Corporate Morris Dancing again

Peter J, Allen and I were hired again by Rampage Events to teach morris dancing to teams from a different organisation. This time it was CBS, who weren't natural bonders like the Loctite people. We mistook the initials - maybe it was GBH..? (cue stick clashing...) they still enjoyed it though.

We only managed to see 5 of the 7 teams that were coming down the river. Maybe they got lost and took a wrong turn - up the Fleet or the Effra or maybe the Wandle?

Here's Allen keeping supple by dancing a Princess Royal while waiting for the trainees:

Eventually the chickens needed feeding and we had to go home. But spending an afternoon chatting in the sun outside a pub isn't too hard a chore...

Chelsea (and Kensington)

At the Anglesea Arms, and then the Scarsdale Tavern in Edwardes Square

the weather had been threatening downpours all day, but the magic of the morris kept it away, and we had a nice evening's dancing. And pleasant audiences too.

Bloomsbury Tour

at the Norfolk Arms and Rugby Tavern (sorry I only had my camera out at the Norfolk Arms)

we were joined by Dan Kenning, who is now working in these part, but work is too busy to bring whites too :(

The Norfolk Arms is quite a gastro-pub these days, but the patrons still enjoyed the show, as did a coach-load of american tourists, before going off to investigate the darker recesses of London

Myrtle came along as official morris-beast-in-training

and enjoyed dancing Bonny Green Garters

after that over at the Rugby tavern. It was the barman's first day, poor thing, and I've been very lapse lately in warning pubs we were coming. He was getting worried that he'd lose his job by the pub losing it's licence on the first day he'd worked. 

We reassured him that Morris wasn't included in the music licensing laws "because it isn't entertaining" (?) 

and even more:

that the chances of us still noisily dancing after 10pm were fairly slim....

Loctite Adhesives

Peter J, Allan and I were booked for the day by Rampage Events doing a corporate team building exercise for Loctite Adhesives. The contestants were going down the river and doing different tasks at points on the way - a bit like the Generation Game.

They stuck with it and were very tenacious. 

We decided to score for style, effort, energy and beards. 

Not many points on the beard front

Good fun, and loads of points to all of them for everything else

Fitzrovia: Duke of York and The Fitzroy Tavern

We were joined by a mystery man in the audience who seemed to know all the dances: Andy Roberts in civvies, Andy's now the foreman of Allington Morris, having moved away from London.

There was a stag night in a local pub, so we blessed the groom-to-be by dancing a Rose around him guaranteeing plenty of fertility

Flagons of beer around...

Unfortunately no photos; from me, anyhow - I forgot my camera.

Allan wasn't too upset...

A few of us had thought we might be able to come for a garden party his local Quakers were organising.

In the event only Antony made it, and I'd phoned up to say I wouldn't after Allan had left home. I had visions of Allan arriving with no-one else around. 

In the end however they found someone who knew the tunes, borrowed a recorder, and did some jigs.

Sheltered Schemes in Notting Hill

Another visit to the sheltered schemes where I work. Much enjoyed by all.

Kensington Tour

No photos of the Elephant and Castle yet, though some may follow from a generous member of the audience.
We were a fairly bare side - someone else's diary crashed this time...
But we still managed to do a good show, to an appreciative audience.

After that up to the Uxbridge Arms, where we were watched by 5 year old Matthew, who'd stayed up specially - " and this is a special dance for Matthew..." and the locals, who are a good bunch. One went to the same schools as Noah and Ezra, and they all agreed they were the best schools ever.

One group had thought they might have a quiet evening to discuss the forthcoming redesign of their webpage - buckman-coats.com. It's going to be what Burberry etc. wanted to be but didn't. Apparently. We were assured that Lord Buckman himself would have been an avid morris dancer if there was a lady to impress.

And Ezra danced a jig all by himself!!




Next time he'll have to do it with bells on!
...but very well done...

Thaxted Ring meeting

Off for the Thaxted Morris Ring meeting, here's Ezra and myself dancing a jig in Finchingfield
Noah and Ezra heading for the coach.
those are eggs, and they didn't break them.
this should hopefully (if I've done it right) be a bit of the background sound from the weekend - everywhere there's bells ringing.

Highbury Tour - a lesson in calendar management

... for me
I'd done a first draft of the programme, then Allan pointed out that Thursday 22nd May was the same as the LP country dance evening. I seem to have just changed the "Thursday" to "Tuesday" and forgot the date. When Antony pointed out that there wasn't a Tuesday 22nd I looked in my calendar, where I had it down as Thursday, and though I must have meant the Thursday.

So it's probably my fault that not many men came along...



The photo is of Ezra warming up by bouncing a ball against the Compton Arms.
However he did treat the audience to a double jig with Allan, and Allan did a Princess Royal Jig too

Peter Judge joined us down at the Marquess Tavern, and we found a surprising number of dances that we could dance with 3 dancers, and either Peter on concertina or myself on recorder.
No photos of that I'm afraid as hands were busy.

A pleasant audience, and we enjoyed the evening, so all was not in vain.

Cecil Sharp House May Fair, Part II

Liz Hall, the Chair of the Friends of Cecil Sharp House, took these photos. Thanks Liz!

Cecil Sharp House May Fair, 17 May

We met a London Pride Jig Doll










Enjoyed the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library











And took part in the May festitivities.








Kitty danced her first jig in public - but don't call her a jig doll!
No photos of the morris or other dancing yet...

Warm up act for Danny and the Champions

A very pleasant evening, dancing at the Betsy Trotwood pub in Clerkenwell, as guests of Danny and the Champions of the World (Myspace preview here), and then listening to the bands.




Comparing accordion playing styles:

and crashing out in the cellars listening to music:

Some more photos from Kew Gardens

Woodland Wonders in Kew

Last year's Woodland Wonders at Kew were a bit of a wash-out, weather-wise, but we enjoyed them. This year, there was sunshine and big audiences with lots of children.





No photos of the whole side dancing, as my camera hand was busy







We had plenty of dancers, and Kitty and Hannah both performed.

Kitty joined in the maypole dancing.







Circulus were there again. Well worth checking out their Myspace page for medieval hippy music.






And there was a zipwire!


One small thing we could improve for next year: a volunteer to bring beer!

London Pride in Bronze...

I've passed this statue a million times, and never noticed the title.









We're pleased sculptor Frank Dobson decided to commemorate us









but he appears to have forgotten our hats and other regalia (and presciently sculpted women)

Mayday 2008 part 2 - dancing with Leaves

This year, the Deptford Jack progressed along the Thames between London Bridge and Waterloo. Peter K, Peter J. Ezra and Kitty joined in - catching up with the Jack just before Shakespeare's Globe.








We carried on to the Founders Arms, and then past Gabriel's Wharf











and on to the Bull Ring roundabout where -








the Jack took a sudden turn, under a railway arch and through a narrow doorway, into the Leaky Cauldron - sorry, the Hole in the Wall pub, but it all looked a bit Harry Potter to us.

Mayday 2008 part 1 - Dancing with Bees

This year, before we joined the Deptford Jack in the Green, Peter K, Peter J, Ezra and Kitty had an appointment with some bees.







On the roof of the Royal Festival Hall, is the Royal Festival Hive an experiment in keeping bees in a very urban environment, and part of a campaign to alert us all to the danger our bee population faces from disease and pollution.

We were invited along to dance for the bees, and produced a couple of jigs.


Myrtle enjoyed being on the roof of the Hall, and










Peter K and Kitty both got to taste the Royal Festival Honey






Photos mostly by Rebecca Fielding.