I was chatting with a Morris dancer today in Walton, and we were speculating whether maybe there might be Morris Teams in the States that have tried using basball bats as staves. He reckoned they probably wouldn't stand up to the treatment, which is quite severe.

But if they could take the punishment, it might be a way of making the whole business seem a bit less un-American. I can just envisage this team dressed up like Babe Ruth. They'd go down a treat on a trip to Sidmouth anyway.