The Beast from the East was back! Russian snow! Just the weather for a day of dance! There is a saying in Suffolk that “there’s nothing between us and the Urals”. For once local lore and the Met Office agreed: the sun was not to shine on Oxblood Molly’s 4th Day of Dance in Halesworth.
Oxblood Molly (photo John Heaser)
“Me pals were all agog at the kit of the mollies, misfits and glorious champions hailing from Good Easter to the Washes and who got the blood racing on the Mark Jones Day of Dance in January.”
How many references to Molly sides can you find in the above sentence? Contrived I know, but somewhere you will find references to all the molly sides who were dancing on that day. No prizes for getting them all right.
Some years ago Cotswold Morris and Molly dancer Mark Jones tragically lost his life in a car accident and this Day of Dance, organised by Ouse Washes Molly Dancers in and around Ely, is regularly held in his memory. With Ouse Washes, gathering to mark the occasion were Gog Magog, Good Easter Molly Gang, Kit Witches, Mepal Molly, Misfits, Old Glory, Oxblood and Seven Champions – Molly dancers all. One of Mark’s favourite songs was “Rolling Home” and at the first stop this was the music for a massed molly dance “Birds a Building”.
Ouse Washes get things started at the Mark Jones Day of Molly Dance
The Belles of London City
The Morris Ring founded in 1934 may not survive to celebrate its 100th birthday as a fundamental change to its constitution is being proposed which will end the "men only" dancer rule.
Adam Garland, recent past Squire of the Ring, wrote in the “Morris Ring Circular” magazine in July last year with his reflections on his two years in office (2014 -16). He reminded readers that Morris has a long history in England and has evolved during that period. In the twentieth century the Morris Ring saw itself as the custodian of the Morris tradition but in the twenty-first century, under Adam's leadership, it "permitted" Ring sides to include women musicians and then ensured "that Ring Meetings should be open to all members of all clubs". Adam argued in his article that the Ring should go further as a “change in the Ring constitution to welcome women dancers as members of the Morris Ring is long overdue”.
At the time I wondered why any side with women dancers would want to join the (almost) all male Morris Ring; surely existing sides are happy to join one of the alternative organisations, the Morris Federation or Open Morris and with these alternatives why would a new side want to join the Ring.
Read more: Belles of London City to join the “Men only” Morris Ring? I don’t think so.
Milkmaid Molly founded in 2012 is part of Milkmaid Folk Arts, a Community Interest Company, offering a place of welcome and acceptance for people with disabilities and those without who meet on equal terms and find companionship. The Milkmaid’s ethos is to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people to build a life that is both fulfilling and rewarding through the joy of music, art and performance.
We meet at Station Hill Social Club, 1 Station Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 6AD on the first Thursday of each month promptly at 07.30 pm and finish by 09.00 pm. Both the Buddies and the Mollies would be so grateful if you could come along and help for just an hour and a half once a month. We are also looking for more musicians. Next meeting 1st March 2018.
Milkmaid Molly have a core of people with Learning Disabilities who choose to be called the ‘Mollies’ and a group of dance “Buddies” who assist the Mollies. The idea has proved so popular that we have a large number of Mollies but need more Buddies. Assisting with the Mollies does not mean you have to be in any way super fit or have any dance experience, Buddies just help with steering in the right direction when we perform very simply adapted Molly dances. The Buddies have more complicated routines of their own and during the evening to give the Mollies a rest from dancing we invite them together with our regular musicians to play for us. The Mollies enjoy playing percussion instruments, or in some cases their own guitars or mouth organs. Every practice we have fun, lots of laughs and have all made some good friends.
If you are fleet of foot and wish to take part in more intricate dances please come along on the third Thursday of the month as well when the Buddies have a practice alone concentrating on more complicated dances. During the summer both branches of the team have performed together Euston Rural Pastimes Country Fair, Ely Folk Festival and Oxjam.
If you wish to join us please ring Gill 01284 767476, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., look on line at www.milkmaidmusic.co.uk or just turn up on the night we would love to meet you.
Jan Robinson; Milkmaid Molly
Milkmaid Molly performing at Ely Folk Festival 2013
The 2017 Morris Census; The Results are in.
During 2017 all UK morris sides and as many foreign sides as possible were sent a detailed census form. The object was to try to compile a picture of the current state of morris dancing. The term “morris dancing” is used in its widest sense and embraces all forms of English traditional dance: Cotswold, Border, Molly, Northwest, Garland, Mumming, Rapper, Clog Step, Longsword, Appalachian, English Country Dance/Playford and Stave. The 798 sides who replied included both UK and foreign sides.
The results were sent to all participating sides at the end of 2017 and they are available to a wider audience at the website www.morriscensus.uk . The site is interactive and easy to use, giving information not only for the UK, but also for New Zealand and Australia, the US and Canada and for international sides. You can look up your Morris organisation and your form of dance and by clicking on the appropriate column find the 2014 figures too.
Some of the conclusions.
George Butterworth; Morris Man and composer died on the Somme August 1916
On this day when the nation remembers its’ fallen heroes the Morris fraternity can remember one of their own who died on 5th August 1916.
Butterworth described himself as “a professional Morris dancer” and folk song collector before he became known as the composer who with Housman’s blessing set his poem “A Shropshire Lad” to music. Collecting folk songs and Morris dances was the source of his inspiration and he became a friend of Cecil Sharp and a founder of the English Folk Dance Society in 1911. He was a paid member of the EFDS demonstration Morris dance team three of whom were killed in 1916.
Butterworth had joined as volunteer with the rank of Private but was soon commissioned and served with the Durham Light Infantry. Butterworth won the Military Cross for his defence of a trench in Pozières which was subsequently named after him. He died at the age of 31 from a sniper's bullet on the following night.
Like many who died at the Somme he has no known grave but his name is included amongst the 73,357 listed as missing on the Thiepval Memorial near Pozières. He is also remembered at St Mary’s Church, Deerhurst, near Tewksbury, Gloucester where his Grandfather had been Vicar.
My thanks to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, The Guardian and Wikipedia
In anticipation of this years Plough Monday on 8th January and the Whittlesea Straw Bear on 13th January you may like to read this recently discovered account of a previous Plough Monday from a bygone age. This year Old Glory Molly Dancers and Musicians will be performing at the Rumburgh Buck on 8th January.
There are a few articles which descibe Plough Monday including references in “Truculent Rustics” by Elaine Bradtke and “Molly Dancing in East Anglia” by Needham and Peck. Articles by William Palmer, Russell Wortley and Cyril Papworth describe Plough Monday traditions in the Cambridgeshire villages of Little Downham, Littleport and Balsham, amongst others. Unfortunately I could find few historical references to Plough Monday traditions in Suffolk, indeed one authority on the subject, Peter Millington, states in a comprehensive paper called “The Origins of Plough Monday” that “Norfolk and Suffolk are almost devoid of Plough Monday records". So I began a diligent search of the internet and came across this article which seems to come from a late Victorian account of an event in Rumburgh. Unfortunately, as we know, Google is an unreliable source so I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the following report.
The Land of the Saints has a Dark Side
“On 13th January this publication received an alarming report from several eye witnesses of a disturbing event which occurred the previous evening, the first Monday after Epiphany, which some call Plough Monday. The incident took place in the depths of East Suffolk in the area known as The Saints; but this was no Christian ceremony and some said it was ungodly and pagan mischief. We are persuaded that an authentic account of that affair will not be unacceptable to the public. The principle witness, who wished to remain anonymous, has asked to be simply known as “The Apprentice”.
“The disturbance occurred during the hours of darkness near the village of Rumburgh. There were no warnings but there were reports of strange lights seen in the Western skies and a report of a low booming which some claimed as distant thunder but as it was a clear, dry evening this was disputed. The lights and noise caused a crowd of anxious villagers to gather on the village outskirts and around The Buck Public House. The lights could now be identified as flaming torches and as they approached the village “The Apprentice” reported that he saw a heavy plough being dragged into the village by a menacing group of dissolute ruffians, their identities concealed by blackened faces.
“No word was spoken until they arrived at The Buck where a cry went up from their apparent leader who bellowed, “Only once a year, a Penny for the Ploughboys”! This may have been said to excuse the disturbance but it appeared to reassure some present and the crowd parted and allowed the plough to enter the pub yard.
The men were accompanied by a dark band of travelling musicians with herbaceous headdresses and primitive instruments who struck up a deep and earthy sound presaging the next stage of the proceedings which appeared to be part of a very strict and particular pagan ritual. Some of the men seized hold of each other and began a series of muscular movements, turning and twisting, pulling and shoving each other giving no quarter. The rough-music coming from this rustic orchestra which caused the men to twist and spin was like no music heard in respectable company and was more akin to the terrifying cries of beasts enduring agonising torments in the dark night.
Some said there were women amongst these rural vagabonds and a witness said she had seen a lady with the dancing men but another disagreed and said “that were no Lady; she had whiskers under her bonnet”. Others said they were sure it was a woman and said they’d heard her called “Bessy”. Another said “if they was women they all looked as though they’d been dragged through a hedge back’uds”. One witness said he could confirm that there were indeed women amongst the gang and some of them had scrubbed up quite nicely but there were no frills.
At one point the crowd was intimidated into drinking a strange potion. Many protested that they were determined to have a “dry January” but these cries were to no avail and the threatening presence of the men, emboldened by their disguise, induced many in the crowd to swallow the foul brew which some claimed had a strange gingerish after-taste. A collecting box was taken around the crowd and, perhaps as a result of drinking the gingerish brew, many felt obliged to provide the “penny for the Ploughboys” demanded by the ruffians.
If readers hear of any plans for similar disorder and dissolute behaviour they are advised to stay indoors and contact the appropriate authorities.
“The Apprentice”
