Ah, Lizzie, but this bishop ain't been run through our gauntlet yet! None of us bar the Rector have clapped eyes on him so far, and he's been 2 years in the job. Not only that, we're in Yorkshire, and he's a Lancastrian! (I am neutral. I was born in Derbyshire). At the last count we will be 9 wardens in total, one of them having cried off. There are 3 churches with 2 wardens and the Priory with 4 in our parish. I did offer today to carry 5 staffs on each shoulder and do the job alone, being neutral! The Rector, though, is also a Lancastrian and the bishop is leading a mission for us next year, so it's best behaviour time. The last time we did it in the Priory was for the Bishop of Doncaster and there were 8 of us. He fed me the line about feeling like he was at the helm of a boat, so I had to come back with something along the lines of "Welcome to the Snaith Priory Eights!" Mind you, I did let him get the prayer of dismissal out first! I haven't been to the Jack in the Green although I know of it. There used to be a morris service in May at Southwell in Nottinghamshire at the end of the Southwell Pence relay walk and dance from Nottingham (approx 20 miles) with several local sides taking part. During the service, held in the Minster transept, 6 of the cotswold dancers (male) would dance "Glorishears" to the tune of "Lord of the Dance". The hymn "My Faith it is an Oaken Staff" would then be sung to a tune almost identical to "Monck's March". At the end of the proceedings everyone dived across the road to the pub. It was a revival of an old pilgrimage made annually to the mother church of the diocese to pay the annual quota (for want of a dirty word!). Dolphin Morris revived it in the early 80s and on the couple I went along with, their fool walked the whole lot with a processional cross and his dog, whereas the rest went in relay stages from village to village. It used to depart with a send off from the Lord mayor or Sheriff in the main square in Nottingham and then arrive in Southwell about 5pm. There are often services on the Sunday mornings of the Morris Ring "Ringmeets" when the Squires bring the staffs of office to church, should they wish, and have them blessed. I'm Squire of Terpsichore NW Morris, by the way. We're based in Castleford, and although technically mixed, only have managed to get ourselves one male dancer despite dropping clanging hints at any male who approaches. I don't dance as much as I used to, seeing as the mantle of musician got dropped onto my shoulders a few years ago. (Not that I'm any good). We now have a couple more as well who are around quite a lot and so they sometimes dust me off and wheel me out into a set! Do you dance yourself?

mouldy