SPRING/SUMMER 2013 No. 101 - Devon Folk

Morris Matters
Watch out for a feast of
Morris Dancing in Exeter this
Spring!
By the time this edition goes to press, the
wonderful Demon Barbers will have performed
their Lock In Dance Show at the Exeter Phoenix.
The plan is for 10 Devon Morris sides (Great
Western Morris, Catseye Morris, Exeter Morris
Men, Glory of the West Women’s Morris,
Winkleigh Morris, Grimspound Border, Black
Bess, Harburton Navy Morris, Dartington Morris
and Beltane Border) to perform at venues near the
theatre before and after the show, and during the
interval. Dancing will start at 6.30 outside the
theatre entrance, near Iris Boutique in Upper Paul
Street and near Lloyds TSB. The show starts at
7.30pm and it looks as if there will be close to a
full house.
If you missed the show, then the next Morris
feast is the JMO Day of Dance, also in Exeter,
on 20th April. The JMO represents the joining
together of the three main Morris organisations
– the Morris Federation, the Morris Ring and
the Open Morris Federation, who join together
to organise an annual day of dance somewhere
in England. This year’s event is being organised
by Great Western Morris Men. In the words of
Great Western themselves....
‘Sides from the SouthWest have been noticeable
by their absence at this event in recent years so
a “local” venue was chosen to facilitate attendance.
Its purpose is be a showcase for morris
and, in the process, to give sides from the 3 organisations
an opportunity to meet up, renew old
friendships and make new friends whilst dancing
together’
And yet more activity from
the county’s Morris sides !
Grimspound Border will again be welcoming in
the May by dancing at Haytor at the crack of dawn.
The rst weekend in May is also the occasion of
their weekend of dance.
A couple of weeks later, from 17th to 19th May,
Winkleigh Morris will be holding their biennial
Frankensnight weekend, based in Merton. For
anyone unaware of the legend of Franken’s
Nights, it refers to late frosts which the Devil
is supposoed to have sent to kill off the apple
blossom. More details can be found at the website
www.bonnygreen.co.uk/franken.htm
Many sides will now have published their
summer programme. To nd out details see the
contact details under the listings pages, You can
nd out details of Morris sides anywhere in the
country at ‘sidender’ on www.morrisfed.org.uk
It promises to be a real feast of entertainment with
in excess of 500 dancers from over 60 different
sides (and counting!) performing in various
locations in the City centre. So well worth coming
along to see!
Sue Hamer-Moss
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