I felt I needed an day off after my non-stop workshop and talk tour (or at least a lunchtime off!) so we headed over to Chester today for the day (weekend?) of dance hosted by Chester City Morris Men (photo above), after a tip off from the Squire of the Morris Ring that there was going to be some good dancing on our doorstep (almost). Yesterday there had been two dance tours around the city centre and today all the teams were together on the riverside - "The Banks of the Dee" appropriately. Kinnerton Morris Men and Mersey Morris Men were also there for the weekend, although I don't seem to have any photos of Mersey by the Dee (if that makes sense).
Monkseaton Morris longsword dance -
Westminster Morris Men (yes, that is a unicorn 'obby 'oss!) -
Greensleeves Morris Men spotted a hen party in the audience, so got the bride-to-be into the dance -
Thaxted Morris Men, with the current Squire of the Morris Ring and the previous squire dancing -
Monkseaton's rapper, with their very entertaining Betty & Tommy -
We continued to The Albion inn, just below the city wall, where there was more morris and sword dancing in the street. There was quite a crowd of spectators on the wall, who probably couldn't believe what was going on in the street below - about as English an event as you can get, with the pub decked out in St George's flags outside as well as in, and the dancing finishing with a massed dance to the tune of "Bonny Green Garters".
After the dancing, a few of us were entertained by The Albion's player piano (sorry, I can't do sound clips, but if you are in Chester, it is worth a visit for the retro ambience).
2 comments:
Thank you - that was fascinating. I've seen morris dancers in our area, but never so many. There was a group that toured the county one spring. After their final dance, a few of the men stopped in our small town to take a skinny dip in the Hudson River.:)
Janet
Looked like a grand day!
I do miss my "dancing out" days!
Watching is good though.
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