Late Night Shopping 2010

Thank you if you stopped and watched us in Market Harborough tonight, or if you were one of the people who joined us outside Alden's to dance "Lollipop Man" - well done!

Which dances?

Which dances do we dance? Here is a list compiled by Eddie Strover, until recently our Squire, and still our Foreman, of what we danced out from 12 October 2009 until our 2010 AGM.

NAME OF DANCE	PLACE OF ORIGIN	No. OF TIMES
Bonny Green Garters		21
Beaux of London City	Badby	19
Balance the Straw	Fieldtown	17
Rose Tree	Bampton	17
Highland Mary	Bampton	16
Bluebells of Scotland	Adderbury	15
Jockie to the Fair	Brackley	15
Lads a Bunchum	Adderbury	14
Lollipop Man	Adderbury	14
Jenny Lind		12
Young Collins	Bledington	12
Shepherds Hey	Adderbury	11
Valentines	Fieldtown	11
Vandals of Hammerwich	Lichfield	10
Hunt the Squirrel	Headington	8
Skirmish	Bledington	8
Upton Stick	Upton on Severn	7
Repeal	Newbold	6
Ring O’Bells	Lichfield	6
Trunkles	Hinton	5
Constant Billy	Headington	4
Brimfield		3
Mona’s Delight	Isle of Man	3
Smash the Windows		3
Banbury Bill	Bampton	2
Bean Setting	Headington	2
Black Joke	Adderbury	1
British Grenadiers	Clog	1
William and Nancy	Bledington	1

A total of 29 different dances, on 27 outings.

Jenny Lind we dance as a Bampton style dance, having seen it danced by someone else, and having been able to remember just the B music sticking. Smash the Windows is a two person jig, of our devising, I think. We danced British Grenadiers with Hips N Haws.

Dancing for Macmillan, Market Harborough

Here, rather late, are some photos of us dancing in The Square, Harborough, in October, in support of Macmillan's collectors. We were joined by Hips N Haws. Our thanks to them, and my thanks to David West, for the photos.

Tollemache Arms, Harrington

A kind invitation to the beer festival took us to Harrington on a very dark 2nd August. No more dancing out on Mondays now until 6th September.

The White Horse, Stoke Albany

Usually we dance out the front of this pub, and no one watches... On this visit we occupied the car park and had an audience. Thank you!

Chandler's Arms, Shearsby

As the Squire was away tonight, the website editor (also Deputy Squire), devised a programme, which we adapted as we went along, and called the dances. Because of this, I can tell you what we danced, (although I can't remember what order we did it in):

Rose Tree; Highland Mary; Balance the Straw; Bluebells of Scotland; Lads a Bunchum; Young Collins; Skirmish; Lollipop Man; Mona’s; Jenny Lind; Bonny Green Garters. This, for the record, took just over an hour.

And also, because of this, Joe took the photos (thank you Joe).

As usual at Shearsby, there were a lot of people watching (and taking photos) - thank you!

Foxton Locks

A pleasure to be joined at Bridge 61, Foxton Locks, by Hips N Haws. Our thanks to them.

Coach and Horses, Lubenham

A rather damp and grey night at Lubenham.

Old Red Lion, Clipston

We had the idea that it usually rains when we dance in Clipston (very close to the site of the Battle of Naseby), and tonight it did, but only as we were packing up.

The Square, Market Harborough

Dancing in The Square, Market Harborough, to draw attention to collectors for Macmillan, joined by Bakanalia Border Morris: thanks to them for joining with us.

Queen's Head, Billesdon

Our annual Midsummer outing to Billesdon, with Bakanalia Border Morris and New St George Morris, always a pleasure. Thanks to them both for joining us and to all who watched.

Black Horse, Cold Ashby

A lovely summer evening at the Black Horse in Cold Ashby.

Knightley Arms, Yelvertoft

Web editor not present, so no report or photos! Apologies, but venue recorded so you know we were there!

Gate to Southwell

We took part in the 30th Gate to Southwell, a revival of a procession that dates back to the 12th century. We met with other sides outside Nottingham city hall, and then processed to Sneinton, where we were welcomed by the Sneinton Environmental Society and granted safe passage through the parish. We then got onto buses and danced at various places on the way to Southwell, where there was the handing over of symbolic donations from the parishes to the minster, and then a short service. Thank you to Chris Gigg of Dolphin Morris Men for organising the day, and to the two musicians who we borrowed throughout the day.

(The "other" side in the third picture is Anstey Morris Men).

The Bell, East Langton

Some of us danced as guests of Anstey Royale Chalfont, a north west side (dancing in that style, rather than from the north west - Anstey is near Leicester). No photos of us, as we all had to dance all the dances, but here is one of our hosts.

The Wharf, Welford

Dancing on a rather grey and damp evening - thank you if you watched - and among some motorcycles, as is usually the case at Welford.

The Star, Geddington

Always a good audience in Geddington, a lovely place near Kettering, and the home of perhaps the best surviving example of an Eleanor Cross, as well as a ford that the web editor and deputy squire could not resist driving through. We were delighted to be joined by Hips 'n' Haws, a clog dancing side from Northamptonshire, who joined us on our 20th anniversary tour last year. Photos above of the figures on the cross, of each side, and of a massed band of musicians from both sides who played for everyone to join Hips 'n' Haws in a dance.

The Dog and Gun, Walton

We were joined on a beautiful spring evening by the Coventry Morris Men. From top to bottom, Coventry dancing something that I forgot to note down, then dancing a sword dance while supplying the music themselves by humming and singing it. Then us through a cherry tree, and then us preparing to dance Beaux of London City (Badby).

Thanks to Coventry Morris Men for joining us. It is always good to dance with another side, to see dances we don't, along with dances we do but not done the same way.

The Swan, Braybrooke

First dance out of the year, a home match! One or two spectators, but plenty of dancers and musicians.

The Deputy Squire / Web Editor would like to apologise sincerely to the poor residents of the village whose driveway he blocked for the whole evening. He will look more carefully in future.

Plough Monday Feast 2010

It is our habit to have an evening on or near Plough Monday, with food and dancing. More pictures to follow, but here is one of this year's event, at the Coach and Horses, Lubenham, across the border in Leicestershire. Thanks to David West for the photo. Plough Monday, the first Monday after Twelfth Night, is an important date in the English tradition. See Ploughmonday.co.uk for more.