Feast - 6 December 2014

Our Feast was at Holy Cross Centre, The Crypt, Holy Cross Church, Cromer Street.

There was dancing and feasting. It was good to celebrate another successful year.

Our guests were Hillary Blanford and Maggie Holland.

If anyone has photos or more to add, please feel free to do so....

Apple Day Walthamstow, 11 October

LP danced at the annual Apple Day festival at Vestry House Museum Walthamstow. Celebrating all things to do with apples.. including cider. 

Costermongers' Harvest Festival 28 September

This year we didn't dance in the Guildhall square for the annual Costermongers' Harvest Festival. We didn't join the procession. Instead we were asked to dance outside St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside till the procession arrived.

Morris is a traditional part of the Festival, but the main attraction is the Pearly Royalty on display, and there is also Maypole Dancing, Chelsea pensioners and all manner of other stuff, There's plenty of Morris in the square, and we enjoyed a chance to mingle with the other sides and people, before having a spot to ourselves outside the church.

There is a video of Peter Kanssen's jig on Facebook.

Angel Canal Festival, 7 September

The Angel Canal Festival is a highlight each year, on the first Sunday in September. It's a long day with lots of dancing and music, and happy audiences. 

We started at 11 with some music and dancing at our usual first spot, outside the Prince of Wales pub. Sadly this was closed this year.  

Next stop was the "plaza" by City Road basin, which this year was a beach - with deckchairs, sand, a pirate ship and pony rides. 

After that, we had a "music only" stand at the Lock Island. There's no dancing on the lock island, for safety reasons, but Nick managed a jig on the tow path. 

We danced at Packington - the far end of the canal festival, where some of the audience watched from railing above us, and a number of people joined in enthusiastically. All were invited to practice on Tuesday evenings, of course. 

Then back to the Plaza for our last show. We were pretty strong in numbers by this time, so we managed Upton Stick Dance and some other less standard dances. 

As usual, we spent a lot of time chatting and posing with passers by between shows: some people asked for music so they could show us their moves.

After four shows, our feet were tired but we skipped lightly home (no really).   Pictures by Richard Askew. 

St Giles Fayre and Phoenix Gardens Agricultural Show, 6 September

We like the Phoenix Gardens - it's a haven in the centre of town, in the shadow of Centre Point. And St Giles in the Fields is a beautiful and historic church. So we like the Phoenix Gardens Agricultural Show and St Giles Fayre, which comes at the start of September every year. 

This year we danced in the churchyard, where there was tea and cakes, and a barbecue, as well as animals from the City Farm, and produce such as honey. 

Other acts included a Punch and Judy show, as well as the Crystal Palace Brass Band. 

Some of us went on to a London Pride country dance event. Others went to Trafalgar Square where a demonstration welcomed a group who re-enacted the Jarrow March, calling for action to keep the NHS public.  

Photos by Josh Askew.

Funeral of Chris Holland - 29 August

On 29 August, we danced at the funeral of our member, Chris Holland. 

Chris danced with London Pride from the 1990s and was loved and respected by us all.

The funeral was at St Michael and All Angels where Chris worshipped. The church was packed with his friends, and we heard some of his last words, written while he waited for surgery.

If there is Morris dancing in heaven, the vicar said, Chris would be dancing a jig there now.

During the service, Richard Wyber danced a jig, and we heard Chris's favourite poems.

Eight of us led the congregation to the Blackheath Halls which were quickly alive with conversation,

Along with a keen mind, one of Chris's gifts was the ability to make an occasion happen, without having to hog the limelight - and it seemed he'd done this one more time.

We danced on the stage of the recital room while people talked, and Chris's wife Maggie joined us for the traditional farewell dance, Bonnie Green Garters.

Ad Hoc Music Practice and Dance in Soho

 

A cancelled tour with Sharp Morris left us at a loose end in Soho. Naturally we had a music practice and a bit of a dance.  With some audience participation. 

  

Croydon Night Of Dance 2014

The tenth Croydon Night of Dance featured a great set of sides including St Alban's, Rampant Rooster, Wild Hunt Bedlam Morris, Northwood Morris, the very famous Blackheath Morris Men, Steampunk Morris, The Belles of London City, Ravensbourne Morris, Old Palace Clog and of course ourselves!

This was a truly momentous night, with more dancing than you could shake a stick - in fact many many sticks - at.

All rustled up by James Denny, with a fine welcome from the Builders Arms and the Glamorgan.

Pictures below...