Mepal Molly Men

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: GUEST,Citrus kid
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 02:51 PM

Just got back from Straw Bear... how can we get a refund on the insurance?????

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 10 Jan 07 - 05:22 AM

I understand that somebody's car broke down in a ford and needed a tow, causing the lads to be an hour late at Mepal Primary School.

Who are the Belchamp molly dancers? They're a new one to me, unless I know them by another name (e.g. Old Glory, Good Easter, etc.)

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: Mrs_Annie
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 04:37 PM

They appeared on About Anglia tonight! 2 different reports on Molly and Plough Monday.

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: treewind
Date: 09 Jan 07 - 10:09 AM

They turned up at the Red Lion, Stretham, but an hour late. As they then intended to have lunch/drink/play tunes for another hour before more dancing, much as I would have like to join in, I left as I had to be back at work.

A couple of Belchamp Molly dancers were at the Hundon (Suffolk) Rose and Crown (Suffolk) later in the evening, having finished a tour of that area. I've heard Colin Cater sing his marvellous "Penny for the Ploughboys" song twice this year.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: JohnB
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 12:52 PM

Happy Plough Monday to one and all, sounds as though everything worked out alright.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: GUEST,Phil Watson
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 06:13 AM

As a former Old Hunts, Ouse Washes and Chesterton Molly Man who has yet to miss a Straw Bear Festival i shall be in Whittlesey offering my support again , despite having moved a long ways away from my native East anglia this summer
Phil

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 04:43 AM

Thanx for all your advice, duly passed on. I am now told the Mepal lads have now got the requisite cover note and will be dancing today in the Fenland villages and local schools on Plough Monday while I fester in my London office. There will also be a team going out at the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival on Saturday. I think they expect me to dance using a broom. Hhmmm!

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: GUEST,Phil Watson
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 03:11 PM

I am open Morris treasurer and if Mepal Molly wish to contact me on 01902 563126 i can rapidly arrange cover for them (if they join Open Morris for £32)

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 08:59 PM

Forge a certificate and hope.....

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: Folkiedave
Date: 04 Jan 07 - 03:14 PM

Malcolm is totally correct. Affiliate, affiliate.

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 06:37 PM

If they were affiliated to EFDSS, they will would probably already have automatic cover.

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: GUEST, ...
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 11:50 AM

Maybe they could arrange 'honourary membership' of another side who have the required insurance?

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: JohnB
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 10:52 AM

If you call the people who will be insuring you, they will probably give you weekend coverage for a reasonable rate.
Sometimes you can also get onto a festival or organization rider clause for little expense too. If it's the council who want it try them.
The other tack would be to get some yellow "danger" tape, some big warning signs and make everyone watching sign a waiver. That might be worth doing even if you get the insurance.
Good Luck, JohnB

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: treewind
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 10:12 AM

[giggle]
I wonder how much the real ploughboys (a.k.a. Elaine Bradtke's "Truculent Rustics") of pre-1900 worried about public liability insurance, licensing regulations and the like when when they went round the village with their rough music and a real plough, threatening to tear up up the front gardens of the local gentry if they didn't cough up some beer money for them?

"festival of misrule" and "regulated entertainment" don't really fit into the same cultural thingy, innit.

Paul's probably right that they don't legally require insurance.
They'd better make sure their blackface and/or other disguise is effective in case there's any trouble!

I was hoping to go and see them at Comberton on Monday.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: LesB
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 09:36 AM

As far as I understand it, the organisers of Whittlesey Straw Bear need to see proof of Ins (A local council requirement) in order to dance at Whittlesey. Maybe the insurers can bring forward the date of cover?
See you at Straw Bear (if you can get it sorted)
Cheers
Les (Southport Swords)

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: Howard Jones
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 08:29 AM

Has anyone spoken to the insurance broker and explained why you need immediate cover?

Subject: RE: Mepal Molly Men
From: Paul Burke
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 08:02 AM

I don't think there is any legal requirement for them to have insurance. All it means is that should an unfortunate event occur, they will be personally liable, and that any venue may (at their own discretion) demand that such insurance be in place to cover their own position.

If they dance in a public place, it is up to them to assess the risk (which may be done informally, such as "looks OK here") and decide if they could possibly injure someone or damage property. If the risk is low, go ahead.

But a festival will have stricter conditions, as the organisers will be putting themselves on the line without much control over what the performers do. They may also be renting the site off a landowner who quite reasonably will see himself as taking (for him) unassessable risks. Under these circumstances, it would be reasonable to require that performers are insured.

There is legally nothing as far as i'm aware to stop them from performing outside the festival, in a public place; but be aware that the local bureaucracy might make this an issue with fuure licensing if they were to find out.

Subject: Mepal Molly Men at Whittlesey
From: GUEST,Gadaffi
Date: 03 Jan 07 - 07:34 AM

Can anyone offer advice?

The Mepal Molly Men dance twice a year: on Plough Monday in and around the Fenland villages, and at the Whittlesey Straw Bear festival. Someone has informed them that they cannot dance unless they have public liability insurance, thus they sought the advice of the Morris Federation. They now have the cover needed, which doesn't actually come into effect until January 25th, two weeks after Whittlesey! The worst that can happen IMO is someone might get clonked with a broom, so far as I know!

How can the lads get round this stricture (legally) to get round this arguably necessary piece of bumbledom reminiscent of the 1909 recitation voiced by Ashley Hutchings in 'Rattlebone and Ploughjack'?