Beer festivals and Morris dancing.

[Questions]

As the season for drinking good ales in sweltering pub gardens and pondering long and hard over lists of fantastic new beers and breweries why will there undoubtably be a group of Morris dancers arrive to put me off. Where is the link ? Why do they always have to appear. I hate them.

Bells on their socks and hitting little sticks against each other ? What's that all about ?

 

[attila]

Come to Glastonwick mate. 85 beers, spiky music and poetry and an official ban on Morris dancers and blues bands Maybe you have, in which case you'll know....

 

[Stat Brother]

Oh sorry if I've missed it [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION], I keep forgetting to say The Shepherd & Dog, Fulking, has it's cider festival coming up.

 

[vegster]

Apparently women love them, one of the old boys of the Sompting Morris Men had a few tales to tell plus, they get free beer too so the " set " is shortened.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Where is the link ?

Facial hair. Especially the women.

 

[vegster]

Come to Glastonwick mate. 85 beers, spiky music and poetry and an official ban on Morris dancers and blues bands Maybe you have, in which case you'll know....

Ban the poetry too and I might think about it.

 

[happypig]

A wise man once said to me "Try everything once, except incest and morris dancing"

 

[theboybilly]

The 'Sweeps' Festival in Rochester is a great event. Not that I'm a Morris Dancing officianado or anything but there's something about quaffing ale while watching all manner of folk dance and other stuff (it's not just Morrismen) I love it.
Poetry? Not on your Nelly thanks

 

[Soulman]

It's a beer festival with traditions, the Morris dancers are not on all the time, easily to avoid if you're a misery. Music, Morris dancers, real ales, what's not to like.

 

[GT49er]

What's the problem? They enjoy it, it's harmless fun, a good excuse for a few beers, and you don't have to watch it.

A few years ago I used to earn a few extra quid playing in a folk dance band, for barn dances; that sort of thing. One night we had a gig where the audience contained a number of members of one of England's top - if not the top - Morris Dancing teams. After the interval and a few beers they asked if we could play a tune for them to do one of their dances. It might not have been the full 'first team', but it wasn't far short - and in a relatively confined space Morris Dancing looked a whole lot different. The speed they were going, and the height of their jumps, was frankly, awesome. It changed my perception of Morris Dancing there and then,
I'm still no fan - I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it, or - heaven forbid! - try and join in, but I certainly don't knock it any more.

 

[Gazwag]

Sadly this country is becoming far to Americanised..Americans (a bit like sky and the premier league) don't understand anything older than them so we need to keep these traditions IMO

 

[gregbrighton]

Thank-god I don't drink. I really can't stand Morris Dancing. Bloody Maypole dancing is a close second hate.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Thank-god I don't drink. I really can't stand Morris Dancing. Bloody Maypole dancing is a close second hate.

Looks racist to me.

 

[Questions]

What's the problem? They enjoy it, it's harmless fun, a good excuse for a few beers, and you don't have to watch it.

A few years ago I used to earn a few extra quid playing in a folk dance band, for barn dances; that sort of thing. One night we had a gig where the audience contained a number of members of one of England's top - if not the top - Morris Dancing teams. After the interval and a few beers they asked if we could play a tune for them to do one of their dances. It might not have been the full 'first team', but it wasn't far short - and in a relatively confined space Morris Dancing looked a whole lot different. The speed they were going, and the height of their jumps, was frankly, awesome. It changed my perception of Morris Dancing there and then,
I'm still no fan - I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it, or - heaven forbid! - try and join in, but I certainly don't knock it any more.

Right you've convinced me. Let's get 'Celebrity Morris Dancing' live on a Saturday nights peak viewing TV time. I might add that I'll probably miss it because I'm normally out but hey.......

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Thank-god I don't drink. I really can't stand Morris Dancing. Bloody Maypole dancing is a close second hate.

That event has been celebrated in Abingdon annually since the 1600s. The fact that a few folk don't appreciate morris dancing these days isn't going to stop it.

 

[Pistol Knight]

Shame you all missed the best one of the year

http://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/article/beer-festival-saturday-may-30th-2015-2369166.aspx

http://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/article/beer-festival-2015-2236717.aspx

220 ales and 80 ciders

 

[GT49er]

Right you've convinced me. Let's get 'Celebrity Morris Dancing' live on a Saturday nights peak viewing TV time. I might add that I'll probably miss it because I'm normally out but hey.......

Yeh, I wouldn't be watching it either. Though there's a few 'celebrities' that I'd quite like to see 'accidentally' get clobbered by one of those sticks they wave around quite vigorously.

 

[BlockDpete]

I know that Weltons Brewery in Horsham cancelled their beer fest recently, because the Morris Men they booked couldn't turn up.

These things are taken seriously you know...

 

[WATFORD zero]

Bells on their socks and hitting little sticks against each other ? What's that all about ?

They get free beer

http://www.joke.co.uk/morris-dancer-costume~62886/

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Has anyone ever actually met a Morris Dancer. Or met someone who has met one?

They are like mythical creatures, emerging from swamps and downlands, prancing about in pub gardens and then vanishing again.

I don't believe they are real.