Morris dancers & tankards

Subject: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 17 May 14 - 08:13 AM

A longer post yesterday got lost when the site went offline. so, briefly,
Why do Morris dancers need to carry personal tankards on their belts?
Rts

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 17 May 14 - 08:41 AM

To drink beer (after unhooking tankard from belt of course).

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 May 14 - 08:43 AM

Its not just Morris Roger - Its ANYONE who likes a beer and doesn't want a collapsible plastic thing at a festivall or doesn't want to pay to use a glass if you want to take an ale out of a bar !!

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Splott Man
Date: 17 May 14 - 09:12 AM

Also, too, an' all. If you're touring from pub to pub, you don't necessarily want to rush to finish your pint when it's time to move on. So you take it with you.

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 17 May 14 - 10:12 AM

And if you belong to a Border Morris side like The Wreckers of Cornwall and you are doing a dance like Knocker you really don't want to try it holding pub glass as this video shows.
Knocker

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 17 May 14 - 12:18 PM

I gave it up years ago as it was just another thing to carry and worry about losing. If you're going to move from pub to pub you just need to make sure you drink up even to the point of drinking in halves. At a festival you're likely to have to use plastic glasses so there's no problem with taking them with you (even then I try to return them to the venue the beer was purchased at).

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 17 May 14 - 12:33 PM

Thanks, guys. My late father-in-law used to have a tankard "behind the bar" at his local, before measured glasses were law. When the new rules came in it was clear he'd been getting about a pint and a quarter for the price of a pint for years!
Roger

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 17 May 14 - 01:10 PM

Why do some people carry their mobile phones on their belts?

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 17 May 14 - 01:31 PM

I would think that you have to be well-tanked to morris.

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: GUEST,Joe
Date: 17 May 14 - 02:50 PM

Yawn. Discussed years back...

Do you lack the ability to search for old threads?

Folklore: Pewter Tankards

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 May 14 - 07:40 PM

My Morris mates carry their own tankard for one very good reason.

They often have to put their drink down while they dance and it may be difficult to distinguish their drink from others - so a personal tankard is distinctive.

Furthermore, if you have to put a drink down other than on a table, a wide-bottomed tankard is harder to get knocked over.

Simples.

Subject: RE: Morris dancers & tankards
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 18 May 14 - 05:52 PM

When accordionist Norris Winston ('Win') OBE of Norfolk's Kemp's Men Morris was 90 yrs old, he was given a day of Morris dancing through Norwich. Dozens of sides came for the celebrations and they all danced in a long procession. It was wonderful to see, and afterwards he was presented with a beautiful specially-commissioned tankard in recognition of his contribution to Morris dancing. He's still alive I think, and must be about 96 or 97. He knows/knew every Morris dance tune that ever was, a kind of Cecil Sharp of Norfolk. Tankards seem to have a special significance for the men, and I expect have done for centuries.