Morris dancers mob Trafalgar Square

[editor]

Morris troupes from all over the country mobbed Trafalgar Square for a mass Morris-off this afternoon - and it was a hoot!

Anyone else go along to watch a bit of bell-clanging, hanky-waving, stick bashing fun?









More pics soon!

[red rose]

Love the one who's out of time in that second photo.

There was a group here yesterday. We get a lot of morris groups here over the summer, the last lot brought their own tankards and drank the whole pub out of Tribute

[JTG]

how many were called Morris?

[geminisnake]

Stuff the photos, I want video

I think they're ace

[_pH_]

Aww, reminds me of the awesome U75 Severn Valley trip last year

[editor]

Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.

(Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).

[geminisnake]

Originally Posted by editor

Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.

(Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).

There is/was a troop in Banchory(up by Aberdeen) but I think it was an english guy who moved up there set it up.

[lang rabbie]

Originally Posted by editor

Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.

(Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).

Yes, despite the camouflage of Welsh dragons on their website, and green white and red livery, the Isca Morrismen of Caerleon are obviously part of fiendish plan to reclaim Monmouthshire for England [/conspiraloon]

[isitme]

<ed: drivel removed>

[editor]

Originally Posted by lang rabbie

Yes, despite the camouflage of Welsh dragons on their website, and green white and red livery, the Isca Morrismen of Caerleon are obviously part of fiendish plan to reclaim Monmouthshire for England [/conspiraloon]

I was lied to! Ruddy Englisch!

Originally Posted by isitme

<ed: drivel removed>

Go away now little boy, or be banned.

[Crispy]

Note: A morris troupe is called a 'side'

[isitme]

ok old man

[Crispy]

I'm 28

[editor]

Originally Posted by Crispy

Note: A morris troupe is called a 'side'

I kind of like Morris dancers because they're so gloriously unhip, and a bit bonkers.

[Citizen66]

Originally Posted by editor

[Scarlette]

Originally Posted by editor

I kind of like Morris dancers because they're so gloriously unhip, and a bit bonkers.

Me too. And they remind me of this party there is in my home town every year. As well as Morris dancers there are climbing a greasy pole (snigger) and football on the mud when the tide's out and cockle eating competitions.

[cesare]

I think morris dancers are great, wish I'd known about this

[editor]

Originally Posted by milly molly

Me too. And they remind me of this party there is in my home town every year. As well as Morris dancers there are climbing a greasy pole (snigger) and football on the mud when the tide's out and cockle eating competitions.

Most English people seem a little bit embarrassed by Morris dancers, which is a bit of a shame seeing as it's one of the few truly quintessential English traditions. You'd think they'd see the common ground too: Morris dancers love to run around with sticks, wave things around, drink vast amounts of beer and bellow out tunes.

I'll post up more pics in a moment - it was an excellent event.

[Divisive Cotton]

I reckon if you are a tourist and you stumble upon a Morris Dancing festival in London you must be like WTF?!

[Hocus Eye.]

I can't stand Morris dancing. I don't believe they are of genuine historic origin, just made up somewhere along the way. But then I don't like any formalised group dancing. I was a Ceroc widower for a while or it may be because I can't do it though and have bad memories of being made to do 'country dancing' in infant school with the teacher pounding away on an upright piano in the school hall.

Good photographs though.

[QueenOfGoths]

My sister-in-law does the black face morris dancing. She was at the Upton Folk Festival with them over the last Bank Holiday weekend

[isitme]

Originally Posted by Hocus Eye.

I can't stand Morris dancing. I don't believe they are of genuine historic origin, just made up somewhere along the way. But then I don't like any formalised group dancing. I was a Ceroc widower for a while or it may be because I can't do it though and have bad memories of being made to do 'country dancing' in infant school with the teacher pounding away on an upright piano in the school hall.

Good photographs though.

<ed: removed>

[editor]

Originally Posted by isitme

-

24 hour ban.

You were certainly warned

[Maurice Picarda]

Monmouthshire isn't particularly Welsh, but my grandfather was a Morris dancer from Pwllheli.

[the button]

I used to play for a "rapper" side, which is the north east (northumberland, down the east coast into the East Riding) equivalent of Morris.

Here's some: -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwW_g...E64D6A&index=1

The music is a bit more "fast & furious", and just because it's jigs, people tend to assume it's Irish.

Traditionally performed at midwinter, the thing where they lock the swords together is known as "the lock" or "the nut," and is thought to be a representation of the sun -- encouraging it to come back at the darkest time of the year.

I spent quite a few Boxing Days on "dance outs," doing the thing and then getting pissed and playing a few tunes in the pub after.