last spot of the day on a wonderful flagged surface lost some of the edge when the rain began to make the surface "interesting". But true troupers that we are we gave value for money - as always.
1-3rd Invite to Oyster Morris May Day celebrations. REJECTED.
1-3rd Invite to Rochester Sweeps Festival. REJECTED.
1-2nd Invite to dance with Betty Luptons around Ripon area - DECLINED.
2nd or 3rd Invite to dance at the New Inn Walton - REJECTED
12th - Cultural Day at the Thornes Park Campus of Wakefield College. Amidst a mass of rock bands, street dance, African drumming and Dohl drumming, three members of Wakefield Morris did their bit for English Traditional dance. Many thanks to the twelve brave "volunteers" who stepped out under rain heavy clouds and had a go at the Gisburn Street dance. Trust me the experience of being cold and wet is not actually typical of a traditional dance day! Thanks to the organisers for providing a video system so that some idea of what a full team of dancers in kit actually looks like could be given. Do it again? Of course - now we know what's happening we can get better prepared.
22nd Three Shires Day of Dance. The 3 shires? York, Derby and Nottingham. Yes the tour visited all three shires thanks to the wonderful organisation by the host side who were celebrating 20 years of dancing. By accident or design the weekend featured wonderful sunshine which always helps. .A good strong team out for the day and a lot of compliments on the energy and style of the team's displays. Including a special compilment to Anne from the Harthill gaffer - some going for a Ring side to recognise a mixed side! How times change. Onward and upward then and let's hope that one weekend of sun does not constitute our summer for 2010.
28th-31st Invite to Leeds Morris Dales Tour. The 58th running of this one which makes the event older than most of the dancers but not of course all. Let's just say the weather was not kind. For Three Shires folk clustered in groups to seek out what shade could be found. For the Dales folk clustered in groups to seek out what shelter could be found - and they claim we have had a long dry spell! But hey we survived and even bought the joys of Rhubarb Racing to the evening soiree.

****** JUNE ******

5th Invite to Askern Victorian Gala. DECLINED.
5th Invite to get involved with a Pink Ribbon walk at Harewood House - DECLINED
9th Wednesday - Dance at the New Inn Walton then enjoy the delights of Rosie Doonans songs anyone? Sadly sickness and weather conspired to reduce numbers and motivation so this event became a "No Show".
12th Invite to Boston Spa Gala - DECLINED
13th Invite to dance at the National Coal Museum. DECLINED.
14th Dance out at the Blacksmiths Arms Grange Moor. Monday night - at a foodie pub - with World Cup soccer in full swing - and many of the side having been out at the Gate to Southwell Festival. Need we say more?
19th-20th Horbury Steet Fair. Not sure if the weather was kind because of our 30th birthday or because we had the pleasure of Leeds Morris and Brigate Morris to help celebrate the day. Building from a cold start in the morning we actually had flashes of clear blue sky during the day resulting in SUNSHINE! The final dance display in Boon's yard pulled a decent crowd and revealed the presence of the Jig Crew amongst the assembled teams. Down at the Community Centre a spread of food and a cup of tea revived the visitors and by a close vote John was deemed the longest serving team member and got to cut the cake. Though Mo as longest serving woman seemed to lead the actual division and distribution of the portions. So a good day out then. Thanks to Meg and Anne O for sorting out the teas and commiserations to Anne H who was struck down with the dreaded lurgy and could not make it after her stirling work in pulling it all together.
21st Practice night at Boons in Horbury.
27th Invite to a Day of Dance with Milltown Cloggies in Ashton Under Lyne. DECLINED
27th Invite to Hegleton village fete. DECLINED
25th-27th Invite to Oakworth Morris Weekend. DECLINED.
28th Dance out at the Navigation Calder Grove.Well the pub has gone foodie and the crowds remained suitably unimpressed by the presence of a morris team. The low point of the evening was John pulling a calf muscle during what looks like being his last dance for a month or two. Which is a bummer given that we're off to Sidmouth in a month. However he can still stand and walk so unless his voice goes absent he can spiel and call.

****** JULY ******

1st Invite to join Buttercross Belles on a Thursday dance out at the Chequers Ledsham.DECLINED
3rd A workshop for Boston Spa Brownies. Well it all went splendidily or so I am informed. As I was packing to go to France I can comment no further.
2nd-4th Invite to Great Western Morris 40th Birthday. In our youth we made what were probably Great Western's "teenage" parties. Shall we go and see how they've grown up? If Morris dancers can ever be called "grown up". REJECTED.
5th Practice night at Boons in Horbury.
10th FYLDE COAST CLOGGERS CARNIVAL CAPER-DECLINED
10th Invite to a charity do with Bradford Met Band at Bingley Arts Centre - DECLINED.
10th Hemsworth Catholic Church Fete. The team well received and much appreciated. Minus the dance master and the old dance master (see above reference to France) the team reached deep into the reserves and found calling skills they never knew they had!
12th Dance out at the George Upper Denby WF4 4DS. This went well with food and advertising. Thanks to all who made it out into the sticks to Upper Denby. It was a very convivial evening with a few locals turning out especially to see us. I think we made the day for the elderly gent who stayed from early doors to the bitter end as he used to dance with White Rose in 1956 -57! The landlord was welcoming, the sandwiches were lovely and the musicians welcome to start a session afterwards. A great night! Mind you we had a very interesting journey home thanks to Chris' Sat Nav! Thereby hangs a tale..
17th Invite to dance with Locos in Motion at Sadberge village fete. DECLINED
19th Practice night at Boons in Horbury.
22nd Thursday Invite to join Leeds Morris in a dance out at the Kings Arms Heath Common. After a spell of warm weather what more could you ask for than a cool evening to dance out at the Kings? And cool it was as Leeds and ourselves rattled through the display of our skills. Nice to see some old friends in the expectant crowd. And also a charming and bubbly group of young ladies who added to the evening with a real sense of fun and enjoyment. So a good night out finishing with two classics form ourselves a 12 for "Horbury Polka" and for Leeds the unstoppable "Bonny Green Garters".
26th Anyone fancy a dance out at the Greyhound Staxton? Apparently not we're at Boons.

****** AUGUST ******

31st Jul-7th Aug Sidmouth Folk Week.So a full week way down South then. A strong start with the first four days showing almost a double team around so spreading the work load. However after the “day off” on Wednesday it was left to the stalwarts of John, Niall, Sarah, Chris and Becky and the Stevens (father and son) to carry the torch for Wakefield. Our impromptu celebration of 30 years dancing planned for the Blackmore Gardens had to be relocated to the slip way on the front for reasons not unrelated to that proud species “the lesser badged jobsworth”. Still congratulations to all who made it and thanks to Ian and Ann for getting 36 pints of the Ossett Brewery Company’s finest to the venue.
The celidh spot went well although Chris Taylor was somewhat critical of the flooring which he had had the benefit of during the jig competition earlier in the day. The team however succeeded in demonstrating that the best rhythmic accompaniment for a NW side is the clatter of clogs in perfect time. Regrettably even this discovery could not prevent Newton “Long reel” from becoming a bit of confusion best forgotten. To clash or not to clash that is the question?
Then spots at the Hub and Market Place with the chance to meet up with old mates from Seven Champs, Great Western, Berkshire Bedlam and Chinewerde amongst many kept us busy. A major happiness was “Meet the Northern Teams” a concert of dance for us, Gorseach, Sciorr, Boggarts Breakfast, Kingsmen and Sheffield City. MC Chris Rose kept the ball rolling well even spotting Wakfield's "avant garde" trombone playing. The finale by Kingsmen, Sciorr and Gorseach was possibly a first for massed rapper. And the audience probably were not quite ready for a massed rendition of “Rolling Home” as they left the venue. Not unexpected given that the North is home to many fine acapella groups. So what chance a booking for the Huddersfield Chorale Society next year?
So after the day off on Wednesday the rather select grouping left to soldier on did the required spots on Thursday. Never let it be said that Wakefield fail to honour a programmed commitment! But with the departure of Barbra, Mo and Niall and also Chris and Becky it was left to Sarah, Chris, Peter and John to finish of the single spot on Friday and then after dark to represent the team in the torchlight procession.

****** SEPTEMBER ******

3rd-5th Invite to Fylde Coast Folk Festival. DECLINED
4th-5th Invite to Wakefield Folk Festival DECLINED
4th -LINCOLN BIG MORRIS FESTIVAL The sun shone and the crowds turned out - in places. Good to meet up with Grimsby, Poacher, Kesteven and Chandelier again. And other interesting teams as well. Suggestions that the women investigate kit designs similar to "Raving Maes" were met with what can only be described as icy distain - or possibly threats of violence. Some interesting sets produced during the day. With John back in action after his injury we were able to field a balanced set of eight. But just one short of a full "Ring O'Bells" set we also fielded sets of seven women with a token man! Decent weather, decent crowds, decent surfaces, good team, good music - it all adds up to a good day out.
4th Requested to do a wedding at Nostell Priory. Hope someone's pointed out we're NW and not that hankie waving thing that southerners do. REJECTED
6th Just a reminder that we are back in the Methodist Hall for practice nights. All recruits welecome.
11th Invite to Rattlejag DOD Retford + Rufford Park DECLINED
25th - Morris Federation AGM Hosted by Kettlebrideg Clog and taking place in Maidstone in Kent.LONG WAY TO GO FOR A MEETING.

****** OCTOBER ******

16th Request to perform at Gommersall Autumn Fair Residential home.

****** NOVEMBER ******

28th Request to support a Craft Fair in aid of MacMillan Nurses.

****** DECEMBER ******

26th Boxing Day at the Kings Arms, Heath Common. 12.30 pm

NOTES:
* Evening dance out means about 8.00pm or thereabouts (ish). If the musicians want to have a session this is the time to get it together.

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