Shepherd's Hey beats donkey riding, davy davy knick knack, winster gallop and rakes of marlow for boredom but...The old swan band play a refreshing version of winster gallop which stirs a lot of life into it (first record called "no reels!")
and there is one of my favourite recordings done by richard attenborough in 1943 by the BBC! in cornwall of the Boscastle players (Topicrecords) called the boscastle breakdown which is a superb variation of the dorset four hand reel.
In the old days it seems they never played a simple tune the same twice, it makes it more interesting to play harmonies to jimmy allen,etc then its more fun!