What is it?-Discussions

[stranding]

Oh dreary me! Those poor old Morris getting so much stick from those who ought to love & cherish them
Why do they keep going in the face of such crushing woe?

One wonders!

Being a Bamptonian, I couldn't possibly comment further. We have no fewer than THREE teams, who don't talk to each other & haunt different pubs. Sigh.

But we have annual visits from Martin Carthy (trad folk singer) & many other well known folk instrumentalists who play informally around the place. You can listen all day to great music. Oh and watch some very fit blokes prancing around...with hankies waving. What more could any girl need?

 

[stranding]

Oh dreary me! Those poor old Morris getting so much stick from those who ought to love & cherish them
Why do they keep going in the face of such crushing woe?

One wonders!

Being a Bamptonian, I couldn't possibly comment further. We have no fewer than THREE teams, who don't talk to each other & haunt different pubs. Sigh.

But we have annual visits from Martin Carthy (trad folk singer) & many other well known folk instrumentalists who play informally around the place. You can listen all day to great music. Oh and watch some very fit blokes prancing around...with hankies waving. What more could any girl need?

Even those sneery about Morris dancing would surely acknowledge three things:

First, their enormous courage (in keeping going a centuries-old tradition in the face of almost total derision by their fellow countrymen )

Their research, collecting & playing of old Morris music.

And for their sheer stamina. They dance all day, starting at 8am, on many weekends during the summer. It's knackering.

 

[axis]

Even those sneery about Morris dancing would surely acknowledge three things:

First, their enormous courage (in keeping going a centuries-old tradition in the face of almost total derision by their fellow countrymen )

Their research, collecting & playing of old Morris music.

And for their sheer stamina. They dance all day, starting at 8am, on many weekends during the summer. It's knackering.

Its a small world, I learnt from this particular "what is it" that you are just up the road from me, I live nr Newbury in Berkshire.

 

[stranding]

Its a small world, I learnt from this particular "what is it" that you are just up the road from me, I live nr Newbury in Berkshire.

Hi from me back!

We know Newbury well; it's a nice town, together with the charming best tiny theatre in the whole world, the Watermill. Been going there for decades.

Newbury used to be a place that everyone took hours to drive through, both fuming & churning out the fumes, which must have been nightmarish for you inhabitants. But since the new A34 re-routing & the Chievely interchange, we zip through without even noticing...

Doing my caring-councillor turn, how do you feel about that??

 

[axis]

Hi from me back!

We know Newbury well, it's a nice town, together with the charming best tiny theatre in the whole world, the Watermill. Been going there for decades!

Newbury used to be a place that everyone took hours to drive through, both fuming & churning out the fumes, which must have been nightmarish for you inhabitants. But since the new A34 re-routing & the Chievely interchange, we zip through without even noticing...

Doing my caring-councillor turn, how do you feel about that??

Yup love the bypass, dependant on the time of day it's still quicker to use the bypass even to get from one side of town to the other. I'm a Dorset boy by birth and grew up in the midlands but my wife is a local. I actually moved here just towards the end of the construction of the bypass so I didn't experience too many problems myself although my wife's family recall it very well.

 

[Richard Brown]

Even those sneery about Morris dancing would surely acknowledge three things:

First, their enormous courage (in keeping going a centuries-old tradition in the face of almost total derision by their fellow countrymen )

Their research, collecting & playing of old Morris music.

And for their sheer stamina. They dance all day, starting at 8am, on many weekends during the summer. It's knackering.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXwETv3Mp2w&feature=youtube_gdata_player

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N1GXCcsxjk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbifCM8n-Sc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

But you forgot to add where the sides gather at 8.00 am. There's usually a few pints of liquid refreshment after sunrise has been heralded. Nod nod, wink wink!

The last time I saw Morris dancing was on the day of the Queen's visit to Bromley. The Ravensbourne Morris entertained. A very good, humorous side. http://www.ravensbourne.org/index.html

Years ago, I knew 2 men who were Morris dancers. Their side was Wadhurst Morrismen. One year we were invited to a do in a village hall where the Wadhurst side, and a side from Gloucestershire held a great evening's entertainment. The Gloucs side was disbanding later that year, which was sad. They used regional dances, including one which was like a one act play with a hobby horse. That was a night to remember!

Sent from my iPad 1 using iPF - Greetings

 

[Richard Brown]

How about the Oxford City Morris Men?

Now I understand the origins of the Morris Oxford

Sent from my iPad 1 using iPF - Greetings

 

[stranding]

Now I understand the origins of the Morris Oxford

Sent from my iPad 1 using iPF - Greetings

Yes!

 

[stranding]

But you forgot to add where the sides gather at 8.00 am. There's usually a few pints of liquid refreshment after sunrise has been heralded. Nod nod, wink wink!

The last time I saw Morris dancing was on the day of the Queen's visit to Bromley. The Ravensbourne Morris entertained. A very good, humorous side. http://www.ravensbourne.org/index.html

Years ago, I knew 2 men who were Morris dancers. Their side was Wadhurst Morrismen. One year we were invited to a do in a village hall where the Wadhurst side, and a side from Gloucestershire held a great evening's entertainment. The Gloucs side was disbanding later that year, which was sad. They used regional dances, including one which was like a one act play with a hobby horse. That was a night to remember!

Sent from my iPad 1 using iPF - Greetings

Re your question about where they gather at 8am, I can tell you exactly: always in the little collection of warden-assisted houses called The Lanes where my parents lived till recently. The sounds of fiddle music, hopping (or clomping) feet & jingling bells is unmistakeable, especially when they wake you up!

For the rest of the day, they trundle on a route round the village, visiting everywhere they can, ancient manor houses & council dwellings alike. They fit in with the other two village sides and the invited visiting groups, such as the Belgium flag-wavers, the Dutch stick-dancers or the German female clog dancers (I kid you not!).

If you live here, you just can't escape...you might as well move abroad (like Kevin!) or join them (the reserve dancers) in the pubs. There were 14 of them in the village not long ago, directly because of the Morris history, but down to 3? now, like lots of other places. Yes, there is a lot of regional specialisation, both in the dancing and the music which makes it interesting for researchers. And there are lots of Morris-nerd-anoraks to explain it all to you in detail

As Miranda's mother would say: "Such fun!!"

 

[stranding]

Yup love the bypass, dependant on the time of day it's still quicker to use the bypass even to get from one side of town to the other. I'm a Dorset boy by birth and grew up in the midlands but my wife is a local. I actually moved here just towards the end of the construction of the bypass so I didn't experience too many problems myself although my wife's family recall it very well.

Glad you find it a positive thing, because we heard that some shopkeepers would rather have cars passing through...so best to be tentative...in case you were a -- you know what!

By the way, I should have spelled "councillor" as "counsellor" (I think ??) Put it down to being distracted by the glimpses of Serena's knickers....the finals are on now.

 

[scifan57]

Does anyone know who's going to post the next challenge in What is it?,there seems to be some confusion as to whether the Admiral or Richard will be posting the next challenge.

 

[fleur07]

Admiral,just posted a challenge

 

[scifan57]

Admiral,just posted a challenge

Thanks,I saw that just after I posted here.

 

[stranding]

Hope I don't get the current challenge...the first Dane ever is playing in the men's doubles finals at Wimbledon. Quite a while to go yet.

 

[scifan57]

Hope I don't get the current challenge...the first Dane ever is playing in the men's doubles finals at Wimbledon. Quite a while to go yet.

You're the closest to the solution so far.