Rennie, the LSH, Bobbie, Sammy and Morris Dancers

We danced out at the Ship Inn at Freckleton on Thursday 31 May. This was a momentous occasion for me because I was accompanied by my Long Suffering Husband and my youngest, Bobbie. We couldn't persuade Charlie to come along and we didn't even try with my eldest, Harry. There were two other team members when we got there and the LSH suggested they might be trying to avoid me etc but people kept arriving so I went and blacked up and the LSH got me, Bobbie and himself a drink. Sammy had also arrived and came out and gave me a hug. Her friends from Freckleton were there too so I waved at them through the window. Here is a picture of us before proceedings got underway. I'm on the right and I might look like I'm having a sneaky puff on a cigarette but I assure you that is not the case. I gave up 2 years and 8 months ago and I have not smoked since.

When enough dancers had turned up, we danced our first dance, Ragged Crow. I don't know this one and I have to watch from the sidelines, so I grabbed a tambourine and provided some percussion. You can actually hear me on the video, jingling on the upbeat and before you shout "Which video?", here it is.



I'm not absolutely sure of the order of things but we danced a Tinners Rabbit and I went third, a position I'm comfortable with. We also danced White Ladies, which I actually managed to do faultlessly. I hold my partner entirely responsible for me not going wrong. He has this way of keeping me on the right track at all times. Here's a picture from that dance. We also danced Ashpole and I managed to go wrong loads and loads of times. In mitigation, I must plead that I was not dancing in my usual place, but then a good Morris dancer should be able to dance in any position (within the dance, I'm not talking about dancing doing a handstand or anything silly like that). During the dance, there is a hey with swings. This photo is as I am about to go into a swing with Brent.

We also did another Tinners with audience members and Sammy and her two friends were dragged into the dance. I went first this time and felt very important and very experienced! My "civvy" dancer was one of Sammy's friends from Freckleton, Jackie. She actually wants to join the team, which is great, and apart from nearly having my eye out with her stick, she did very well indeed. At the end of the evening, we had a team photo taken and then we went into the pub and the musicians started playing. A couple of the team sang songs and we all joined in on tambourines, marracas and various other percussion instruments, including the LSH and Bobbie. I took this picture and I particularly like it because of all the top hats on the tables.

Bobbie tried on my hat at one point. Brent asked her if she knew what happens when a non-Morris Dancer tries on a Morris Dancer's hat. She said no and he replied "She becomes pregnant." She hurriedly took it off again. After a fair few tunes and a few pints and two songs, we left and went home. By the way, none of the Morris Dancers had to pay for our drinks, which was very kind indeed.

Finally, here is one more video and it is us dancing Tinners.

More Dancing

Since I got back from Amsterdam, I've danced out twice more. On Tuesday, 22 May, we danced out at Runshaw College in Leyland for a Lancashire Evening at the Catering Department. Now purists would say, "Wait a minute! Border Morris originated in the English/Welsh Borders! That's not a Lancashire Tradition!" and I would say, "I'm afraid I have to agree." I will concede that Murray did point this out but I can safely state that we are a Lancashire Border Morris team, so I think it's allowed.

We started with a Tinners Rabbit and I went third, which is easiest for me. I'm not sure of the exact order of the dances but I know I danced a White Ladies - not particularly well this time but I am a beginner, aren't I? I think there was also a Ragged Crow and one or two others and then we repaired to the Foxholes Restaurant for a beer and a chip butty (well, two chip butties in my case).

Then off to the Eagle and Child in Leyland for a couple more small bitters and some chit chat. There I learnt of a ladies' Rapper team based in Horwich. Of course I was interested! I'm still in the honeymoon stage with Morris Dancing and I want to try all the variants.

I went home surprisingly early for a Thursday night. I'm still using the Team Coat because mine is still a work in progress and I borrowed blacking for my face that day. I have now bought my own face paints and sponge and baby wipes and I have been working steadily, if slowly on my coat.

My First Ever Dance Out

Oh yes! I danced out for the first time ever on Thursday. I've managed to learn three dances in the two practises I have attended (of which I'm very proud) and I was looking forward to putting all this new knowledge into practise. We danced at the Malthouse pub in Chorley and when I arrived, most of the team were already there and ready to go. I don't have a hat or coat yet (actually, I do have a hat but it was untrimmed. I have since trimmed it and I love it!) so the team lent me a spare coat and I borrowed the hat of an absent member.

One of the ladies lent me some face paints and I blacked up and went out to join the rest of the team. The hat was a little bit small for my but I was ready to go.

First we danced Tinners and I insisted on going third (easiest for me). It's great dancing at practise but it's fabulous dancing in public. Then, while we were having a break, I went and got some money and bought myself a drink. I had, by then, been given some bells which I laced onto my boots. It was really strange walking up to the bar, jingling away, with my face blacked and a be-feathered (and studded) top hat on. Still, I got served and I walked outside with my half of Fosters in my hand.

Here's my first photo. I'm pretty sure the dance is Skirmish and it is brilliant. I have explained to the team that I need to learn this one. I can't explain why but I know that my life will be a sad and pitiful existence until I learn the dance.



Next, it was Ashpole. This is one I've learned and now danced twice in practise. I suppose that makes it "my" dance and I get the feeling I will always insist on dancing it (and I will stamp my feet if anybody tries to gainsay me) whenever we dance out. Somebody very kindly took my camera and took some snaps while I was dancing. Most are blurred (we dance very fast) but this one shows me quite clearly, waiting to start.

Ashpole went well and I managed to get it all right. I like Ashpole and I think it must look great to the audience because the figures (at last! I've remembered the word) will look so intricate but it is relatively easy for the dancers to remember (although one seasoned dancers took a wrong turn at one point!)

Next, I had to have my photo taken with Brent, our Father Christmas lookalike.

I love the way my fringe flops over my eyes in a totally emo (but in a totally gone wrong emo) way. I think I am going to have to pin it back somehow because it gets in my way when I'm dancing.

Well, we danced White Ladies and, although I'd only practised it once, I asked if I could dance and they said yes. I took a wrong turn once (not too bad) but my partner was very good and kept me on the straight and narrow for the rest of the dance. She was also very kind because I wanted to go on the left (which is the position I learnt it in) and she has a dicky left shoulder, which is awkward because there is a double hay in the dance (I'll let you imagine what a double hay is if you don't already know). She let me go on the left.

Well, there were more dances, including Crow's Nest and probably others, and it was getting dark. I took a few more pictures including this one:

We also danced Tinners twice more and dragged bar staff and audience members into the dance. That is something I love about this team - audience participation. They even got the landlady out of the pub and she danced too. I had to leave early (just gone 10.30) because I had work the next day.

I got home and uploaded the pictures onto the computer and went to bed. The next day, I put them on my MP3 player (the internet was down so I couldn't e-mail them) and took them into work and proudly showed them to anybody who would look at them. Somebody asked me who Big Foot is. I'm sure Brent won't mind!

Another Thursday, Another Practise

It has to be said, I love Morris Dancing. Stone the Crows very kindly held an extra practise for the beginners of the group yesterday, this time at the Railway Pub in Leyland - the school was being used as a polling station. When I got to the pub, I saw that the majority of the clientele were what I would refer to as Chavs. I have nothing against Chavs. Well, actually I have because they are rude to my emo/scene daughters. I saw them through the window and walked into the pub armed with only a bottle of water and my handbag. Inside were two of the Team and one, a true gentleman, bought me a drink. Morris is thirsty work after all. I was introduced to the other Team member and as the others drifted in, reducing the Chav:Border Morris ratio somewhat, we went to a room in the back and made room by pushing some of the chairs and tables out of the way.

After a warm up, we danced Tinners, which, fortunately, I had not completely forgotten. Then we went through a number of the "moves" that make up the dances. I'm sure there is a word other than "move" but I tend to be a bit excited at Morris practises and many of the words I hear go right out of my head afterwards. What I do know is, I learnt/practised the Hay in some of its various guises and others, whose names I have completely forgotten now, although I think I remember how to dance them.

I also learnt a new dance - White Ladies (quite complicated and great fun) and had another go at Ash Pole, also quite complicated but I'd done it once before. The amount of energy I expended is evidenced by the amount of water I drank - nearly a litre. Usually, I'm a bit of a camel and don't drink for days.

Afterwards, we repaired to the pub (this is getting a bit of a habit now), where I was starstruck by the presence of a well known northern comedian. I didn't have to go through the pickled egg ceremony, even though I had admitted to my deceit in my previous blog and then invited the whole group to read it!

Our Father Christmas lookalike told the same joke for the third week in a row (I remember it from last week):

A scouse is coming out of Asda with a piece of meat under his coat.
"What are you doing with that?" says the security guard.
"Oh, some potatoes, carrots, peas..."

I told this one:

Did you hear about the man who lived in a tyre?
He moved out when he got a flat.

BOOM BOOM!!!!!

Next week, I get the opportunity to dance in public. They are going to lend me a rag coat for the occasion. I'm really looking forward to it.

Stone the Crows

I started this blogsite with the intention of showing what a silly old fool I'm turning into (hence the name). However, it seems to have turned into a mixture of ramblings and reviews of gigs (and the occasional walk). Just as I realised that I do some really daft things nowadays and they may be a source of amusing and entertaining blogs, they suddenly seem to have dried up. I have not locked my keys in the car again (see 24 hours) and temper tantrums on mountainsides seem to be a thing of the past.

Aah, you're thinking, she's finally managed to do something really silly and lose all her dignity and she's dying to tell us. Well, I'm not sure on this one. I sincerely believe that what I've done is actually very sensible indeed but it seems to have such an aura of silliness. I don't think I ever had any dignity to lose but if I did, I irretrievably lost every scrap of dignity still clinging precariously to me on Thursday evening when I turned up for my first ever practise...

at Morris Dancing.

Most people think of ribbons and bells and maypoles when they think of Morris Dancing. This may be the form known as Cotswold Morris, although I'm not sure about the bells. The sort I'm into is Border Morris, which is really boisterous and involves enthusiastic use of sticks and where the dancers tend to dance in black costumes decorated with tatters (rags) and/or feathers and black their faces.

My first experience of Border Morris was seeing the Flag Crackers dance on the Flag Market at Preston a few years ago. They wear clogs (if you check the link and look at the photos, you will be able to see this) and I was mesmerised. Last year, I saw another Border Morris team at Ludlow and again I was mesmerised. This was entertainment indeed and I stood and photographed them for some time. Here's one of the pictures I took. Sorry about the ice-cream van and park bench.

I have a profile on MySpace, where I've used a picture of two of these Morris Dancers as my profile pic and recently, I got some messages and add requests from bona fide Morris Dancers. One of them suggested I might like to participate. She assured me it is a great form of exercise, although the beer may be somewhat counterproductive. Well, the more I thought about it, the more I thought it a superb idea. So I went online (I was probably already online) and did a Google search and found a promising name, Stone the Crows. I rather like Crows and it seemed to be a good omen, so I e-mailed them and waited for a reply.

Which came last Monday, telling me where they practise and suggesting I go along on Thursday. I went along and it would be under-stating the case to say I was extremely nervous and almost at the point of driving away when I saw somebody walking towards the school where the practises are held. I got out of my car and shouting "Excuse me, excuse me" like the insignificant little ant in an advert for a Trades Union from a few years ago, ran after her. I caught her up and she confirmed that she was a member of the morris team and introduced herself to me. I reciprocated and we got talking. A good start.

The rest of the team were fantastic and they made me feel at home straightaway. They taught me the step first - a bit like what a boxer does when he skips. I practised during the warm up and then they taught me my first dance, Tinners, which is relatively simple. I was knackered after it but it felt soooo good! They practised various others, including one called The Black Widow and I learned 2 others, including a procession and I was really pleased because I seemed to be picking it up quite easily. Finally, we danced Tinners again and I joined in with enthusiasm. It was great!

We went to the pub afterwards and I was supposed to eat a pickled egg as a rather bizarre initiation ceremony. I jibbed and told them I'm allergic to eggs (I'm so ashamed of myself now!) but we sat there and talked and told jokes (including my favourite, what did the fish say when it swam into a wall? Dam!) and I drank diet coke until it seemed like a good idea to go home.

They're doing an extra practise for novices next week and I'm definitely going, this time with a bottle of water - it's hot work is Border Morris. Then they will be dancing out because the Morris season is now well and truly underway. I hope I'll be able to dance outside pubs with them soon until I'm up to speed and have my costume sorted and then hopefully, I'll be able to dance at festivals etc.

Yes, my costume. I need to get:

• Item: 1 pair of black trousers
• Item: 1 black jacket to be trimmed with mainly black tatters with a few blue and green. The tatters have to form wing like extensions to the sleeves and a tail like extension to the back of the jacket.
• Item: 1 top hat to be decorated with black feathers

Oh and possibly some burnt cork for my face. I'm really, really looking forward to it.

Finally, I managed to find some footage of Stone the Crows dancing at the Chippenham Folk Festival on YouTube and I really want to share it with my readers. They actually practised this dance last Thursday and watching it brought back great memories. I can assure you, Border Morris is good for the soul.