Saddleworth Rushcart 2008

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 06:46 AM

"You don't happen to dance with a mixed side do you Les?or perhaps you would like to dance with a mixed side,I think we should be told!"

No I don't, I danced with Gorton '78 - '84 ish.

"And didn't Gorton have a horse to pull the cart!
Honestly,what sort of a Rushcart is that?"

What kind? Clearly good enough for Saddleworth to dance at.

I know I am wasting my time here but the list of sides is seriously impressive. Some sides almost certainly have a history and I guess some have almost none at all. Some dance Northwest and some Cotswold, some Rapper and some I don't know.

So the long and short of it is that a collection of men who dance for a side put together quite recently and with little or no historical roots, performing dances from a range of traditions is welcome when women's sides with serious history and a more genuine link to 19C Northwest traditions are not.

Why is that then?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: JP2
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 06:45 AM

There you go Les and Soldierboy,there's your answer,you can re-start Gorton Rushcart and then you can invite anyone you like.
There are surely enough mixed/womens side about to make it viable and you wouldn't have to invite any men only sides.

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 06:16 AM

As far as the sides we invite go, as a male dance side, we organise an event to showcase male dance sides (particularly NW teams if we can get them) in Saddleworth. All shades of opinion on this are as valid as each other.

However, sides have attended for many years that are 'mixed' in the sense they have female musicians, male dancers is the criteria we use. This isn't a Morris Ring policy, it's just us.

As for the hills, Gatehead from Delph to Dobcross in the rain makes you wish you had a horse!

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: JP2
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:47 AM

You don't happen to dance with a mixed side do you Les?or perhaps you would like to dance with a mixed side,I think we should be told!
And didn't Gorton have a horse to pull the cart!
Honestly,what sort of a Rushcart is that?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:37 AM

Connie,

"it would change the nature and atmosphere of the event beyond recognition."

Beyond recognition? The list of sides for this year gives great variety but somehow not the variety brought by women?

Gorton Rushcart seemed a bit good inspite of a number of womens sides, was it not?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: GUEST,Connie
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:32 AM

As a dancer in a women's NW side of more than 20 years (good grief, how long?) and a regular Rushcart attendee, I would not want to see women's sides at Rushcart for the simple reason that it would change the nature and atmosphere of the event beyond recognition. Rushcart wouldn't be Rushcart. And I wouldn't want to pull the cart up the hill on Sunday morning - leave it to the chaps!

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:27 AM

So here we have Saddleworth, in an part of the country alive with excellent traditions of mixed and women's sides, unable or unwilling to invite either.

Why is this?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: JP2
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:07 AM

Someone is having trouble with the upper case letter m sticking.
I usually attribute it a lack of keyboard cleanliness.Ha!Ha!
JohnB,who is this "Pricey"from Wrigley Head MM,the only "Pricey"I remember used to play for Earlsdon MM years and years ago,in fact I would be surprised if he's still alive.

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Alio
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:04 AM

I'll definitely plug the Rushcart on Sound of Folk Eddie - no problem.

Ali

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 04:12 AM

Yes JP2, the Waggon is still doing a roaring trade in B&B, although it does tend to get booked up well in advance, as for the sides you mention, we accept no repsonsibility......

As for the sides invited, we like 'em!

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 03:56 AM

As Soldier Boy says Ed, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, ...................?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: JP2
Date: 31 Jul 08 - 03:32 AM

Oh I don't know about avoiding some of the sides you mentioned Guest,Ed.
Every time I've met Blackheath MM I've ended up with a headache,Wrigley Head MM lured my number one son away 18 years ago with promises of foreign travel,beer etc.and I've hardly seen him since and I'm still trying to get the blacking off from meeting Silurian MM at Bromyard FF(Brilliant Festival by the way)last year.
I might attend if I don't get a better offer like dancing in Brazil or even Monkseaton!!
Or I might just re-organise my sock draw and look for some socks that are guaranteed to fall down gracefully.
PS Do they still do B & B at the Wagon?I wonder if they've got any vacancies.
PPS Hawaian shirts at breakfast.Whatever is the world coming too?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Soldier boy
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 06:56 PM

Guest Ed - what no mixed or women-only morris sides? What are you afraid of?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 11:08 AM

No problem Ali, I've been to all of the Saddleworth Fests except the first and reckon it's one of the best! Any chance of a cheeky plug for the 'Cart on the radio...!

We're not doing Bromyard this year as we have a conflicting invite From Monkseaton MM (abreviation for 'Morris Men' to save space)and will be in Newcastle that weekend. However, we intend to return sometime soon, if Pricey will have us back (I last saw him when we ended up in the same B&B at Whitby for the Moor & Coast Fest this year, Hawaian shirt at breakfast!).

Any photos would be greatly appreciated. Any other ex-Saddleworth dancers out there? This might be cause for another thread, but tracking down ex-dancers is something we're looking at as it the 35th Rushcart in 2009 and it would be good to put together some scrapbook material for the program/website. Hope you can help!

Eddie

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:49 AM

MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, MM, ...................?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: John J
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:38 AM

Hi Ed,

I saw Ron & Hilary and Pete Ashworth at Bromyard last year, it was good to see the side now performs outside of Saddleworth.

I'll have a good rummage for photographs. Is the side at Bromyard again this year?

John

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: JohnB
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:32 AM

Somewhere in a box, I have a Rushcart poster which I borrowed from some pub around 1975/76 in Delph I think.
I live in Canada and have since 77, so that is the only time I went.
No you can't have it, I would have to go and look for it.
I do have a photograph, year uncertain which I got from Pricey of Wrigley Head at last years Bromyard FF.
JohnB.

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: Alio
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:26 AM

Thanks for the bit about the folk festival Ed.

The Rushcart weekend is just awesome if you've never managed to get there. Saturday is my favourite - you need to arrive in one of the villages before the cart and dancers arrive. Then you can actually hear it nearing you around 15 mins before you actually see it! It's a fantastic sight - nothing else comnpares!

Ali

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:55 AM

JP2, good point, see below for the full list of sides/reps, hopefully none you would wish to avoid??!

JohnJ - Good to hear from you. 1975 was indeed the first 'Cart, it's our 34th this year. Ron Yates, John Dunning & of course Pete Ashworth are still active in the side from the original Rushcart. Adlington MM are here this year on the Sunday, one of the sides who were at the first 'Cart! If you have any pics from the '70's/80's, let me know as I'd love to get some put up on the Website.

Ed


Adlington Morris Men from Cheshire; Anker MM, Warwickshire; Blackheath MM, London; the Britannia Coconutters of Bacup; the Bury Pace Eggers; Earlsdon MM, Coventry; Exeter Morris Men; Helier Morris Men from the Channel Islands; Kennet MM, Reading; Leicester Morris Men; Mossley MM, Lancashire; Moulton MM, Northampton; North British Rapper; Rose and Castle MM, Northamptonshire; Rutland MM, Leicestershire; Shakespeare MM, Stratford-upon-Avon; Silkeborg Morris Men all the way from Denmark; Silurian Border MM, Hertfordshire; and Wrigley Head MM from Failsworth.

Also, we will have representatives from Anstey Morris Men of Leicestershire; Chalice MM, Somerset; Ebor MM, York; Green Oak MM, Doncaster; Jockey MM, Birmingham; John O Gaunt MM, Lancaster; Icknield Way MM, Oxfordshire; Letchworth MM, Hertfordshire; Long Man MM, Eastbourne; Thaxted MM, Essex and Waddard Morris Men from Kent.

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: sapper82
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:54 AM

Shall I attemd to celebrate the 20th aniversary of my winning the wrestling championship?

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: John J
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:37 AM

I'll have a look through my old photographs, there should be something. My first Rushcart (perhaps the sides first too?) was in 1975.

John
(ex-Saddleworth, mid 70s to about 1980)

Subject: RE: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: JP2
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 07:40 AM

A full list of all the sides attending would be interesting,after all there are some sides one would like to avoid like the plague.

Subject: Saddleworth Rushcart 2008
From: GUEST,Ed (Rushcart Sec)
Date: 30 Jul 08 - 06:34 AM

Following hard of the heels of the excellent Saddleworth Folk Fest is Saddleworth Morris Men's annual Saddleworth Rushcart, a weekend of Morris, Gurning and Worst Singing competions!! We have 20 Morris sides from all over the UK, as well as Helier Morris from Jersey and Silkeborg from Denmark. The main procession of the 'Cart round the villages of Saddleworth takes place on Saturday 23rd August, with dancing at the Church Inn and Cross Keys Uppermill on Sunday 24th. Further information is available of our website and facebook site.

Anyone out there got any memories of Rushcarts past, or even better photos of us in the early days in the 1970's & 80's?