THE NATIONAL Morris Weekend brought colour, movement and music to Worcestershire and beyond last weekend.
Some 600 Morris dancers from 50 sides across England and Wales brought the county alive with the ringing of bells, waving handkerchiefs and the striking of sticks.
Centred on Evesham, on Saturday the towns and villages visited include Broadway, Bretforton, Pershore, Alcester, Bidford and Stratford.
The day finished with mass dancing in Abbey Park, followed by a quarter peal from the town’s iconic Bell Tower.
Centuries-old tradition showcased the full spectrum of morris dancing, including Appalachian, Border, Cotswold, Clog Stepping, Molly, Northwest, Long Sword and Stave Dancing.
Local sides included Belle d’Vain (Bretforton), White Hart (Alcester), and Shakespeare (Stratford) and Flowers of Ilmington.
The weekend culminated with a church service at All Saints, Evesham and a procession from Abbey Gardens to Market Square.
This was followed by the presentation of the ‘Evesham Stick’ awarded to Hastings RX Morris by the Evesham mayor John Clatworthy.
This annual award is given to the side deemed to have best exhibited the ‘spirit of the morris’. The afternoon carried on with show dances from all of the sides.
Rhys Boorman, the squire of Hastings RX Morris having been presented with the Evesham stick from mayor Councillor John Clatworthy and mayoress Marion Griffiths. Picture by Neill WalkerEvent lead Nigel Dunn said: “We were very delighted to see so many local people and visitors enjoying the uplifting and vibrant atmosphere created by some of the country’s finest Morris dancers.
“This quintessential British pastime is becoming more and more popular as people realise the benefits – enjoyment, camaraderie and health, to name but a few.”
Morris dancing features in the plays of William Shakespeare and Samuel Pepys mentions seeing them in his famous diaries.
Next year’s event is scheduled for June 19 to 21. See nationalmorrisweekend.co.uk for details.
