The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #146894   Message #3402367
Posted By: Vic Smith
10-Sep-12 - 07:57 AM
Thread Name: Obit: Harry Mousdell of Horsham
Subject: Obit: Harry Mousdell of Horsham
Harry died yesterday (9th August 2012) after a long struggle with cancer. For something like 6 decades he was one of the main movers and shaker of the folk cong and dance scene in Sussex. He was involved in the formation of the first folk club in Sussex, The Horsham Songswappers in the late 1950s and had been involved in organising and performing in folk clubs and festivals in and around Horsham ever since.
He was a prominent member of The Chanctonbury Ring Morris when I joined in the early 1970s, though with the growing interest in morris at that time he moved on to found the Broadwood Morris in Horsham not long afterwards. A long term friend and musical associate Simon Furey pays this tribute:-
My old friend and best man Harry Mousdell died yesterday. Singer, dancer, founder of Broadwood Morris, he was a real character. Just over a week ago, I went across to Crawley where I spent several hours with him at the hospice. His daughter Vivien was there too. It was clear that he had not got long to go, though he was cheerful about everything. He said he had done everything he wanted to do, had had many adventures and was happy to go. In typical fashion, he regaled me with entertaining tales of his travels in France, China and Nepal. He was refusing anything but the most basic medication since they told him that treatment would only prolong his life by a couple of months. He added that his body had packed up; amongst other things he had renal failure and his heart wasn't working properly any more. He was 81. Bearing in mind that he had survived since his youth on only one lung, he didn't do at all badly. He will be missed.


Here is a video of Harry singing at the Horsham folk club last October.