Morris Folk At The Weald and Downland

Saturday saw our local town's Day of Dance. Normally I participate [nowt to do with the fact that I'm on foot and there's free ale...now would I be so shallow? Why of course!] however, this year numpty knickers had booked herself onto a course at the Weald and Downland which clashed [more of that later in the week]. All was not lost though as I managed to catch the Morris Folk exhibition which is there until 12th June. Originally I mentioned this here http://gnatbottomedtowers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/baby.html but it was a real treat to see what the other sides had done with their dolls. The attention to detail is incredible.

Bearing in mind the dolls are only 18" I loved the effort the maker had put into the badges on the jacket lapels.

These are a selection of some of the sides we have danced with recently. The masked one is Wild Hunt who were set up by the same chap who was behind Mythago. The two dolls in red and black are Bloodstone Morris who we are joining on the Isle of Wight next month [sadly not me this time as the teenogre is doing exams and I want to be around]

And of course last but not least our very own Baby as we named her.

Although the tradition has been in the doldrums for the past few years I'm glad to say [some might not be quite so thrilled!] that it has seen a revival with so many more women joining and the emergence of many mixed sides http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/06/morris-dancing-undergoing-radical-change-with-influx-of-women/ Not to everyone's taste granted but very much part of our country's folk heritage.

Arilx