tauntondeanemorris@gmail.com
Taunton Deane Morris Men
  • Welcome
    • Bookings / Contact us
  • Morris Dancing
    • Photo Gallery
    • Our folk community
  • 2020 Summer Season
  • Get Involved
    • FAQs

Is this the world through Rose Tinted Morrisbells?                                Middlezoy

27/5/2014

1 Comment

 
The Squire's View

It is one of the delights in leading a Morris side that the Squire has the responsibility of leading the show and hopefully creating a suitably entertaining performance for the massed ranks (one man and his dog?) So we danced outside The George Inn at Middlezoy, handsomely refreshed by the landlord, in front of a very welcoming small crowd (two men, their wives and a few children and a dog). The chill wind blew down the street as our performance hotted up with a rendition of our Taunton tradition dance called "Lovely Joan". This dance has a haunting and beautiful tune (played on pipe and tabor by Mr Rabson) and is one of the most difficult in our repertoire and I fear we demonstrated this rather well to the audience. Now you would have thought, being in the dance, leading and calling the dance I would be sure of how well the dance has gone, but the curious thing about this is that though much of the dance you face out of the set, with your back to the other dancers. Morris men are an honest and fine bunch of chaps, so when I hear sniggering and tomfoolery happening behind me I fear the worst, but on questioning I get "no the dance was perfection itself Squire" as a retort. If only I had eyes in the back of my head! 

"I should have gone to Specsavers!"

Squire Tim

1 Comment

 What rhymes with Treacle?                                                               South Petherton

22/5/2014

0 Comments

 
On Tuesday we danced out with Treacle,
Dancers known for their clog,
Each day of the year,
Treacle Eaters appear,
Taunton Deane compose an eclogue...!


Tuesday tour, spot number 5, The Square, South Petherton.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Cool Breezes and Country Lanes                                                      Ham and Knapp

13/5/2014

0 Comments

 
The usual Shepherd pick up panic preceded a brisk drive to our dance site which was next to the phone box in the hamlet of Ham near Creech St Michael. Arriving spot on time (ish) we left the warmth of the car to be greeted by the type of sunny spring evening  and cool breeze that only being near flatland and water could provide. We were also greeted by the more welcome of comments of "cor it's a bit brisk for May" and various replies such as "yes it is a bit".

Amazingly a small crowd/group had turned up to watch, including the one or two who will never come nearer than 50metres for fear of morris contamination.
This sunny first spot (we danced in the shade) was cool for the musicians, and warmer for the dancers (something to do with movement) was well appreciated by the small but very friendly crowd/group who now appeared to be grouping to conserve heat.
At the end of our display we were waved on our way hoping, we were told, that we would return next year. It was pointed out however that whoever had bought the house opposite the phone box and had spent a fortune doing it up, hadn't been told we would be!!!

Our second spot involved negotiating a number of country lanes to the Rising Sun at Knapp. (it was noted that Dave Lawrence, who lives locally, went the main road way!).
We proceeded with care, a low, but dazzling sunset in the rear view mirror and a number of bends and narrow lanes visible through the windscreen, we turned at last into the lane leading to the pub. The feeling that we'd made it was dispelled by the feeling we were on the wrong road. This was further dispelled by the sight of Ben Higg's mini reversing toward us at speed followed closely by a number of other "morris" cars also in reverse (this manoeuvre contained the straightest lines we'd had all night). 

This spot was also cool, (we danced the in the shade again, 'cause the sun had now set) for the musicians, and warmer for the dancers. It was well appreciated by the small friendly crowd/group including someone who strolled past in shorts which caused a few jaws to drop.

Later in the bar the song session was preceded by food kindly provided by the landlord and was kicked off with Mikes rendition of "Chicken on a Raft". This was supplemented by an explanation of the chorus by a guy who used to be submariner or something. Further songs were sung which impressed some American visitors and we finally wended our way homewards, this time by the main road.

 Apparently there is a photograph of the evening somewhere, involving a group of morris men and a Joe Raucki sign board but I couldn't possibly comment.    







0 Comments

Dancing at Wellington Park 5th May 2014                                                       See left

5/5/2014

0 Comments

 
(to the tune of The Day we went to Bangor)
Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to Welly,
The weather was good, the crowds all cheered, we were photographed with mayors, you know

Roger bought cake and Simon bought jam and Mike sloped off to The Dolphin,

Richard and Don had a punji battle and we all went on.

Gerard was keen, the first to arrive, the day we went to Welly,

Sutters and Luke were working the crowd, TDMM stickers all round you know.

David and Tony kept their heads, midst one or two quirks in our dancing,

Henry arrived in everyday gear, but danced Not for Joe

JC checked our lines, and some were quite good, the day we went to Welly,

Well done to Tim, in his first paid event, as squire he led us so well, you know.

We will get our fee, with John Peach on the case, our prudent fiscal accounter,

Gibby showed up, we gave her a badge and we all went home.
0 Comments

    Blogging 
    Taunton Deane

    We thought it would be fun to write about our 40th dance season, record every spot, hook leg and fore caper for the world to see.

    Archives

    August 2015
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

TDMM on Facebook...

Contact us...

Picture
Privacy and Cookies
Website by Richardesigns