Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Swindon/Enfield Pete
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 09:32 AM

I listened to the programme yesterday and like other people here felt uncomfortable. For what its worth I felt the programme raised issues which showed how we are really a disunited UK. Questions about Englishness were hinted at throughout and also how racism is not a simple White European vs. Black divide. Racism is entrenched globally within white communities e. g. East European Migrans as "white niggers" as well as other groups Africans vs Caribbeans and within African states themselves who disparage each other. The programme raised a lot of issues albeit in an in unintentional way that needs much more research. Remember the Brixton riots were presented as Black vs White by the media...not true. Frustrated Black and White youth together demonstrating in solidarity. Remember the working class whoever and wherever they may be have nothing to lose but their chains.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 04:02 AM

On the Padstow Museum site there is an archive page about the May Day tradition that says that in the 1840s it was customary to smear bystanders with soot or lamp black and that this may well be linked to the Darkie Day tradition:

"Origins of Darkie Days.

In the 1840's the practice of smearing bystanders with soot or lampblack formed part of the ritual along with the firing of pistols to start the proceedings.
This face blacking forms an interesting link with the "Darkie" tradition that takes place on Boxing and New Year Day.

One could say that the May Day tradition has given Padstow an advantage over many communities in that a special awareness of this unique day makes other less high profile customs no less important to keep up. This is true of the Carols sung in December and the Boxing Day and New Years Day "Darkie" celebrations.

The drums and accordions are there as on May 1st but the numbers are relatively small and the dress echoes the minstrel groups that were such a big part of the popular music culture for over a century. The music repertoire also reflects this era – fragments of once popular songs strung together performed with noisy enthusiasm. It is perhaps just as well that some of the words pass unnoticed. Where else but in Padstow would the fate of "poor old Ned" who's "gone where the good niggers go" be mourned with such feeling. Stephen Foster wrote this song and any suggestion that slaves may have sung it on the quayside of Padstow is unfortunate conjecture.

It is worth noting that the concept of "black face" had been around in Europe long before white Americans started mimicking black entertainers. Mummers and Morris Dancers blackened their faces to avoid recognition and to assume an 'other' identity. On this basis we can readily assume that the arrival of the "minstrel" idea in Padstow replaced an earlier mumming tradition that is known to exist.

It is claimed that visits to Capetown S. A. by minstrel groups inspired the formation of the 'Coon Carnival' also known as the 'Minstrel Carnival' which still takes place, post Apartheid, on New Years Day among the Cape Coloured community of that city.
Old customs of the people, performed by the people, adapting to an every changing world."

Mayday

LFF

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 08:50 AM

Not much coal in Cornwall but plenty of slate with the largest open cast mine in Europe at Delabole. And, I'm sure there was at least one deep underground mine although I forget where exactly.

Harry

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 01:54 PM

40 years before the time Derek Schofield was writing in EDS "morris" was almost exclusively Cotswold, although there were some North West sides around, mostly in that region. Neither tradition involves blacking up. The revivals of Molly and Border were only just beginning.

The Cotswold and North West traditions are the dogs that didn't bark. They would have been exposed to minstrelsy just as much as anyone else in the population at the time, and some minstrel tunes were used for Cotswold, but they didn't adopt blacking up. The obvious explanation was that as there was no tradition of blacking up there was no crossover between Cotswold morris and minstrelsy. To me this also suggests that the traditions which most readily absorbed minstrel influences were those which already involved blacking up. I would guess that the same applies to Padstow, and that minstrel influences were tacked onto an existing tradition of blacking up.

Minstrelsy undoubtedly complicates any consideration of this topic, not least because our modern attitude to blacking up is inevitably seen through that prism. Ignoring blacking up, there is nothing in morris to suggest that it is imitating, let alone denigrating, black people, whereas a minstrel show even without blackface would be undoubtedly racist. Darkie Day appears to be rather different, but I wonder whether Padstonians would be more receptive to change if they didn't feel they were being pressured by outsiders.

Minstrelsy was of its time. Of course it had an influence on folk traditions just as other aspects of popular culture had, and continue to have. I don't think we need be ashamed that many of our folk traditions involve blacking up because I don't believe these had racist origins. I fully understand those sides which have decided to adopt different colours - it is the pragmatic approach and seeks to avoid misunderstandings and possible offence - but I also understand those which take a stand and continue to black up.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 29 Feb 16 - 12:43 PM

I would e fascinated to know the evidence of blacking up in 'Border' Morris before about 1830 ish. Can you help us Howard? Isn't most of the evidence around 'Border' 19C and 20C?

Best wishes

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Ripov
Date: 29 Feb 16 - 05:19 PM

Knights "Popular Antiquities" (available as a free download from Google, and well worth reading, especially if you should be fluent in french and latin! - but mostly in english) quotes from "Round the Coal Fire, or Christmas Entertainments" (1734)

Then comes Mumming, or Masquerading, when
the squire's wardrobe is ransacked for dresses
of all kinds. Corks are burnt to black the
faces of the fair, or make-deputy mustacios,
and every one in the family except the squire
himself must be transformed.

However in reference to May Day (in London), Knight only refers to young sweeps dressing as girls and using brick dust as make-up (or as he says "paint").

More regarding "blacking up" I have not found, but plenty about disguising for mumming, and it could well be a poor man's way of masking.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 06:16 AM

Howard Jones raises an interesting point: namely, if minstrelsy had such an impact on popular and traditional culture, then why was its influence not felt on Cotswold and North West morris - certainly in terms of blacking up?

Howard's conclusion was that "Border" morris already involved blacking up. That may be true, but E.C.Cawte's article in the 1964 Journal of the EFDSS (the article where he coined the term "Border", or "Welsh Border" morris) gives no pre-1800 references to blacking up. Admittedly, there are fewer references pre-1800, but as it was such a distinctive feature, it is surprising it's not mentioned - unless it was SO common that there was need to mention it.

Derek

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 06:52 AM

Succinct and cool words fro Derek?

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Guest Michael Jenkins
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 07:02 AM

Very good point Derek Schofield

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Snuffy
Date: 01 Mar 16 - 12:07 PM

"why was its influence not felt on Cotswold and North West morris"

This is only my rationalisation, but the Cotswold and North West traditions were both based on public display - in summer, in daylight and in front of large(ish) crowds - and primarily as a "show". the dancers would be proud to be recognised as they showed off their skills

Whereas Border tended to be done in Winter, at night, and primarily as a fund-raiser. The dancers would have more reason to seek anonymity, especially if the activity was generally regarded as little more than begging.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 09:13 AM

In response to Les's question, I don't have specific evidence of Borders Morris blacking up before 1830, but so far as I am aware there is no evidence that they did not either. I don't claim to be an expert on the history of the morris, and I am relying for information mainly on Patricia Bater's M PHil thesis which can be found online. This shows there is evidence of blacking up taking place across a range of customs throughout the country, including the Welsh Cadi Ha. When Les asks "Can we just go for the honest recognition that 'Blackface' in 19C English Folk Arts is almost certainly associated with carnivals influenced by Blackface Minstrelsy from the US into UK Music Hall?" he is almost certainly wrong.

I am not disputing that minstrelsy had an influence, on Border morris as well as other aspects of popular culture. However it does appear that many of the contemporary references fail to make a connection between blacking up for morris and minstrelsy, even when the latter was a fairly new fashion and might be expected to attract comment. Bater also points out that Cecil Sharp also never associated the two genres, although minstrelsy was still popular at the time he was collecting. She also points out that Sharp was told by a dancer that the reason for blacking up was "so that no-one shan't know you,sir", at a time when he would have felt no embarrassment about saying it was to imitate a black person.

To say that blacking up derives from minstrelsy is simply an assumption based on no more than circumstantial evidence, when there are also legitimate alternative explanations. The fact is that we don't know for certain. It is legitimate to question whether it is still appropriate in a modern multi-cultural society, but that is not helped by dogmatic statements on either side.

Bater also discusses Darkie Day, and her conclusions are similar to my own assumption that this is very much a community affair and that any interference by outsiders is unwelcome and likely to be counterproductive.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,#
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 12:51 PM

http://www.americanmorrisnews.org/pastissues/dec2005v25n4/current_issue/rhettkrausev25n4morrisdancingandamerica.html

Some good history there about Morris dance in the US and its influence on/interaction with UK Morris.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 01:52 PM

Thanks Howard, I know none of us an historical expert and many cherry pick history to strengthen the position they hold. Almost none of us can be bothered to read everything that each other have said many times but ok,

1. English 'Folk Arts' have some history of 'Blacking up' that goes back along way - although not in Morris as far as I know.

2. Another quote from another thread, from Dave Hunt:

'A version of the 'A' part of the tune is also used for the tune known as 'Clee Hill' as collected from Dennis Crowther who is from that area, which is not far from Ludlow in South Shropshire. The tune was used by the morris/molly dancers from Clee Hill area and in 'pre-PC' days was known as 'The niggerin' tune' as the dancers went out with blacked-up faces and called it 'Goin' out a-niggerin' The use of the term molly instead of morris,was common in Shropshire and I have met people who remembers 'Going out molly-dancing' in East Shropshire in the 1930s-40s '

3. Another via Ruth Archer:

The piece goes on to discuss the incorporation of blacking up into "traditional" events: "There would seem to be little doubt that the black faces of the traditional morris dance groups of the Welsh Border counties were at least influenced by minstrelsy. The occasional use of banjoes, bones and tambourines in these morris dances cannot be mere coincidence."

Looks to me like Minstrelsy is just a tad more influential than early English blacking up.

4. "Bater also discusses Darkie Day, and her conclusions are similar to my own assumption that this is very much a community affair and that any interference by outsiders is unwelcome and likely to be counterproductive."

- Well they are making a public performance and they either don't know or don't care that some of us find it offensive.

Yes I know that in the world of Trump, Boris, Ebola, appalling dictatorships and wars of indescribable death Darkie Days doesn't even get on any scale. But in it's own sweet little way it is currently offensive isn't it?

Best wishes

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: TheSnail
Date: 02 Mar 16 - 02:52 PM

This may or may not be relevant.

Black Act

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 04:12 AM

I agree that many will see Darkie Day as offensive, and I am uncomfortable with it myself. Unlike morris, it has retained too many of the other trappings of minstrelsy. However I suspect that the Padstonians don't much care to be lectured by outsiders (although between themselves there may be a more diverse range of views).

The only issue with modern morris is the colour of the facepaint, and if anything other than black is used no one seems to have a problem with it. If there were anything which could be construed as offensive then changing the colour, or not painting the faces at all, would not change this. I doubt that using a different colour, or no paint at all, would make a minstrel show acceptable today. However I feel that black has a visual impact which other colours somehow lack. Perhaps some will see that as evidence of unconscious racism on my part - I hope it is not that.

I think the real question here is how far we should go to avoid giving offence. Some take the view that we should avoid anything which might be taken offence at, even mistakenly, should be avoided. I suspect Les leans towards this view. Others, myself included, argue there is no right not to be offended, especially where no offence is intended

I agree we should not set out gratuitously or thoughtlessly to offend, but I don't believe any morris sides do this. However I also feel we should be robust in standing up for our own traditions,.I also accept that in view of the history of racism in this country we should perhaps allow black people greater latitude to take offence than in other situations. Whilst some obviously do, there is also evidence that others immediately recognise that this is something quite different.

Ultimately it is up to everyone, end every side, to take their own view, and that is what happens in practice.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 05:27 AM

Thanks again Howard, I am with you on some of that. On the issue of the 'tradition' of Border Morris I will at the point of boring everybody again:

"They dance dances they have made up, to tunes that were almost certainly never used for morris and on instruments sometimes invented in the 20C. They wear costumes sometimes unrelated to the custom they claim to be reviving. But they hang on to the bit of tradition that has one foot in 19C music hall racism.

To be fair many sides in The Border Tradition - Bollin here in Manchester - go and see them they are brilliant - use a range of colour on their faces."

Not sure that we are in a position to: " allow black people greater latitude to take offence than in other situations."

More b*ll*cks has been talked about Morris than can ever be recalled - myself included - just read the 'claims' on Morris sides websites. Often they come to the point: "Since the actual evidence is slight anything can be believed" Oh no it can't!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does anybody care? Yes I do. I danced with two sides and I think we have a fine old tradition which is demeaned by people saying things that are not true and sometimes saying they don't care if people are offended. Almost no sides seek or cause offence but they don't half put some tripe on their websites don't they?

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 07:34 AM

Les, I think I am pretty much in agreement with everything in your last post.

To clarify what I said: there is an unfortunate modern tendency, especially but not only on social media, to say "I'm offended" as if their opinions are all that matter and should take priority over everyone else's interests. In most of those cases, but especially where the supposed offence is based on a mistake or misunderstanding, my response is likely to be, "Tough!"

However if a black person complains about something they perceive to be racist I don't think that, as a white person who hasn't experienced racism, I can so easily dismiss their concerns, even if I think they are mistaken. In those circumstances I would take a more sympathetic view and try to explain to them why it was not racist. That is not to say that if they still found it racist I would necessarily agree with their point of view or change what they objected to, but I would be more ready to discuss the point with them and more understanding of their point of view.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: matt milton
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 07:59 AM

"However I suspect that the Padstonians don't much care to be lectured by outsiders (although between themselves there may be a more diverse range of views)."

I would be very surprised (and depressed) if there weren't numerous Padstonians who object to the blacking-up, and also who find talk about "outsiders" as if Padstow was a different planet, rather self-condescending.

I find the blacking-up totally embarrassing, and it would be condescending to Padstonians to suggest that I couldn't conceivably have grown up to be me – the me that reads Paul Gilroy and loved Public Enemy as a teenager – had I grown up in Padstow.

The phrase "the right not to be offended" is, I always think, a red herring in these discussions, because it's only when we're talking about laws - about something being banned - that the phrase has any real meaning. As far as I'm aware, nobody has suggested that the dancers be legally required to stop blacking-up.

I also think it's wider than a simple question of "black people being offended". I'm white and while "offence" is probably not quite the right word in my instance, I'm still immensely embarrassed by the blacking-up and embarrassed by the fact that grown men can be so blasé about it. If anyone I knew decided to join a blacking-up dance team I'd have a lot to say to them.

So for me, the real question is not "how far we should go to avoid giving offence" (although of course, the answer to that question from the participants concerned is "we do not budge one tiny millimetre or even acknowledge there is anything remotely problematic").

For me, the real question is "at what point does someone's professed intentions become irrelevant when they are so determined to adopt so many of the trappings of the thing they profess not to be?"

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 08:17 AM

Well put Matt

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 08:32 AM

I don't see anything surprising about people in previous centuries putting burnt cork or lampblack on their faces as a 'disguise', or wrong with people doing it now as part of a real or invented tradition.

I do wonder though, given that soap and washing machines were in short supply back then, if they put in on their necks. Is that needed as a disguise? It is more dramatic, but also more likely to be mistaken as imitating a black person, as with the minstrels.

I don't see anything embarassing in the spectacle. I do find it embarassing when people from one group take it on themselves to speak for another that is quite capable of talking for itself. And don't seem to be.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 10:30 AM

Hello Guest.

This is from the Padstow Museum website posted above:

Here

Please tell me the major influence on the 1920s photo.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,03 Mar 16 - 08:32 AM
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 10:59 AM

Les. I was not disagreeing about the origin of the Darkies 'face and neck' black being rather dubious.

However, if I were in a group that that did that and was was fed up with:
* categorical statements about there being no pre-minstrel evidence for blacking (of any sort)
* non-black people telling me that black people were offended when I didn't see any evidence of that.

then I would probably be bloody minded enough not to take the compromise of suggesting a change to face-only black. You will have noticed that the other colours are not as effective at concealing the features of the face. They don't see to have much basis in Englsih tradition either.

I think the Bacup lot's blacking is a bit dodgy in origin as well, but unlike Padstow they are very close to an awful lot of people who might be offended but don't seem to be.

An attitude of 'live and let live' goes a long way in a multi-cultural society.

Subject: RE: "Darkie" Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 11:50 AM

It seems more and more prevalent today that causing offence is what some do to others.

It is and always has been the case that people choose to be offended by what others do, and more and more, choose to be offended on behalf of others.

If you don't like blackface morris, don't watch it, don't travel to see it, don't give [t the oxygen of publicity.

Don't also listen to rap music or watch the films of Quentin Tarantino.

Live and let live should work for everybody.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 12:54 PM

Guest:
"However, if I were in a group that that did that and was was fed up with:
1. categorical statements about there being no pre-minstrel evidence for blacking (of any sort)
2. non-black people telling me that black people were offended when I didn't see any evidence of that."

1. In all the posts on this subject I don't think anybody has ever claimed 1.

2. As I have said before to the point of exasperation: almost nobody knows or cares about Morris dancing but I know people from many communities in multicultural Manchester and beyond who are somewhere between uncomfortable and offended by white people blacking up for a public display that has its roots deeply in 19C Minstrelsy - and refusing to acknowledge that simple fact - and preferring to claim the root is in mumming in anytime between 16C and 19C even though they can find no direct link between such mumming and 'darkie days' and Border Morris.

Ms/Mr Morris-ey
"It is and always has been the case that people choose to be offended by what others do".

Really? Well, I guess you must be right. But I don't choose to be offended by for example people telling me outright racist jokes - I am simply offended - and I bet you are too. I don't choose to be offended by for example by people telling me lies - I am simply offended - and I bet you are too.

So that's the way I feel about white people blacking up for a public display that has its roots deeply in 19C Minstrelsy - and refusing to acknowledge that simple fact.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 02:41 PM

Your problem, and it is your problem, is that you "know" blackface is related to minstrelsy. I doubt, but do not claim to know, that any survey done would find that almost none of the population have any clue as to what minstrelsy was.

If I take offence at something I either, depending on the situation, tell those as much, or simply walk away.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: TheSnail
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 02:56 PM

1. categorical statements about there being no pre-minstrel evidence for blacking (of any sort)

As illustrated by my previous link, (which, presumably, nobody bothered to follow) there is substantial evidence of blackening the face as a disguise for illegal activities to the point where an act was passed in 1723 outlawing it. Here is the link again. Black Act

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 03 Mar 16 - 03:08 PM

Intrestin point Morris-ey - but I don't see knowledge as a problem.

"I doubt, but do not claim to know, that any survey done would find that almost none of the population have any clue as to what minstrelsy was."

A fair point and a good one.

"I doubt, but do not claim to know, that any survey done would find that almost none of the population have any clue as to what morris was." - A point I think I have made.

Excellent point Mr Snail:

1. categorical statements about there being no pre-minstrel evidence for blacking (of any sort)

but I, perhaps wrongly, assumed that this point was suggesting that some have suggested no pre-minstrel evidence for blacking (of any sort) had ever occured.

I accept both pre- minstrelsy blacking up - although almost none in morris - and plenty in other Folk drama. I presume poachers were to avoid shiny faces - as soldiers do sometimes now.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: matt milton
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 05:49 AM

Just to make one point explicitly clear: even were it to suddenly become explicitly and abundantly clear that blacking-up existed before minstrelsy it still wouldn't make me feel any differently about the practice.

The best way to explain this to people who don't share my uneasiness about it would be to point to the swastika. We know unequivocally, and beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the swastika is a symbol that was associated with Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism that dates back at least as long ago as 2BC. However, its symbolic associations have been completely steamrollered by its adoption by Nazis. Were anyone to go out with swastikas emblazoned on a T-shirt or a flag or painted on one's forehead, they should not be surprised to be queried, confronted or treated like pariahs

White people blacking-up is overwhelmingly associated with blackface minstrelsy, just the way the swastika is overwhelmingly associated with Nazism. A white person blacking-up is making a statement: "I am aware of all the associations surrounding what I am doing but ultimately I don't care". That "I don't care" is an ideological stance, one I think is crass, embarrassing and actually immoral.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 01:29 PM

Very clear, very powerful and to the point.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 03:21 PM

A picture may be worth a thousand words.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 05:10 PM

You make a very strong Pott Matt.
Derek

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,raymond greenoaken
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 05:24 PM

Strikes me that the attitude here is akin to that of Ulster Orangemen who insist on marching through Catholic communities because they used to march there when the only occupants were sheep. Why should tradition be synonymous with inflexibility? Orange marches are not academic historical re-enactment; nor, for the most part, is morris dancing. Both are presented as in some way being relevant to the present day, "living" traditions, no? Most living organisms are capable of adaptation: that's why they're successful.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 05:56 PM

Someone has already invoked Godwin's Law so a catholic whingeing about Orangemen is way too late and way too insignificant.

Anyway, morris is nothing like either. Morris has no material impact on anything. If you don't like blackface, don't watch; or complain to the performers; if you really think it is so offensive that it breaks the law, phone the police.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Sedayne D'Voidoffolk
Date: 05 Mar 16 - 03:49 PM

Both are presented as in some way being relevant to the present day, "living" traditions, no?

No. At best - recreational hobbysim; at worst - reactionary revisionism. Mostly a mixture of the two.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,raymond greenoaken
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 08:51 AM

Well, I was making a point about the virtues of flexibility of thought, not whingeing about the Orange Order, and certainly not from a Catholic perspective (first time I've ever been accused of being a Catholic, I think). Quite agree about the hobbyist and revisionist elements in morris; but I think an effort is made — by some morris dancers at least — to present morris dancing as being somehow relevant to our historic sense of ourselves. Like Orange marches, perhaps.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 08:59 AM

Well, I think we should keep an open mind at all times but not so open that our brains fall out.

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,morris-ey
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 11:14 AM

Or some fall in to fill a void...

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 09 Mar 16 - 01:21 PM

True!

Subject: RE: Darkie Day - BBC Radio 4 on "The Untold"
From: GUEST,Guest - Michael Jenkins 8th Sense Media
Date: 23 Mar 16 - 07:34 AM

I agree an open mind is needed. This is fascinating stuff