# Morris dancers mob Trafalgar Square



## editor (May 9, 2009)

Morris troupes from all over the country mobbed Trafalgar Square for a mass Morris-off this afternoon - and it was a hoot!

Anyone else go along to watch a bit of bell-clanging, hanky-waving, stick bashing fun?






















More pics soon!


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## red rose (May 9, 2009)

Love the one who's out of time in that second photo.

There was a group here yesterday.  We get a lot of morris groups here over the summer, the last lot brought their own tankards and drank the whole pub out of Tribute


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## JTG (May 9, 2009)

how many were called Morris?


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## geminisnake (May 9, 2009)

Stuff the photos, I want video 

I think they're ace


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## _pH_ (May 9, 2009)

Aww, reminds me of the awesome U75 Severn Valley trip last year


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## editor (May 9, 2009)

Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.

(Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).


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## geminisnake (May 9, 2009)

editor said:


> Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.
> 
> (Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).



There is/was a troop in Banchory(up by Aberdeen) but I think it was an english guy who moved up there set it up.


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## lang rabbie (May 10, 2009)

editor said:


> Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.
> 
> (Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).



Yes, despite the camouflage of Welsh dragons on their website, and green white and red livery, the Isca Morrismen of Caerleon are obviously part of  fiendish plan to reclaim Monmouthshire for England [/conspiraloon]


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## isitme (May 10, 2009)

<ed: drivel removed>


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

lang rabbie said:


> Yes, despite the camouflage of Welsh dragons on their website, and green white and red livery, the Isca Morrismen of Caerleon are obviously part of  fiendish plan to reclaim Monmouthshire for England [/conspiraloon]


I was lied to! Ruddy Englisch!



isitme said:


> <ed: drivel removed>


Go away now little boy, or be banned.


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## Crispy (May 10, 2009)

Note: A morris troupe is called a 'side'


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## isitme (May 10, 2009)

ok old man


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## Crispy (May 10, 2009)

I'm 28


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

Crispy said:


> Note: A morris troupe is called a 'side'


I kind of like Morris dancers because they're so gloriously unhip, and a bit bonkers.


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## Citizen66 (May 10, 2009)

editor said:


>


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## Scarlette (May 10, 2009)

editor said:


> I kind of like Morris dancers because they're so gloriously unhip, and a bit bonkers.



Me too. And they remind me of this party there is in my home town every year. As well as Morris dancers there are climbing a greasy pole (snigger) and football on the mud when the tide's out and cockle eating competitions.


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

I think morris dancers are great, wish I'd known about this


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

milly molly said:


> Me too. And they remind me of this party there is in my home town every year. As well as Morris dancers there are climbing a greasy pole (snigger) and football on the mud when the tide's out and cockle eating competitions.


Most English people seem a little bit embarrassed by Morris dancers, which is a bit of a shame seeing as it's one of the few truly quintessential English traditions. You'd think they'd see the common ground too: Morris dancers love to run around with sticks, wave things around, drink vast amounts of beer and bellow out tunes.

I'll post up more pics in a moment - it was an excellent event.


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## Divisive Cotton (May 10, 2009)

I reckon if you are a tourist and you stumble upon a Morris Dancing festival in London you must be like WTF?!


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## Hocus Eye. (May 10, 2009)

I can't stand Morris dancing.  I don't believe they are of genuine historic origin, just made up somewhere along the way.  But then I don't like any formalised group dancing.  I was a Ceroc widower for a while or it may be because I can't do it though and have bad memories of being made to do 'country dancing' in infant school with the teacher pounding away on an upright piano in the school hall.

Good photographs though.


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## QueenOfGoths (May 10, 2009)

My sister-in-law does the black face morris dancing. She was at the Upton Folk Festival with them over the last Bank Holiday weekend


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## isitme (May 10, 2009)

Hocus Eye. said:


> I can't stand Morris dancing.  I don't believe they are of genuine historic origin, just made up somewhere along the way.  But then I don't like any formalised group dancing.  I was a Ceroc widower for a while or it may be because I can't do it though and have bad memories of being made to do 'country dancing' in infant school with the teacher pounding away on an upright piano in the school hall.
> 
> Good photographs though.



<ed: removed>


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

isitme said:


> -


24 hour ban.

You were certainly warned


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## Maurice Picarda (May 10, 2009)

Monmouthshire isn't particularly Welsh, but my grandfather was a Morris dancer from Pwllheli.


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## the button (May 10, 2009)

I used to play for a "rapper" side, which is the north east (northumberland, down the east coast into the East Riding) equivalent of Morris. 

Here's some: -


The music is a bit more "fast & furious", and just because it's jigs, people tend to assume it's Irish. 

Traditionally performed at midwinter, the thing where they lock the swords together is known as "the lock" or "the nut," and is thought to be a representation of the sun -- encouraging it to come back at the darkest time of the year. 

I spent quite a few Boxing Days on "dance outs," doing the thing and then getting pissed and playing a few tunes in the pub after.


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

isitme said:


> <ed: removed>



I saw that and it wasn't that bad 

And this from a pro-morris dancer person


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## the button (May 10, 2009)

Incidentally, Morris dancers (a corruption of "moorish," apparently, cos of the blacking-up) always refer to it as "the Morris" rather than "Morris." It's a different world.


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## _pH_ (May 10, 2009)

I saw morris men this afternoon. Well, I say men, they weren't all old men with beards which was good to see. They were quite good despite a significant amount of structural bell failure


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

cesare said:


> I saw that and it wasn't that bad


Thanks for your input, but he was clearly warned about his idiotic paedo/Nazi nonsense but still came back for more.

Back on topic, the bloke leading the show yesterday kept insisting that contrary to recent press reports, the Morris tradition is in good health.

Maybe he was referring to this piece in the Times:


> The origins of morris dancing are disputed. First recorded in England in the 15th century, “morris” may be a derivation from the French morisque, meaning dance, though many believe it arrived from Morocco via Spain. This may have lent the practice its name (from the word “Moorish”).
> 
> Others trace the dances to ancient fertility rites or martial exercises, or see them as a popular variant of the clowning of court jesters.
> 
> ...


hardcore Morris: http://www.rathergood.com/morris_dancers


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## onemonkey (May 10, 2009)

fantastic pictures.. 

i heard a rumour that a certain low profile urbanite has tried his hand at morris dancing.  

mind you, i'm not sure that i wouldn't like to give it a go myself... u75 morris side anyone?

try anything once, don't they say?


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

editor said:


> Thanks for your input,



NP


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

onemonkey said:


> fantastic pictures..
> 
> i heard a rumour that a certain low profile urbanite has tried his hand at morris dancing.
> 
> ...



We'll need a pig's bladder


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## _pH_ (May 10, 2009)

onemonkey said:


> fantastic pictures..
> 
> i heard a rumour that a certain low profile urbanite has tried his hand at morris dancing.
> 
> ...



that was suggested after the severn valley meet! sadly nothing came of it  i really wanted to see doggy waving his hankies 



editor said:


> hardcore Morris: http://www.rathergood.com/morris_dancers



i'd deffo give it a shot if it was really like that


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

Are women allowed to do morris dancing


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## the button (May 10, 2009)

I'd be up for doing the music for this, and teaching others the tunes. Morris tunes are notoriously basic . (Other than some of the jigs). 

This is about the easiest dance there is, IMO ("Constant Billy").


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## the button (May 10, 2009)

cesare said:


> Are women allowed to do morris dancing



They are now. Morris dancers are more sectarian and purist than Trots, and there are two national morris organisations -- the split happened because some sides wanted to admit women and others didn't. IIRC, the Morris Ring are the "no ladies" side of the operation, but I could be wrong.


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## _pH_ (May 10, 2009)

cesare said:


> Are women allowed to do morris dancing



there was ladies with the side I saw this afternoon. some of them less than pensionable age too! but yes, there are some men only morris sides.


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## Divisive Cotton (May 10, 2009)

I can't think of any think more _uncool _then Morris dancing... I really can't...


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

I'm probably better making sandwiches and pouring pints tbh  I don't mind doing that though *undermines entire feminist movement in one fell swoop*


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## _pH_ (May 10, 2009)

bollocks to uncool!!

*waves hankies*

*jangles bells*


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## kittyP (May 10, 2009)

I have to say that I still find Morris dancer a little unnerving as I did as a child. 

I have a friend called Maurice who has a dance degree..... he is not amused by the joke anymore


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## killer b (May 10, 2009)

cesare said:


> Are women allowed to do morris dancing


yeah. some of the all male sides are a bit fussy about it, but the healthiest sides (ie, those with some members below 50) are mixed.

morris dancing wouldn't exist at all now if it wern't for the ladies who learned the steps in the first and second world wars to pass them on... 

that said, personally i prefer an all-male side with sticks & swords - but that's all down to aesthetics i think. 

my favourites: the britannia coconut dancers of bacup - no swords or sticks, but the finest outfit of them all (and a great dance too)...


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## _pH_ (May 10, 2009)

whittlesey straw bear:


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## _pH_ (May 10, 2009)

kittyP said:


> I have to say that I still find Morris dancer a little unnerving as I did as a child.




I got chased by the hobby horse when I was a small child. It made me cry 

I don't find it weird now, but I know what you mean. There was some weird stuff at the morris dancing this afternoon though, strange tapestries and a morris man suit (complete with balaclava) covered in bells 

'It's all a bit 'wicker man' isn't it?' - Trashpony


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## lang rabbie (May 10, 2009)

onemonkey said:


> try anything once, don't they say?



I think I'm with Streatham's most famous musical son on this one:




			
				Sir Arnold Bax said:
			
		

> A sympathetic Scot summed it all up very neatly in the remark, "You should make a point of trying every experience once, excepting incest and folk dancing."


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## upsidedownwalrus (May 10, 2009)

the button said:


> Incidentally, Morris dancers (a corruption of "moorish," apparently, cos of the blacking-up) always refer to it as "the Morris" rather than "Morris." It's a different world.



Apparently it stems from being a celebration of kicking the Moors out of Spain


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## upsidedownwalrus (May 10, 2009)

Rimmer: None of you like Morris dancing! Wouldn't it bother you every once in a while, the jingle of bells, the clonk of wood on wood?  No, every time I mention it, you all pretend to be ill!


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## the button (May 10, 2009)

killer b said:


> yeah. some of the all male sides are a bit fussy about it, but the healthiest sides (ie, those with some members below 50) are mixed.
> 
> morris dancing wouldn't exist at all now if it wern't for the ladies who learned the steps in the first and second world wars to pass them on...
> 
> ...



There's a concertina on EBay at the moment that can trace itself back to the Bacup nutters. Can't say I'm not tempted.


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## QueenOfGoths (May 10, 2009)

cesare said:


> Are women allowed to do morris dancing



My sister-in-law is in a mixed group. Mr brother is a morris dancing widower (though I think he enjoys the drinking afterwards aspect of it!)


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## killer b (May 10, 2009)

the button said:


> There's a concertina on EBay at the moment that can trace itself back to the Bacup nutters. Can't say I'm not tempted.


for sure! you ever see them dance?

an acquaintance of mine from the pub is a the dude to speak to about n/w morris dancers (he's written a massive tome on the subject), and reckons they'd welcome any youngsters... i only live about 40 miles from bacup.

can't say i'm not tempted...


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## fogbat (May 10, 2009)

Sigh.

There's never a "bad apple" policeman around when you need one


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## cesare (May 10, 2009)

QueenOfGoths said:


> My sister-in-law is in a mixed group. Mr brother is a morris dancing widower (though I think he enjoys the drinking afterwards aspect of it!)





There's a sub culture emerging here

Say it loud and say it proud.

I can strip the willow


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## the button (May 10, 2009)

killer b said:


> for sure! you ever see them dance?
> 
> an acquaintance of mine from the pub is a the dude to speak to about n/w morris dancers (he's written a massive tome on the subject), and reckons they'd welcome any youngsters... i only live about 40 miles from bacup.
> 
> can't say i'm not tempted...



I saw them years ago at an "international festival" of folk dance that my own side was appearing at. It's all a bit of a blur really, but I did learn some lovely eastern european and nordic tunes in the pub after.


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

More pics ahoy!


























More here: http://www.urban75.org/london/morris-dancers-london.html
and here: http://www.urban75.org/london/morris-dancers-london-1.html


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## AnnO'Neemus (May 10, 2009)

Did this film get a release in the end, has anyone seen it?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/4525147/Morris-dancing-film-becomes-cult-hit.html

http://www.morrismovie.com/

http://petition.co.uk/we_want_the_morris_movie


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## Citizen66 (May 10, 2009)

cesare said:


> I saw that and it wasn't that bad
> 
> And this from a pro-morris dancer person



From a (hopefully) neutral position, no it wasn't that bad but he does have previous form for going out of his way to push editor's buttons so I can see why people lose patience with him quickly, even if what he is saying is pretty harmless.


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

AnnO'Neemus said:


> Did this film get a release in the end, has anyone seen it?
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/4525147/Morris-dancing-film-becomes-cult-hit.html
> 
> ...


Trailer looks great.

Look where the film played recently:



> 01-Apr       Fontmell Magna
> 02-Apr       Ferndown  SOLD OUT
> 03-Apr       Hawkchurch  SOLD OUT
> 08-Apr       Sherborne  SOLD OUT
> ...


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## editor (May 10, 2009)

Citizen66 said:


> From a (hopefully) neutral position, no it wasn't that bad but he does have previous form for going out of his way to push editor's buttons so I can see why people lose patience with him quickly, even if what he is saying is pretty harmless.


I didn't want a potentially interesting thread being fucked up by an idiot trolling away with irrelevant, attention-seeking, tasteless  shit about 'Nazis' and accusations of paedophilia. He was fairly warned at the start, said he'd go away, but then returned to carry on. So he was banned, as per the FAQ.  It's just boring now. Further discussion -> feedback forum please.


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## upsidedownwalrus (May 10, 2009)

editor said:


> Most English people seem a little bit embarrassed by Morris dancers, which is a bit of a shame seeing as it's one of the few truly quintessential English traditions. You'd think they'd see the common ground too: Morris dancers love to run around with sticks, wave things around, drink vast amounts of beer and bellow out tunes.
> 
> I'll post up more pics in a moment - it was an excellent event.



I think it's because the English are probably the people probably anywhere in the world, except maybe the Han Chinese, least likely to celebrate their own traditions.

I mean, it's taken 200 years for us to suddenly notice that our main national festival went into sharp decline in the early 1800s...


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## Divisive Cotton (May 11, 2009)

killer b said:


>



This is proper League of Gentlemen stuff


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## Flashman (May 11, 2009)

I love it and want a go!

That film looks great


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## Minnie_the_Minx (May 11, 2009)

Are there no pictures of the tourists' faces watching this quaint little tradition?


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## innit (May 11, 2009)

love the pics


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## Divisive Cotton (May 11, 2009)

_pH_ said:


> whittlesey straw bear:



And in 1909:


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## pogofish (May 11, 2009)

editor said:


> Fact! The 'blacked up' Morris dancers come from the Welsh borders. There are no Welsh Morris dancers. Or Scottish ones, for that matter.
> 
> (Least that's what the Morris bloke from Huddersfield told me).



He is wrong then - At least for Scotland.

Much as it pains me to say this, the *earliest* reference to Morris dancing in the British Isles came from Scotland in the 15th Century.  It didn't appear in English writings till about a century and a half later in the 17th. 

I remember the Banchory Morris troupe.  Scary drinkers!


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## hipipol (May 11, 2009)

*Old Spot Morris*



These are the only Morris side I have ever really followed - this 94 clip shows em a bit cleaned up really - I saw them brawl once with a team of Scottish country dancers who they accused of being "poofs" on account of them wearing "skirts" and that was early on - the Festival of Copuntry dancing taking place in the courtyard of an ex coaching in in Prestbury neede three van loads of coppers to break up the melee in the end - it was a top day out!!!!

The third guy to be interviewed is an ex flatmate of mine


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## tar1984 (May 11, 2009)

The pics are well funny!


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## hipipol (May 11, 2009)

*More Morris.....*

http://www.bu.edu/dbin/dance/ggsearch.htm

Sadly the site aint been updated for yonks so the vids are all Realplayer

Gives more of avibe of the mad morris caners that were the old spot in their prime

I had never thought to see a Morris man with a pint in one hand and a spliff in his mouth dance - sadly these vids dont show just how very different they were!!!


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## Divisive Cotton (May 11, 2009)

killer b said:


> cup - no swords or sticks, but the finest outfit of them all (and a great dance too)...



Here they are:


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## killer b (May 11, 2009)

Divisive Cotton said:


> Here they are:


fuck yeah.


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## skyscraper101 (May 11, 2009)

_pH_ said:


> whittlesey straw bear:





Divisive Cotton said:


> And in 1909:



Is this like the Cambridgeshire version of Duffman?


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## pogofish (May 11, 2009)

skyscraper101 said:


> Is this like the Cambridgeshire version of Duffman?



Or the various Scottish Burrymen?


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## quimcunx (May 11, 2009)

Divisive Cotton said:


> I reckon if you are a tourist and you stumble upon a Morris Dancing festival in London you must be like WTF?!



You wouldn't be though, as it's just the sort of thing you get all over the shop.


Morris Dancing is


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## pogofish (May 11, 2009)

And should also be classed alongside Swan Upping in the league of strangness IMO






http://www.daylife.com/photo/00Vu8wB7fKfz8


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## sojourner (May 11, 2009)

pogofish said:


> And should also be classed alongside Swan Upping in the league of strangness IMO
> 
> 
> 
> ...



w.t.f. 

the morris dancers look ace, but what is the blacking up all about?


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## Divisive Cotton (May 11, 2009)

it's to ward off evil spirits, apparently


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## the button (May 11, 2009)

That, and the racism.


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## isitme (May 11, 2009)

editor said:


> I didn't want a potentially interesting thread being fucked up by an idiot trolling away with irrelevant, attention-seeking, tasteless  shit about 'Nazis' and accusations of paedophilia. He was fairly warned at the start, said he'd go away, but then returned to carry on. So he was banned, as per the FAQ.  It's just boring now. Further discussion -> feedback forum please.



you forgot to mention the fact that it realy offended you because it was *you and your* potentially interesting thread about some boring tourist shite in london

if you banned people every time a potentially interesting thread was trolled you would be banning people every day (and photos of morris dancing in trafalgar sq isn't potentially interesting anyway)

wanker


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## editor (May 11, 2009)

isitme said:


> you forgot to mention the fact that it realy offended you because it was *you and your* potentially interesting thread about some boring tourist shite in london
> 
> if you banned people every time a potentially interesting thread was trolled you would be banning people every day (and photos of morris dancing in trafalgar sq isn't potentially interesting anyway)
> 
> wanker


It's actually about you getting pissed up and trashing threads all over these boards, time and time again and thinking that you can keep on getting away with it. 

You can't, so you're off for 48 hours.


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## hipipol (May 12, 2009)

isitme said:


> you forgot to mention the fact that it realy offended you because it was *you and your* potentially interesting thread about some boring tourist shite in london
> 
> if you banned people every time a potentially interesting thread was trolled you would be banning people every day (and photos of morris dancing in trafalgar sq isn't potentially interesting anyway)
> 
> wanker



Morris Dancings cool you scrote!!!!

I was interested anyway, maybe not much of crowd I admit, but a start!!


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## killer b (May 12, 2009)

Divisive Cotton said:


> it's to ward off evil spirits, apparently


that's balls - the morris dancing ring or whatever just say that, 'cause otherwise they'd have to stop. it's clearly dressing up as black guys - you can tell by the outfits too.



the button said:


> That, and the racism.


not sure if i'd go that far though. if it is racism, it's fairly harmless version of it...


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## isitme (May 14, 2009)




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## editor (May 14, 2009)

killer b said:


> that's balls - the morris dancing ring or whatever just say that, 'cause otherwise they'd have to stop. it's clearly dressing up as black guys - you can tell by the outfits too.


The PC brigade tried to ban it in 2000: 





> Morris dancers face ban over black make-up
> 
> They've been merrily dancing with blackened faces on the England-Scotland border for 200 years but, in the cause of political correctness, the game was up for the morris dancers of Carlisle yesterday.
> 
> ...


This seems to describe the tradition well:





> About the black face
> 
> In recent years, the black face has created some controversy, particularly in North America. The usual explanation for the black face is that it is for "disguise", and that during the hard winters of the 17-18th Century out of work labourers and builders sought to anonymously supplement their income by a bit of dancing and begging. The use of the black face as a form of disguise is certainly well established in early 18th century England - so much so, that in 1723 it became a capital offence under the Waltham "Black Act" to appear "in disguise, either by mask or by blackened face".
> 
> ...


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## Edinburgh (May 14, 2009)

I have *always* wondered if someone could do for English Morris Dancing what Micheal Flatly did for Traditonal Irish dancing. Perhaps you guys could do it.


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## Edinburgh (May 14, 2009)

I think you should put this on the main forum.


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## editor (May 14, 2009)

Edinburgh said:


> I think you should put this on the main forum.


Thanks for the advice, but it's fine here for now.


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## lang rabbie (May 14, 2009)

editor said:
			
		

> The PC brigade tried to ban it in 2000:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That doesn't sound so innocent of any racial taint 
Stephen Foster wrote Oh! Susanna for the "Ethiopian Serenaders" - one of the earliest "blackface" minstrel troupes in the States.


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