Autumn Equinox - City of Auckland Morris Dancers (CAMD)

2nd Quarter 2012
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Issue No. 159
Autumn Equinox
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Second Quarter
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Issue 159
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The New Zealand Morris Sphere
2012
CONTENTS
Rotorua Tour Update .......................................3
Draft Program for Tour.......... .........................4
Tussocks at Ashley..............................................5
Ian’s Idea .............................................................5
The Lamas Tour ....................... ........................6
Lamas Draft Itinerary ......................................7
Bedlam’s Birthday ............................................8
Well folks, here is the second edition for the
year.
Above is a picture of the editor dancing
at Hanmer with NorWestArch.
Autumn has come round again, and its
getting cold again.
There are a lot of things being organised
for next year, like the Tour in Rotorua, and
the Lamas Tour to the UK. As you will see in
the following pages.
I was browsing through the Morris
Federation Newsletter and found that our own
Steve Rule featured in an article, so I thought
I should quote some of the article. See page
21.
Thanks everyone for your contributions.
Morris in Borneo ............................................12
Message from Helen & Richard ..................12
2012 Winter Solstice ......................................13
Hanmer Weekend .............................................14
Archive Report ................................................18
Nelson Folk Festival ........................................19
Amanita Mascara ............................................19
CAMD News ......................................................20
Nelson Morris News ........................................21
A Quote about Steve .....................................21
Jack Frost News ...............................................22
Phoenix News .................................................23
The cover shows a mixed side
finishing dancing at the Hanmer
Weekend
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Tour 2013 - 2nd Jan 2013 (Wednesday 10am) to 7th Jan 2013
(Monday morning pack up by 10am) Five nights in total.
For the latest details check out the tour page.
<<http://subsclubs.co.nz/public_html/CAMD/about/2013-annual-nz-morris-tour-rotorua/>>
Rotorua
Come to the land of thermal geysers and bubbling mud. A delight of
dancing, Real Ale, night markets in Eat Street, geo thermal pools, Sound
Shell Markets, the Mock Tudor Government Building and lots of therapeutic
odours. All this plus more for $300 per person (5 nights) with a discount for
under 25s.
The 2013 Tour is in Rotorua and you will be staying in The Lodge at
Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park 4km south of the lake. We have exclusive
use of the Lodge that can comfortably accommodate up to 100 people so
there is plenty of room for you all.
We want everyone to stay together in The Lodge. If you are thinking
of staying somewhere else - don't. Contact us now as there are fixed charges
that you will have to pay if you join the tour. The Ale and evening events will
be held on site.
The theme of the Tour is Viva Rotovegas, think Las Vegas, River
Boat Gambling and Kenny Rogers ‘The Gambler’. Evening events will
enhance this theme with a Mississippi Contra Dance evening and a dress
up party.
You will be sleeping in rooms with 4 bunk beds, there will be pillow
and bottom sheet provided so bring your own top bedding and towel (if
required we can hire this for you);
Included in the Tour costs will be a bed, breakfast, the Ale feast,
badge, insurance and tour book. Bring your swimmers for the pool and hot
mineral pools that are included in the Tour cost. The large commercial kitchen
and pay laundry are available for your use.
Tour dances are Black Joke Adderbury (Hankie Dance) and 'The Witch'
a Norwich Kitwitches Molly Dance.
Please pay your deposit of $50 by the end of May into National Morris
Dancing Tour account. When you have paid your deposit we put your name
on the list and book you a place.
The bank account is the National Bank 060501 0818556 00
Use your name as a reference and email when you have made the deposit
either at a bank of over the internet.
Any questions please get in contact with Tricia Price
[email protected]
or 09 8181898 for details.
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Provisional Draft program for the Tour
Please note that at this stage we are many months away and the program
will change. Here is the current draft to wet your appetite.
Wednesday 2 Jan 10am Check in to Lodge
1pm Central Mall (depending on permission)
3pm City Focus
8pm Dress up Bingo and Quiz night
Approach people to croupier MC. Bring Props for the party
Thursday 3
9am
Morning squires meeting.
9:30am Workshop tour dances
12:30pm Ngongataha dance and lunch
3pm
Catapiler experience
5pm
Night Markets for dancing and dinner
Evening
Pub crawl or Workshop for those that are keen.
Friday 4
9am
Morning squires meeting.
9:30am
Leave camp.
11am
Taupo day trip.
Book yourselves lunch and tours for afternoon for those that are interested.
Lakeside dancing and city streets in glorious Taupo.
3pm
unscheduled afternoon. - Visit the Prawn
park / Honey shop / Jet boating or at Huka Falls. This is your opportunity to
do all the touristy things in the area.
8pm
Social dancing / Ceilidh / contra dance back
at the Camp. Use Morris music + callers. A list of tunes will be sent out nearer
the date.
Evening Morris workshops and Singing
Saturday 5
9am Morning squires meeting.
10am Dance at markets in morning
Lake side and Government Gardens Museum Dance outside Blue baths
Free afternoon to prepare for the Ale or use hot pools
Time for workshops
Morris Feast and Morris Ale (in Kit)
Sunday 6
9am Morning squires meeting.
10am Annual Morris AGM.
11:30 Kuirau Park geothermal area. Darby Garland
Performance Pub Crawl- Possible Brewery tour.
Dancing afternoon.
Afternoon tea, scones and silly games. Workshops
Free evening Bowling, Hot Pools
Monday 7
Go home – check out 10am
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Tussocks at Ashley
What a great day it was today. Fourth March. The weather held we had
a good turnout with Simon from Bedlam and Clare from Nor' West
Arch, as well as family members joining us, and live musicians !!!
Thankyou Eileen, Dave, Emily, and Rebecca on percussion. It was lovely
having the children running around and everyone enjoying all the fruit.
Ian’s Idea
At Bedlam practice last night I asked about a diary of Morris Dancing events
in NZ. The reason I asked is because I am now retired and I have greater flexibility
to get to other sides’ dance-outs, if only I knew in advance when they are on. The
Gentlemen suggested that I wrote to you.
Major events are advertised in Sphere and/or are notified by email, for
example, Nor’West Arch advertised their Hanmer Weekend of Dance. So they are
not the issue. The issue is the smaller dance-outs. How do I find out about them?
Two possibilities occur to me. The best option appears to me to be for each side
to publish its upcoming calendar for the next quarter in Sphere. Another option
might be to up-date the “Events” page on
http://www.morrisdancing.org.nz/
There might be a better option that has not occurred to me.
Ian Appleton (BBMG)
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The Lammas Tour– 27 July-4 August 2013
NZ Morris Dancing Tour to England: Registration
Everyone is eager to know how much this is going to cost. I must emphasise
that the Tour is still over a year away, and prices are bound to change
between now and then. Unpredictable fluctuations in fuel prices and
exchange rates could substantially alter the eventual Tour cost.
However, we all need a figure to work with.
With Mark’s help I have come to £350-400. At the current exchange
rate this is between $720 and $820. It would be nice to plump for the
lower figure but allowing for the higher one should reduce the possibility
of nasty surprises.
This covers:
Eight nights’ bunkroom accommodation at Youlbury Activity Centre
Breakfasts
Welcome evening meal
Pub lunch in Headington
Lammas Feast
Entrance to Blenheim Palace and possibly one other Ticketed
attraction such as Kennilworth Castle or Warwick Castle.
(This is where we would pull back and make it your own cost if other
prices sky-rocket).
Hire of Bucknell Village Hall, and a venue for the Lammas Ale
All travel by minibus and parking fees.
That’s £50 (currently $100 a day) for bed, breakfast, transport and as
Mark puts it a whole heap of fun and special dance spots. I guess it’s
over to you all to put the Fun into the Tour!
Still to confirm is requirement for dancing insurance, which may need
to be worked into registration cost if dancers are not covered by default
by English cover.
I would like a £100 deposit by 28 February 2013. This will make funds
available to pay deposits on booked venues six months ahead. Payment
details still to be confirmed.
An aside to Registration costs: Spaces for non-NZ dancers
are limited at this stage. This notice will be posted on the Lammas Tour
Wordpress blog.
Enquiries to [email protected].
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Lammas Tour 2013 - Draft Itinerary
Saturday 27 July - arrive at Youlbury Activity Centre 2pm and settle in. Approx.
7pm travel to Bucknell Village Hall for Saturday Night On and dancing with invited
friends and sides. Supper or possibly early evening meal provided.
Sunday 28 July – 9.30 am: Tour dance workshop. 11 am travel to Binsey. Base
ourselves at the Perch Inn for dancing and forays onto Port Meadow, to visit Lewis
Carroll's Treacle Well (holy spring at St Margaret's Church), Godstow Nunnery where
Queen Eleanor incarcerated Fair Rosamund. This is good place to view river traffic too.
Lunch can be a self-catered picnic or bought at The Perch and enjoyed in their garden
overlooking the River Thames. This would be a good venue and day for other dancers
to join us too.
Monday 29 July - visit Blenheim Palace and dance in Woodstock. Depending on
how much we decide to do here this could be a whole day, with the public attractions
and grounds, the Palace itself and the village of Woodstock to occupy us. Own lunch.
Tuesday 30 July - 10am travel to Headington. Visit William Kimber's grave, dance
outside The Chequers and have a catered lunch there. Move on to Elder Stubbs
Allotment, a prize-winning community garden in Cowley. The gardens contain a woodlot,
orchard and art installations.
Wednesday 31 July - 9.30 am set out for Warwick Castle or possibly Kenilworth
Castle. This could be optional, done in the spirit of a Free Day. As anyone 'doing'
Warwick Castle is not going to have much time for dancing. Dance in Leamington Spa.
Own lunch.
Thursday 1 August - 9.30am leave for Bampton. Lynne Pointer – honorary NZ
dancer lives here, so does Emma Bridgewater the pottery doyenne. Good specialist
shops. Dance of course. Own lunch - there or in Wantage where there is a good market
Square under King Alfred's statuesque gaze. Hopefully meet up with Icknield Way for
dancing et al. After lunch visit The Uffington White Horse and nearby Neolithic features
including the long barrow known as Wayland's Smithy. For keen walkers, this is the
opportunity to tread the ancient Ridgeway track.
Friday 2 August - A tiki tour around Morris villages that we haven't yet visited.
All reasonable requests considered.
There is the potential to join in with Oxfolk in the evening as Friday night’s are when
the Oxford folk club meet.
Saturday 3 August - Daytime, dance in Oxford City - pub crawl anyone? Dance
spots could include Gloucester Green, Bonn Square, Radcliffe Square, University Parks,
Botanic Gardens, Christ Church Meadow... Take time out from dancing to visit a
museum, art gallery, Oxford Colleges, go shopping or punting. This is the day to invite
everyone who wants to dance with us to come and join in. And that includes the Lammas
Ale in the evening - most likely venue Wooton Community Hall near Youlbury. Evening
feast will be catered and provided in the Tour cost.
Sunday 4 August - Pack up and leave.
The evenings are going to be long and light. There is plenty of room at the camp for
workshops and socialising. The place is a vast woodland park. However there is an
evening of skittles at Islip arranged, and in the planning stages, workshops in traditional
style: Headington, Adderbury and Ducklington are all possibilities. Attending an active
side’s practice night is also a possibility. Oxfolk, the Oxford folk club meets on Friday
nights.
Travelling times have been kept within an hour. 45 mins is the maximum time to expect
under normal road conditions and trips in and around Oxford are more like twenty
minute drives.
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Bedlam’s Birthday
Good turn out of past, present and continuing dancers for BBMG our
30th birthday.
The weather was great: a warm and, at times, pleasantly breezy day.
There were 26 for breakfast and that was quite enough. Thanks go to
Dave Hart, Trish and Jeneane coming from Ch Ch, Pete from Auckland,
and Sarah and Richard from Taumaranui. Dyk, a founding member,
John Preval n Hutton were there and Claire Smith. We all fitted
comfortably into the Victoria St cafe. The new Squirrel 'Shecil' took
the place of Bruce (n Alene) who were unable to attend as they were
still South Island bound. Eee up, we received a birthday white hankythanks Kieth!
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Our first re-hydration point was under the shade of the Hotel Bristol's awning
in Cuba Mall via three lots of dancing spots. Here we 'treed' Shecil and bought
Jugs of beer and coffee. The audience as usual were interested and getting
as equally sunburnt as the Gentlemen. Departing here after a Woodhouse
Bog, dance to the bagpipes of Peter, who had escaped from his Highland Band
competition (They did very well by the way!). We had some local competition
from street performing juggling unicyclists and busking Irish dancers, but
happily no one lost, or used sound enhancing paraphernalia.
Usual meal in the Civic square well eaten, few pigeons, and lots of slightly
inebriated people who were on the way to the 'Home Grown' concert on
the harbour front. The bass was a challenge. We, as a side, had opportunity
to share our dancing style with a number of passers' by. Here our White
Rose contingent of Abby, Megan, Elizabeth and Jane danced some garland
dances and 'Jolly Bird' was performed by Jane and Elizabeth, White Rose
then reduced in number, before the rest of us crossed the bridge to
compete with the Home Grown performers-Yeah right!! An increasing
number of revellers joined in and after dancing before the moored Sea
Shepherd ship we moved to The Brewery, Then on to Hashigo zake, dancing
at times. More piping from Peter and headed for the cable car, and
the AGM at The Kelburn Village Pub.
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The business course of evening began around 8 and we heard a squire's report
and thanked Keith for his care and direction. He stepped down from the
position and Michiel V assumed the reigns as Squire a result of universal
acclaim. Yeah. The Bagman: Roger - issued his accounts and as usual we are
sailing close to the wind so we voted him back in - Great. Andy as Foreperson
said 'Bollox' as a full and meaningful report and DCB was elected new orifice
holder by popular vote. As for the barmaid, a 'Hayley' won the position over
Helen and Sophie (?). Patron remains Princess Anne - who still hasn't
acknowledged the acceptance of her role! Whilst Grant wasn't voted in as our
Muso, I think and hope he will accept the role and continue as our musician.
Thank You on behalf of the side for your skill and forbearance as we discuss,
recall, consult, dissect, reinvent and address issues of (our) "Tradition". We
don't always take you for Granted!
Jeneane shared us a celebratory Squirrel post card. Thanks to them that
came and thanks to them that invited thems that came.
Tis been a happy and sad year for Bedlam with an idea that we came
together as friends of Deb. Up and atem gentle men and who is like
us?
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A BBMG-weird scribe and
scribble. (The spelling, syntax
and grammar may be lacking
but look at the beautiful
script!)
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Morris at Sarawak, Borneo
As requested here is a pic of the "Morris" dancing in Miri, Sarawak. Each year
in May the expats had a "Miri on the Marsh" event, emulating the English
county / church fete. Coconut shy; Slippery pole; home baking; rugby; live
music by the "pub" band I played in called Fuelled By Guinness. The "Morris"
dancers were from NZ, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, England, Croatia,
etc. Obviously the costumes were makeshift, from what was available in Miri.
Typical of the expat community there. Everyone celebrated everyone else's
cultural events.
Cheers
Sarah
Hello Roddy,
We would like to place the following in Sphere.
As most of you will already know we are heading back to the UK on 27 June. Richard
has been offered a wonderful grassy job opportunity which was too hard to resist!
We will be living near Bingley in West Yorkshire and hope that those of you who are
on the Lammas Tour will join us at our house warming party afterwards (subject to
contract!).
It is quite an odd feeling gathering one's wits to do the big move for a second time
but rest assured we have so many wonderful memories of NZ and of all you Morris
folk that we will take with us. Do please keep in touch. We will send our contact
details via Sphere once we are settled. In the meantime, many many thanks for all
the good times...
Helen and Richard xxxx
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Deb Appleton-Potter Memorial
2012 Winter Solstice
@
Paekakariki Holiday Park
Where: 180 Wellington Road, Paekakariki
When: 22nd – 24th June 2012
Theme: Turtle (or other terms of endearment).
(Explanation: Turtle was Peter’s pet name for Debs.)
Hi All
We have again booked the Lodge at the Paekakariki Holiday Park on the
sunny Kapiti Coast!
There are a maximum of 30 beds but camping/caravans can also be
accommodated.
Arrive Friday 22nd June any time from 5:00p.m.
Supper soup provided or Fish and Chips from the Paekak Chippie.
Saturday – A full schedule of dance outs commences with dancing up the
sun and ends with the Ale.
Sunday – Clear up and leave.
All this for just $80 per person.
Cost includes bed, breakfasts, Friday supper, and Ale.
To register please send name and side to
[email protected] and advise if you will be there the full weekend
or less.
Also any dietary limitations you may have.
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Hanmer Weekend
The end of March was
rapidly approaching,,
so NorWest Arch
bravely organized the
annual get together for
another year. The
Tussock Jumpers and
Nelson Morris joined
them with a few hardy
souls from Vintage,
and once again we
were joined with
David Scott from
Australia.
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On Saturday morning the
combined sides descended
on the grass by the main
shops and put on a great
display.
And once again,
Nelson showed
off their Dark
Moon Morris and
attracted a good
crowd.
After lunch we all
went off for a soak
in the hot pools.
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On the Saturday
evening many strange
things occurred which
seemed to involve
games with very
arbitrary rules. And skits
which for some reason
I have been not allowed
to publish the pictures.
I guess the less said the
better.
On Sunday morning
the wind died down
and we even had a
dancer from
Wellington join us.
The weather came
out fine and we
danced for the
shoppers, before
heading back to
Nelson, Blenheim
and Christchurch.
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ARCHIVE REPORT: By Jeneane Hobby
Thanks to Steve Dancer for securing a collection of 78 rpm records for the
archives, and to Greg Waite for depositing the collection in the Hocken
Library. These recordings - eight by Columbia and ten by HMV - feature
English Country Dance and Morris tunes by:
Chalmers Wood and his Scottish Dance Orchestra
National Folk Dance Orchestra
Folk Dance Orchestra
Square Dance Band of EFDSS
Folk Dance Band
William Kimber
Morris Motors Band
The Folk Dance Quartet
Thanks also to Trevor Robertson who has donated to the lending libraryarchives, three books from his own collection:
English Folk Song and Dance by Iolo Williams
Discovering English Folk Dance by Hugh Rippon
Ribbons, Bells and Squeaking Fiddles by Keith Chandler
It’s great to see people using the lending library. I don’t have a system at
present for publicising it – just ask. I can recommend Ribbons, Bells and
Squeaking Fiddles. It’s a very readable, social history of Morris dancing in
England and now I have two copies available! Also in my own library and
for sharing, I have History and the Morris Dance by John Cutting. This is
a recent and equally readable review of historical references to the Morris,
both written and pictorial. In company with The Annals of Early Morris it
becomes a great research aid.
Enquiries to: [email protected]
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Nelson Folk Festival
Morris dancers, sides or individuals are invited to Nelson for the 22nd
September 2012.
Workshops, Ceilidhs, Busking Tours all centred on Founders Park, which
has its own BREWERY!!! Only one day this year, but a weekend event
is intended for following years Motley Morris for any dancers from around
the world to get together to dance in the tours.
A busking tour can be arranged for Sunday 23rd if wanted, to make the
journey worthwhile.Nelson Morris/Dark Moon Morris will be the hosts.
The programme and all details are at
http://www.nelsonfolkfestival.org.nz/
Cheers
Peter
Festival Director
From Amanita Mascara
Gentlemen Darlings,
Birthdays. Once one gets to thirty, other peoples’ are much more fun don’t you
think. Bedlam’s 30th was certainly memorable, from breakfast at Victoria Cafe
- where Andy reminded everyone how frisky they looked thirty years ago with
pics from his photo album - to kicking off my shoes for tapas at the Kelburn
Village Pub at the end of the day. I needn’t go into detail, but isn’t Cuba St
fascinating seen through the bottom of a beer glass; squirrel mascot, the oversixties set and all. The way Gentleman Jim wears his collar up against the sun
is really quite fetching, but Jeneane ought not to be running around after Gentlemen
at her stage of life: she spent a suspiciously long time returning Peter the Piper’s
cell phone to his sporran while he continued piping his way to glory. Anyone
would think he left it behind in Civic Square on purpose. And who’s idea was
it – those young bloods Peter or David? – to court dangerous thrills down at the
Water Front rock festival? All those heaving Home Grown groping youngsters.
Maybe I’m not complaining, it’s just that they were so, well, forward. Thank
goodness for Mr Bun and a quiet cuppa away from the fray with sensible people
like Mark and Keith. Tea and coffee I noticed, were quite acceptable tipples on
this Day of Drink. That’s the trouble with ageing isn’t it. One has to think of
one’s health if only to reach the next birthday, whoever’s that might be.
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C.A.M.D News
Just a quick report to let you know we are still around and still getting
a steady stream of dance opportunities.
This quarter has seen us dancing at playcentres, two pubs on St George's
Day...the one at Browns Bay was particularly good with copious amounts
of food and beer, busking in Vulcan Lane and a Cei...cie...'kaylee' thingy
in Devonport.
And of course May Day where we were once again joined by the intrepid
Bedlam Boys. A good time was had by all.
But the main focus of energy is, of course, the 2013 Rotovegas Tour.
We are working hard to ensure that everything goes smoothly and that
we satisfy (almost) everyone's expectations. Read all about it elsewhere
and get those deposits in ASAP please. We also have a new website
with all the details and some photos so check that out as well.
Keep well, have fun and we hope to see you all at The Rotovegas Tour.
The Squire testing out Rotorua hot pools
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NELSON MORRIS/DARK MOON MORRIS
The dark nights are upon us, winter is around the corner and early morning frosts! The
moon has been looking amazing too recently.
So back to practising the morris after dancing out during the summer months. We are
enjoying the company of Phyllis and Heather from Vintage Morris who show great
dedication journeying over from Blenheim. Put through our paces by Steve (who keeps
a strict eye on the lines!) we are dancing Border and Cotswold and currently learning
some Fieldtown and Bledington dances. Quite challenging!
Hanmer Springs weekend of dance was a successful event at the end of March. We all
enjoyed dancing out and relaxing afterwards in the hot pools! The Saturday night
entertainment was great fun – such talent abounds!! Many thanks to the organisers.
Recently we danced at the Nelson Craft Market, a good crowd formed and we put on
a fine display of Border, then on to a retirement home at The Wood where we performed
for the residents and in particular one lady who had just celebrated her 106th birthday!
Flo Akens who was involved with Nelson Morris in the late 1930s!! To finish we
visited our local hostelry, Sprig & Fern, Milton Street for a well deserved pint.
For May Day we danced in the grounds of The
Honest Lawyer at Monaco right by the sea. We
thought it fitting to dance the sun set to coincide
with morris sides in the UK as the sun rose over
there. A clear sky and the sun looked magnificent
sinking behind the mountains.
Jan
We are currently fund raising for Rotorua National
Tour and looking forward to another great get
together.
Best wishes
Jan & Steve Nelson Morris
At the retirement home
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A Quote about Steve Rule from Morris Federation Newsletter
I was much impressed with the unadulterated passion that winged its way to
me from Steve Rule, the squire of both Nelson and Dark Moon Morris. “I’ve
been dancing Morris for over 27 years now,” he wrote to me from NZ.
His first team was Haddenham, in Cambridgeshire. A Cotswold side that folded
after a few years. Then he joined Devil’s Dyke based near Newmarket – and
is still an occasional dancer with them. He has danced with Cambridge Morris
and with Coton Morris. “As you can see,” he writes, “I am from East Anglia.”
In fact, he met his “lovely wife Janet King” on a day of dance in Cambridge.
She’s a member of Buryfair from Bury in Suffolk. Now these two are happily
settled in NZ where they set up Nelson Morris and got to meet some ten other
sides in New Zealand dancing a mix of Cotswold, clog, border and sword. His
dream has been to teach border and it has been a passionate dream.
And this is Steve in full flow:
“I am very passionate about the Morris and its history. It’s fantastic and I think
it’s magical that we don’t know (its history) and that makes it even more wonderful
than it already is. It’s frowned upon, it’s ridiculed; it’s embarrassing to those
who don’t dance or play but it’s BRITISH; whether you like it or not it’s part of
our history, our heritage. For those who don’t dance or play, go give it a try. It’s
as ENGLISH as fish and chips and it’s part of our sacred isle. Grasp it and
enjoy.” Corr. Well said Steve!
News from Jack Frost, Dunedin
May Day 2012 was Jack Frost's 10 year anniversary of formally starting our side
in Dunedin. And being Jack Frost (Morris innovators to the consternation of the
Traditionalists), given we are in the Southern Hemisphere, we of course danced
the sun down on May Day (note we only dance at dawn on the first of November
which we refer to as Southern May Day).
We danced on Signal Hill despite it being cold, wet and windy. We wore dark
clothing and did a dark Dilwin at the time the sun was expected to set (of course
it was too cloudy to see any of the sun’s transit across our sky).
One of our highlights was that we were also joined by former founding members
Ben (from Auckland Green Man side) and Michiel (now new squire of Bedlam).
There were 13 of us in total including our musician.
We then went off to eat, drink and be singing at Beth and Angus' flat. We
remembered all those who had danced with us previously. I didn't stay too late
but I hear from reliable sources that the night continued into the small hours with
the convivial gin for added company (as appropriate for such Morris events).
Morris Love and Thoughts to all. Jules Mann
Jack Frost are not sufficiently organised to provide a list of planned events over
the next 3 months other than a vague plan to do something for mid-Winter. Anyone
considering visiting Dunedin should contact me by e-mail. We have weekly
practices on Thursday evenings from 6.45pm- 8pmish (venue changes depending
on time of year etc.). Any visiting Morrisers would be warmly welcomed.
Regards, Jules
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Phoenix News
Greetings from terrific Taranaki, we have had a good year so far, dancing
at Baldrigs Big Day out in Stratford and a farmers market day at Hollard Gardens,
Kaponga, which was nice.
We danced the sun up on Mayday (well sort of , we actually did it on
Sunday the 6th because we had a gig at a school fair at lunch time so in the
interests of economy and killing two birds with one stone we managed to
squeeze in a fabulous brunch at Vondas after a glorious early morning start
on Marsland Hill ,then a dance around the Windwand ( our funny Len Lye
sculpture of a knob on a stick down on the waterfront. for those of you who
may or may not be curious !) So after an exhausting (or sorry I mean exhilarating
day ) dancing here dancing there ,eating ,drinking coffee etc, 3 of us were left
to drink sauvignon blanc in the sun all afternoon at my place to recover from
the excitement.
Our next challenge is Peter and I doing a radio show on Access radio next
Wednesday night on 104.4 FM at 8pm about old English customs ,starting
with Peter singing the Cloudstreet Dance Up the Sun song , it will be about
things that happen in May cos it is May, and then in June we hope to move
on to June happenings, so this is all going to be SUCH FUN and may or may
not be the beginning of Peters and my career in broadcasting!!
The Spring Equinox is the weekend of 21st -23rd of September in Eltham
( not quite confirmed yet ) with the Theme being The Sound of Music,, SUCH
FUN !! so get your dirndls and lederhosen out, dust off your flying nun outfits
and singing voices ready for a jolly good time.
We don't have any other gigs confirmed at present , apart from a teaching
session in a primary school. Please come and see us if you find yourselves in
our little part of the world. We practise on Tuesday nights at 7ish at Brooklands
Church Hall Bideford Street.
Morris on
Janet Phoenix and all
no 159
23
N.Z.Morris Sphere
Editor: Rod McKenzie
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Christchurch
Email: [email protected]
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Friday August
10th
A Bedlam
Gentleman
Showing how it
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no 159
24
N.Z.Morris Sphere