So I did manage to go to the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance. When I emailed my friend Steve about it, he told me he could not go, and how much it was going to cost me to go via public transport, and I knew I would not make it, and especially if I had to travel there myself.  But then Steve  emailed me back, saying he changed his mind and could go and ( Read more... )

Essentially this was my last public dance out with the Thieving Magpies. I knew that, but I was not sure anybody else there realised it until I brought it up. Some of the team don't think I am going to leave back to Australia, and will only believe it when I am actually gone. I will get to see them all in Wales at Terry and Helen's wedding ( Read more... )

Here is Terry's post about the Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Festival - it was our third rushcart event visited, but 2nd event actually danced at as a side.

Well then! Sowerby Bridge. Or as my neighbour’s little lad called it, Soapy Bridge. They invited us verbally at the end of last year’s rushcart. I put it on the calendar. A week before this year’ ( Read more... )

Cleckheaton is a strange enough place to have a folk festival - some of my friends call it Chav town, and indeed there were not many places to dine out, a lot of low income people and thieving was going on at midday in the middle of the town (a Wayzgoose campervan got broken into in a 25 minute time span). Often we saw several Morris Sides ( Read more... )

The weekend before my birthday was not a dancing event for a change. There was a festival, but not one that we were invited to dance at - actually it was one that we (Thieving Magpies) steward at. Shepley is south of Huddersfield, 30 mins by train from Marsden, and a bit east of Holmfirth, so not that far away. I had decided to steward, since my ( Read more... )

Here comes Terry's Holmfirth post...

First my bit...  Now this is a typical Yorkshire valley village - the streets are steep and the houses piled up along the valley slopes, and a river running down the middle, with pubs built right next to them so you can have a pint virtually on a bridge next to the entrance. This is Last of the Summer Wine ( Read more... )

Well, the weekend down in Derbyshire and Nottingham was a good one - except the evening was not as good as I thought it would be - I was just plain tired. Firstly, the day time dancing was great  - we were in Shardlow, a village on the edge of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and we met two other sides - the Black Pigs (from Notthingham) and ( Read more... )

As you know, I've joined the Thieving Magpie Morris side here in Marsden. I've been in it for 3 months now and already have made my tatter jacket and have a top hat decorated with badges and stuff and even have some bells for my shins (I need more though ( Read more... )