Sleen and Jack have said it all in more than a little detail. As most people don't read earlier posts once the get past about 20 we are faced (!) with going around and around this subject again and again.

1. The evidence for the roots of 'Blackface' are in Minstrelsey wich was racist.

2. Most Border sides make up the dances, the kit, the tunes and play instruments never heard in Morris - great drama has been created - please stop blacking up.

3. Who is offended - almost no one but then who knows or cares about Morris anyway.

4. Most black people probably know as much about Morris as the rest of the population but make no mistake many, many black people know much, much more about the history of racism then the rest of the population. Some are uncomfortable and some are offended.

5. So we have dance sides going out with the intention of entertaining the general public and furthering some strange understanding of an English Tradition and they don't care if they offend some people.