Winter Solstice 21/12/2014 - The Witchmen at the Lilacs Isham

Celebrating the shortest day and the coming turning of the year with its looking forwards to the re-birth of spring - truthfully it was a good way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoom watching a variety of sides having a great time and having a couple of beers as Rowena was driving. And avoiding diving into Aldi near the A14 for that bit of last minute preparation for the one day that the shops are shut - Christmas Day.
It was a great afternoon with some good dancing and a jovial atmosphere under the ever watchful eye of the Green Man and Santa Clause. It will soon be time for The January Man to start leading his brothers through the endless journey through the years - lest hope 2015 is a good one for everyone.

                                                             

     

 Yes it is Allana in her Bourne Borders Rags and Tatters

 - but who's her pal with the beer.

The Green Man watches on 

Black Horse Foxton Village 15th December 2014

A good pre-Christmas evening of music and merriment and some excellent home made nibbles and some enthusiastic singing - including the 13 days of Christmas , from Pauline , Marrow bones from Fiddler Dave , While Shepherds watched to the alternative tune (Ilkley Moor) , and alternative version of Gaudette , Bill (Melodeon) put words to 'Jockey to the Fair' - bound to cause confusion with the numbers of 'A's and 'B' s. Sadly Boars Head Carol floundered in the absence of Geoff the Bagman.
A jolly good time was had by all, in spite of the odd looks we got from time to time from the Bar staff.

Friday 28th November Desborough Late Night Gala

Out and about again for Desborough's late night event which also coincided with the Christmas Tree Fayre at St. Giles Church.  Desborough's Christmas lights were switched on by Widow Twankey , helped along by The Ice Queen and Aladdin's Genie - all from Kettering's Lighthouse Theater 2014 Panto. Tried recruiting them but they declined 

It was good fun trying to find enough room between stalls, Fire Engines and ponies/donkey's ( couldn't make out which they were in the dark as I only ever saw their backends)  Next week it's Harborough Christmas Fayre - lets hope there is a bit more 'illumination than there was in Desborough.

There are a couple of Video clips below the gallery 

Not much happens in the closed season Except Practice Nights

Practice Night 24th November 2014

A suggestion had been made to see if we could fit  Lively Jig to " Don't stop the Cavalry" - a Christmas Time tune ( but not really a Christmas song). There wasn't really enough time to make it fit but we have managed to use PC assistance to demonstrate it could work with a tweak here and there

There were odd bits of confusion which made it the usual Practice evening fun!!

Friday 31st October 2014 Ghosties and Ghoulies and Long Legged Beasties and things that go Bump! in the night

Out and about again. This time exchanging Sticks for Light Sabres. The problem is they don't make a noise and you can't bang them on the ground. Still all had a great time at East Carlton Park's Halloween invent. The place was packed! There were Spooky Tours and Ghost Trains. It looked like a fantastic success.  All the side dressed for the occasion. Squire David dressed up as the Invisible Man and disappeared from just about every picture (photographing Black Cats in Coal Cellars comes to mind).  Pauline, Brenda, and Sally dressed for a night out in 'Harboro. Rowena's Vampyre Fairy was attributed to too much Gin.  Thanks to Jonathan for turning up as this let me off to use the camera.    Finaly thanks to Rowland for getting the picture of the night the only time the flash went off  for him.  A few samples below - there are more pictures in the Website Gallery

Rowland's Photograph 

Saturday 25th October 2014 - Macmillan Day in Harborough with Bakanalia and Hips'n'Haws

On a sunny autumn morning  shoppers were entertained outside of Sainsbury's by Braybrooke , Bakanalia and Hips'n'Haws.  There were plenty of people about and plenty stopped to watch. Some even took part in  audience participation dances - with all three sides helping out. By the weight of their buckets the Macmillan  collectors were confident they were doing well - lets hope that the people of Harborough and the surrounding area have been as generous as usual

                                             

           

                                         

                                                 

                                                                                                                                     

Thank you for the Day.........4th October 2014 a Day of Dance to remember

What a fantastic day our Day of Dance was. Celebrating 25 years of Dancing the Side started the day outside the Swan in drizzle , which turned into the heavy stuff at East Carlton. It wasn't enough to stop sides dancing in raincoats and carrying brolleys or dancing with Daleks - well one Dalek called Toast. East Carlton Park did a great catering job and we set off for Harborough replenished The rain had stopped by the time we reached the Square to find two other sides  Sheffield City Morris and Black Annis warming up the paving slabs for what looked like an invasion of people who jingled when they walked.  I never thought I'd hear the theme tune from Blackadder used as a dance tune but Sheffield City did a good job of dancing to it. Next stop Foxton in bright sushine - half the group danced up at the museum and the other half near the pub.  Back to The Swan for dancing and cake and a chance to reflect on a day which couldn't have gone any better

A random selection of images from 4th October - many more in the DoD Gallery use the lik to the main website

   

Don't Panic Mr. Mannering !!! Computer says NO!

7 days to DoD day and counting.  An opportunity to circulate information about the DoD had reminded everyone we needed some Flyers. So last weekend (21st) had seen a flurry of activity to get  Artwork set up and into an 'On Line' print shop. Negotiated challenges of their ordering system and order was placed  Monday - so sit back and wait for their delivery.
The email received Wednesday morning saying "Sorry both big printing presses are broken down expect a 3 to 4 day delay' was not what I wanted to hear.
So midday Wednesday I start again. If I can get the Artwork to 'On Line' printer #2  by 5.00pm I will get delivery Friday BUT (there had to be a but) they needed it in a different format.
Microsoft Publisher should have imported the original word file -but computer said NO! and at 1.00pm I started rebuilding the Flyer in the new format.  By 3.30pm I had it sorted and loaded it onto the On line Order - and  great performance - they were delivered at 10.30am yesterday (Friday) .

As Hannibal in the 'A' Team used to say "I love it when a plan comes together" (just)

Link to Day of Dance Flyer

The Day of Dance Flyer is off to the printers but this link will take you to a version of it which will start to appear next week - I have tried to put as many routes to it as I can think of.

The Link below takes you to a copy of the 

DAY of DANCE FLYER

Day of Dance Saturday 4th October 2014 FLYER

Photo Opportunities - Day of Dance Saturday 4th October 2014

There will be plenty of Photo opportunities for anyone with a camera on our Day of Dance. Here are a few I took at Shrewsbury Folk FesTival over the August Bank Hoiday weekend to give you some ideas until 4th October

 Ironmen and 7 Gilders

Ironmen and 7 Gilders

Kicking Alice

Shropshire Bedlam

 They don't drop their sticks in disgust they leg it away from the dance

area like a 200m sprinter

 

Clog Dancers

 Hammersmith Morris

They are all related to Zebedee in the Magic Roundabout

NEXT PICTURES WILL BE FROM THE DAY OF DANCE

25th Anniversary Day of Dance is only 2 weeks away

After a few weeks have passed since the last Dance Out of 2014 at the Windhover but is not been quiet for those members of the side have been involved in arranging the Day of Dance on the 4th October 2014 - and its all coming together due to a lot of hard work .8 Guest sides have confirmed they will be taking part and there is still time for more.

The Plan for 4th of October looks like this Please come and see us all of the venues are reasonably close to each other 

DANCING ALL DAY

Starts at The Swan Braybrooke 10.30am

10.30am to 11.30amThe Swan Braybrooke

12.00 Noon to 1.30pm East Carlton Park

 2.00pm to 3.00pm Market Harborough         

 The Square and St. Mary’s Place

 3.30pm to 4.30pm Foxton Locks

 5.00pm to 6.00pm The Swan Braybrooke     

SEE YOU ON SATURDAY 4th  OCTOBER 2014

Monday 11th August 2014 The Stags Head Maidwell

A  challenge weather wise ,with short sharp showers making it unpleasant .Sally did her best to provide shelter for the musicians with a medium sized umbrella. The front car park was soon abandoned  for the shelter of an awning in the pub garden

Rain runs off the awning like a water fall