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70 EVERGREEN Autumn<br />
Intricate moves are all part of the dance.<br />
GEORGINA HINE<br />
a rust-coloured oak leaf-patterned<br />
shirt with plain sleeves and a light<br />
green waistcoat. Those carrying the<br />
brown horns in contrast wear a light<br />
green oak-patterned shirt with plain<br />
sleeves and a rust-coloured waistcoat.<br />
All wear tan hats, breeches with oak<br />
leaf patterns and long green socks.<br />
The Jester and other members are<br />
dressed in costumes to suit their<br />
character.<br />
The Deermen proceed through<br />
the village and further away to the<br />
outlying farms and then, around<br />
noon, to Blithfield Hall. This was<br />
home quite recently to the Bagot<br />
family who resided there since 1360.<br />
Here the troupe dance on the front<br />
lawn before they set out to some<br />
surrounding farms. Later they return<br />
to the village moving slowly between<br />
four village pubs, the High Street<br />
and finish the dancing activities at<br />
the Market Place, with its ancient<br />
Butter Cross, before returning to the<br />
church around 8pm. Some people<br />
have calculated the distance covered<br />
as 10 miles, but Terry feels it’s closer<br />
to 15. “Some do more than others,” he<br />
points out, “and there are normally<br />
three or four that can stand in when<br />
necessary.” This is just as well as the<br />
dance is physically demanding, with<br />
the antlers ranging from 29 to 39<br />
inches across and weighing between<br />
16¼lbs and 25¼lbs in total.<br />
Two prominent families, the<br />
Fowell and Bentley families have<br />
ensured the survival of the dance<br />
since at least 1800, with the two<br />
families inter-marrying in 1858.<br />
For these families it was not only a<br />
historical tradition, but also a proud<br />
family tradition to uphold. Son<br />
followed father and grandfather.<br />
In 1915, four of the seven Fowell<br />
brothers, Alfred, Arthur, David<br />
and John were given dispensation<br />
from the Lincolnshire Regiment<br />
to participate in the dance before<br />
their departure to the Western Front.<br />
They performed the dance in their<br />
uniforms and then departed for<br />
France. Within a month Arthur<br />
and David were dead. Using<br />
replica uniforms, this event was<br />
commemorated in 2015.<br />
Up to 1979, only three dancers<br />
were not members of the Fowell<br />
family. This was when Terry Bailey
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