Quoting Dazboat work " can't help but think: if morris is descended from morrisco, that is ultimately from the Moors of northern Africa and southern Spain. Is not morris in its entirity a piss take on North Africans?"

I wasn't going to fan the flames but...(and can't remember if I've told this here before... some years ago the Ironmen had the priviledge of dancing in the Basque country.Unlike most of the other government sponsored, teams, and like the English, the Basques were used to dancing in the street.On the finaldayof our tour we danced in a street procession. The Basques brought out a giant jig doll (for want of a better word). And the relevance? Tatter jacket,Black face, ribbons and feathers in battered hat, called a "Moresco". I've been less sceptical ever since.

Quoting Richard summarising others "It is quite puzzling to me to think that if John Kirkpatrick invented border morris ". With all due respect to John K. I think "popularised" rather than invented. Silurian had been dancing the Border tradition under the guidance of Dave Jones for quite a while before the formation of the Bedlams,Ironmenor countless other border sides.

Baz