Raunds Festival

Very good to appear on the square in Raunds, as part of the 2011 Raunds Festival, with Moulton Morris (above, with umbrella) and Rockingham Rapper (above, in black). Two things of historical interest about Raunds: in 1905 Raunds bootmakers marched to London in protest at the level of their wages. And, in 1800, there were riots against the Enclosure Act. A local clergyman responded to this by writing verse in Latin.

Market Harborough, May 1st

It is our tradition to welcome May by dancing in Market Harborough town centre early on May 1st. And so, here we are this morning, between 630 and 730. Thank you if you were in the small but perfectly formed (and larger than last year!) audience.

Programme for 2011

Our programme for 2011 is ready! On Monday nights, from May - September (except August), we "dance out", in various locations around north Northamptonshire and South Leicestershire. We have some bookings on Saturdays as well, and are pleased to have the chance to support Macmillan collectors in Market Harborough on a couple of Saturdays. Our dancing out programme also includes a midsummer dance at Billesdon with Bakanalia and other sides, and this year includes an invitation to Bakanalia's 20th Anniversary tour in September.

Details of our programme are on this website.

Seaside Holidays for the Working Classes

And folk dancing for slum girls - two of the achievements of Mary Neal, and the title of an exhibition by Faye Claridge at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.

Mary Neal ran a club for working women in London, as a place for factory women to go. Cecil Sharp introduced her to morris, and in the end, as I understand it, they fell out, as she believed that it was ok to modify the dances, he believed the dances should be danced in the same way as he had seen them danced when he wrote them down.

The exhibition includes photos of one of our members, and a video loop of him and another member, as the last members of the last Morris side in Rugby borough. Today there was a Morris themed event at the gallery, featuring us and Anker Morris Men from Nuneaton. Many thanks to Faye for asking us - here are some photos.

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.