On 12th July we met up at The Rowbarge, Woolhampton with Shinfield Shambles from Reading, a ladies Morris side who dance in the Welsh Border style, and the ladies of Aldbrickham Clog and Step, also based in Reading, who perform traditional dances wearing country-style dresses and beautiful bonnets.   The following week, 19th July we met up again with Aldbrickham Clog at The Blue Ball in Kintbury, where they were kind enough to teach us some of their dances.

 

 

The 26th July found us at The Carpenter’s Arms in Burghclere to dance with two North West Clog Morris sides – Basingclog (not surprisingly from Basingstoke) who wear red, white and black and Old Speckled Hen from South Oxfordshire, dressed in red and green. We were enthralled by the precision in their dancing and the rhythm of their clogs.

Basingclog Morris Side

Old Speckled Hen Morris Side

For the first time we performed our favourite dance in public – Constant Billy – which is danced with two short sticks each. Fortunately it was getting dark so no-one would see any mistakes!

Text : Jackie Breadmore
Photos : Sharon Causebrook