Did the eastern Bitterne circuit today, Bitterne Health Centre, Lloyds Chemist and Bitterne Leisure Centre. Met an older lady who I used to see every week or so and chat to at swimming, really glad to see her and she asked me to remember her in my prayers as she is now very ill ( hence visit to Doctors, and not swimming). I wanted to ask to pray for her right then, so I did, and we had a good chat and hopefully I was a positive person for her today.
The gym TVs were showing fantastic options, including a step by step beginners guide to Morris Dancing. It showed men doing the dances in situ ( outside pubs) and then doing it again in a dance studio, slowly, presumably to give the rest of us mortals a chance to join in. I reckon that men get to join Morris Sides by being so drunk that they can't run when someone comes round the pub recruiting. The skill level is only set so high that an intoxicated, portly chap of older years can struggle through a few moves without fear of a heart attack. But, on this instructional video (why were they showing it at the gym?) there seemed to be more than the usual token youngster. ( You know, there's always one chap of about 45 who is skinny and does it because his dad does it too and its in the family). So I can only assume they had combed the whole of England to find the fittest and most adept Morris men to show off on this particular vid.
Several times I have encouraged Rob to start a Thornhill Morris Side, in the spirit of community development. Living as we do in a New Deal area, I reckon he could get a grant for upward of £10k to buy accordians, bells, badly fitting white shirts and trousers and sticks to bang. Probably could wangle another £10k for beer allowances and a papier mache horses head. Then all he would need to do would be to find 7 or so inebriated locals and they are onto a winner!
For some strange reason, he is not interested. So, if you are reading Mark, Dunc and Alan, why not give it a go? Just call R up and ask him!
NOT that I would count any of you dear friends as portly, old or drunk. You would come into the category of skinny young blokes showing off.
Maybe you could perform at my inaugral Bitterne Precinct Festival of World Dance?
3 comments:
Hi Kay,
If Rob changes his mind and needs an accordionist, let me know! Gillian has just introduced me to your blog - the first I have read, ever (I know, where have I been? Stuck in the 1950s with my episodes of Hancock's Half Hour, that's where). Anyway, thought I'd leave a message as I've found your quirky ramblings really rather entertaining - I enjoyed having a smile! Love, Keith
Terry Pratchett teaches us that as well as the spring Morris dance which banishes winter and welcomes the summer (with the bells, crowds, accordian and white suits) there is a balancing black morris dance that is danced at midnight, with black suits, no music and no bells which welcomes back the winter at the other end of the year.
That is the only morris I would be prepared to dance, as unlike the summer partner, it is stictly unobserved.
Terry Pratchett quote for you,
"the accordionist played a long drawn-out chord, the legal signal that a Morris Dance is about to begin, and people who hang around after this have only got themselves to blame."
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