Howard,

"Les, I'm a bit unclear what you're saying. From your comment about SE sides dancing Border you appear to be suggesting that sides should only be revived where there was an original tradition to draw on (as in the case of Gorton)."

Sorry, every time I restate my case, I generate further confusion. The thread is about the survival of Morris Dancing. I feel sure it will survive but I am not sure what some of it is. In some cases it seems to have turned into a form of outdoor badminton with music.

I think that seeing the Padstow Oss, is a bit special as is a Northwest side in a Northwest town or Cotswold side in small towns or villages. I guess we have all danced in shopping precincts but what message are we giving about The Morris when sides with no history are dancing made up dances in parts of the country with maybe a tenuous connection with that particular version of The Morris?

I think the Ring have a particular problem because they have an invented history of men only and fertlity / pre-christian nonsense that puts a lot of us off. I am not sure this puts young people of any more than anything else.

Does this matter? Not much. Can we have too much Morris? Maybe

L in C