Hopping Down in Kent - Old Glory visit the Kent Treacle Mines

• Suffolk
• Morris

Perhaps not as much “hopping” as a Cotswold Morris side might have done but there was certainly plenty of stamping and on this occasion, it was “Stamping the Old Ground”, "Nelson’s Revenge" and "The Buck" which Old Glory Molly Dancers and Musicians had brought down to Kent.  They were the guests of Seven Champions Molly Dancers, famous inhabitants of the Kent Treacle Mines.  A strong side of dancers and musicians made the journey although some felt it was a bit too radical to stray outside the natural territories of East Anglia.

Old Glory and their hosts Seven Champions by the sea in Whitstable

Seven Champions had been to Suffolk in December 2018 and a return trip had been eagerly awaited.  It turned out that the Treacle Mines are located in the Whitstable – Faversham area and the first dancing spots were around the harbour in Whitstable.  The day was dry and sunny but a cold wind whistled through the docks.  A good crowd gathered for the first spot at the so-called Dead Man’s Stage and came with us to the Lifeboat Station but later thinned out as dusk approached.

Seven Champs led the way with their strange tales and precise dancing, weaving complex and precise patterns in twos and fours, sixes and eights and sometimes more. 

Read more: Hopping Down in Kent - Old Glory visit the Kent Treacle Mines

Golden Star seek wanderin' Starlets

• Norfolk
• Morris

In the Golden Star Public House in Norwich about 40 years ago it was thought to be a good idea to form a Cotswold Morris side, and so Golden Star Morris was born.  The precise date (and possibly year) are lost in the mists of time/alcohol (delete as appropriate).  To celebrate this and to cover most of the possible dates, Golden Star are having a number of events spread over about a year.  In June 2020 there will be a weekend at the Tibbenham Greyhound which will include a tour of South Norfolk on the Saturday.

Golden Star (and shadow side), April 2018; St Georges Day celebrations, Hundon

If you have danced, played or offered counselling to the side please join us for as much or as little of the weekend as you wish.  The dates are 12 - 14^th June.  If you would like details of the event please email; gsm40ish.gmail.com

Should you be in contact with other Golden Starlets please let them know about the fun filled future we are planning.

David Crease

Bagman, Golden Star Morris

Dancing at the Ely Folk Festival July 2019

• Morris

  Last year 6 Hageneth men danced at Ely Folk Festival. It was a pretty close thing. Minutes before we were due to dance we only had 5 men and no musician. A sixth man arrived in time and we borrowed musicians from Bury Fair and Coton. Our musician arrived in time for the second dance.

  This year Hageneth did not have a side but Gill’s side, Haughley Hoofers, were booked to dance at Ely on the Sunday and Gill and I decided to camp for the weekend.

Read more: Dancing at the Ely Folk Festival July 2019

Morris Dancers protest in Parliament Square

• Morris

Rochester Sweeps Protest; Photo by Dan Kitwood, Getty Images

If you’re a Morris Dancer looking for something to protest about tomorrow (23rd July 2019) and don’t fancy making a fuss about the (s)election of our new Prime Minister, and Extinction Rebellion is not your cup of tea you may wish to join the protest by Morris Dancers in Parliament Square. 

Read more: Morris Dancers protest in Parliament Square

The 2019 Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival.

• Morris

Whittlesea Festival - Part 2

The festival dance programme began at the Manor Leisure Centre at 10.30am on Saturday morning with the spectacle, music and colour of the procession of morris sides led by the Straw Bear and his “driver".

Read more: The 2019 Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival.

Dancing for All - Molly Dance Workshops with Milkmaid Molly

• Morris

 

Molly Dance Workshops for Milkmaid Molly Buddies

with Alison Giles from the Cambridge Molly side  Gog Magog

 October 18^th, November 22^nd and December 14^th from 7.30 to 9.30pm

Risbygate Sports Club, Westley Road, Bury St Edmunds. IP33 3RR

The workshops are for any Buddies or potential Buddies who would like to learn new dances or anyone who would like to give Molly dance a go. All are welcome to come along and learn this local tradition.

 Information from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Gill on 01284 767476.

 

Gog Magog dancing in Ely on Mark Jones Day January 2018

About Milkmaid Molly

Nearly seven years ago, in January 2012, a new Morris dancing side was launched in Bury St Edmunds which filled a gap in the Morris dance family in West Suffolk.  At the time there was a good representation of the dances of the west and northwest of England with Bury Fair and Hageneth dancing the hankies and sticks dances of the Cotswold; Haughley Hoofers, with their clogs, dancing Northwest and Green Dragon’s boisterous stick-wielding Border dance.  The plan was to create a side with a different tradition to avoid standing on the toes of these well-established West Suffolk dancers. So Molly dancing was the choice, Molly being the tradition closest to home, the tradition coming out from the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Gill Bosley and Graham leading the Milkmaid Molly procession at Ely Festival

But there was another difference, this was to be a side that was inclusive: to involve people with disabilities, to have regular dance practices to learn dances and to socialise and to be able to perform alongside other Morris sides, in other words, to enjoy the whole Morris experience.  

Milkmaid Molly (named from the well-known Milkmaid Folk Club) has a membership of 12 Mollies who have learning difficulties and an equal number of Buddies who dance or play with them. Dances are chosen or created to enable all the Mollies to fully participate. The Buddies also learn more complex dances and when these are performed the Mollies provide the instrumental accompaniment with the musicians. A generous donation of £50 from the line-dance group of a previous Buddy was used to purchase more instruments which were given their first airing on 23^rd September at the Bury Hub Fest in Hollow Road.

Milkmaid Molly now have regular bookings to dance every year at Ely Folk Festival and Euston Rural Pastimes and may have been spotted amongst the Morris throng dancing in Bury town centre on Green Dragon’s 25^th anniversary celebration in September 2018.

Gill Bosley

Milkmaid Molly

17^th October 2018