|
Orange Peel Morris Dancers |
updated 2004 May 22
(Photography by various people, including Grainne, David, John, Cathy, and Mark.)
Wednesday, April 28th – Fly to England (following those who were already there!)
Thursday, April 29th – Arrived, picked up rental cars and travel to Hengrave Hall, in Hengrave near Bury St. Edmund in Suffolk, got settled, explored the local area with Hengrave Groundskeeper.
Hengrave Hall Oriel, restored to Elizabethan colours.
Touring the gardens and the amazing projects that the Groundskeeper is restoring — espaliered apple trees, heritage fruit trees (including the type tree for Green Gage plums), hidden gardens, moats, ponds, fens, parkland, pollarded lymes, ... The list goes on!
Pollarded lymes planted at the end of the Great War, laid out in the shape of the various crosses in the Union Jack.
Friday, April 30th – Headed offto Rochester to join up with the rest of side who were coming. Sightseeing along the way at the old medieval village of Lavenham, Suffolk.
The Little Hall.
Wonderful window box, with wisteria in the background.
Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, Monday – Rochester Sweeps – the biggest Morris Festival in the land – over 50 Morris sides! Sleeping accommodation – camping in a classroom. We were one of two international sides, and we were in the opening May Day Procession, processing second last, just before the host side (Motley Morris) and right after the Witchmen!
Not sure if these are gargoyles or what ...
Motley Morris waking up the Green Man at 5:32 am. Gordon Newton, the originator of the Sweeps and still the organizer, is the melodeon player on the left (I think!).
The Fabulous FezHeads — not morris, perhaps, but great fun!
Orange Peel doing Mr Dolly during the opening procession. (Check here for quite the co-incidence!)
Orange Peel doing Morningstar.
The vigourous stance and the great precision of the Witchmen!
White Rats from San Francisco — note the bells pierced through their arms ... Excellent dancers and musicians, and a wonderful show! Here they are doing an old comedy dance, complete with stumbling (through very difficult figures!)
Jenny Hill, the wonderful clogger (repeat North-West Clogging champion!) from Poynton Jemmers, Cheshire. Very light on her feet, and deft with the steps and the rhythms!
Hekety Ceileidh band from Sheffield at the Sunday afternoon dance behind the Gordon — where there was an amazing selection of wonderful real ales! (Members of Hekety were our hosts the next weekend in Sheffield.)
Note Dickson (red shirt) actually dancing! His cover is blown!
Orange Peel in Rochester! (Click here for a huge printable download.)
Orange Peel musicians augmented by the best tambourine player outside Ye Arrow!
A travelleing version of Mr Dolly during the downpour that nearly cancelled (and did force the shortening of) the final procession.
Simon of Motley Morris going through the arches of the Bedfordshire Lace at the traditional end of the final procession. Simon was one of the main organizers of the dancing.
Monday, May 3rd late p.m. – Returned to Hengrave Hall.
Tuesday, May 4th – Sightseeing on the way and in St. Albans. Met up with Wicket Brood in St. Albans, Herts for a dance out with them at the Fighting Cocks, reportedly the oldest pub in England (based on a Saxon pub).
An unusual monks’ viewing chamber overlooking the tomb of the Saint — lookouts to make sure no one stole anything!
Wicket Brood outside the Fighting Cocks.
Orange Peel doing Ockington.
Atmospheric enough to force us inside as the light dimmed!
Dancing inside the Fighting Cocks with Wicket Brood. Their version of Mr Dolly, if I remember correctly.
A very special treat for me was to talk with a very good fifer who came to informally play along, only to find out that it was Graham Lyndon-Jones, one of the masters of pipe and tabor! He was the only other tabburist I saw in the entire two weeks! I got to play with one of my heroes!
A wonderful sketch of John and Nancy, done by Rosie
Bradshaw, connected with Wicket Brood. These sketches were a wonderful surprise
waiting for us when we returned home! Thanks, Rosie!
Another wonderful sketch of John, done by Rosie
Bradshaw, connected with Wicket
Brood.
Wednesday, May 5th – Visit to Diss, Norfolk. Visited Sutton Hoo on the way there. Amazing!
A recreation of the burial, possibly of Raedwald, a Saxon King, who died in 525 AD. Amazing stuff, especially for our re-enactors and craftspeople.
Met up at 8:00 with Hoxon Hundred, a mixed Border Morris side for their dance-out in the evening at The Dolphin at Wortham which is on the Bury St Edmunds road (A143) out of Diss. We were very impressed with Hoxon! They are a mixed side and dance many different styles, all with enthusiasm and strong ability! This was yet another excellent evening of exchange!
Thursday, May 6th – Helped out the groundskeeper at Hengrave Hall, recovered somewhat, did laundry, explores and had a day of quiet.
A moment of quiet talk ...
Thanking our hosts!
Friday, May 7th –Sheffield -mass session on Friday in the famed ‘Vale of Ale’. Billeting with Crucible / Pecsaetan.
Our whole travelling group, ready to leave Hengrave for Sheffield. (Ali, Cathy, Mark, Tina, David, Grainne, John (in front in his usual spot), Tom (in back), Nancy, Lucy, and Dickson.) Note the tatters as identifiers on the aerials of the cars.
Am absolutely wonderful session with members of Crucible, Pecsaetan, Hekety, and Jabadaw, plus assorted others, including our own Dickson, who quite held his own on banjo. Our most wonderful musical experience of the two weeks!
Saturday, May 8th - Pecsaetan Day of Dance around Sheffield. Dancing round town in the day then ceilidh in the evening (with one of the best callers in the country)
The host side, Pecsaetan — very precise, and clean, with great style and energy! Some of the best Cotswold dancing we’ve seen! Helena (front left) was the organizer of this first hopefully-annual Sheffield Day of Dance. Yet another great day of dancing!
Orange Peel doing John Peel’s Real Wheel.
Mortimers Clog from Nottingham.
Wow!
Sunday, May 9th a.m. – Holmfirth Music Festival – music and dance – a great festival – dancing 12:00 to 4:00, with the final concert in the evening, then returned to Sheffield overnight. The Old Rope String Band were side-splitting!
Orange Peel doing a creditable rendition of Dufferin (Con)Fuselliers — our own dance that we first danced-out in England!
John napping while the barker rambles on ...
Monday, May 10th – Home to Hengrave Hall; local exploring etc. – evening with Green Dragon (mixed Border Morris side) in a pub called the Rose and Crown in a village of Bridge Street about 10 miles south of Bury St Edmunds. Squire Ann Hills.
Another wonderful evening of sharing! We took notes on at least one dance new to us, as well as notating several fine moves of Green Dragon’s. And we, in turn, taught them Boghouse Door.
Tuesday, May 11th – Cambridge – met up with Gog Magog Molly in the Cambridge Blue in Cambridge.
Colour, boldness, energy, and great patterns! What a way to end the trip!
Wednesday May 12th – Some head home – others continue their personal tours.
The M25 (London Orbital) nearing the Heathrow turnoff. Our last (slow!) English driving!
The rugged barrenness of Labrador and Northern Quebec — out first sight of Canadian rock, ice and snow!
The barrenness of suburban Toronto, with Orange Peel’s home somewhere off in the haze!
For more information, please contact the Orange Peel Squire: 
Corrections and Comments to
Updated: 2004 May 22
