BS: Morris dancing in the rain

Subject: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:11 PM

I was watching the morris men dancing at the Wallingford Bunkfest last weekend. The weather was overcast with rain probable, I came to thinking (as I live in Grove Oxon, home of Williams F1).
Who makes the decision to change the dancers over to full wets, is it the bagman as team engineer or is it the squire as team principle.
Do teams use intermediates, is it all now about shoes or does the quality of the fuel (beer) still matter? Pit stops of course matter, a fumbled zip in the gents could lose a couple of tenths or even a second. Anyway I watched on still pondering but the "dancing line" stayed dry. My support for Icknield Way Morris Men continues, in particular their new young star.
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: The Vulgar Boatman
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 03:31 PM

Being a ritual dance, if they do it properly it won't rain on them at all. Ever. (Exit pursued by Black Pig.....)
Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 04:50 PM

It has never rained on Sheffield City Morris.

At the first drop we dive for the pub. Sheffield City Morris - Motto - "Let's Get this Show Off the Road".

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:17 PM

Ah... but I've seen Sheffield City Morris dance deliberately through the water fountains in the Peace Park.... and not a pub in running distance!

(All Tim's fault!)

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:39 PM

Hi LTS, worked out who I am yet?
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:47 PM

Don't know about Morris, but I know about Scottish Country. We don't change shoes, but we do change costumes. We were dancing out in Slovenia last year, and carried on although it was coming down at least an inach an hour. For some reason our ladies decided not to go out there in their thin white dresses...

There was a case or two of schnapps about, but we'd not had much before we danced. In fact we didn't get much afterwards either, as the band found it.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 05:53 PM

is an inach a Scotish measurement?
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Tootler
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 06:53 PM

Definitely. With the "ch" pronounced as in "loch"

It's how much whisky you can consume while waiting for the rain to bate:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 05 Sep 06 - 07:06 PM

I did notice that some of their straw hats where a little frayed, we are expecting a new aero package in the next 2 weeks, it is rumoured that they will dress in lycra morris suits to minimise drag.
However some of the stalwarts of the team are considering having the team colours tattooed on & thus dancing nude!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Crystal
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 05:25 AM

I was dancing in the rain this weekend (Scotland, land or perpetual rain). I've even written a new dance to commemerate this fact!

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 06:41 AM

This still leave the wets question unanswered, did you change to wellies?
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Crystal
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:10 AM

No, but my new dance features umbrellas insted of sticks!

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:12 AM

No Skipy, I don't think I have...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 07:40 AM

One year when I was MCing the Arena and it rained on the Dutch dancers - fairly high kicks. So one of the women tested the track with a charming gliding solo dance - which turned-out to be a dance depicting skating.

It was all my fault as I had declared a dry race publicly at the start. If I had declared a wet race they would have been forced to change shoes. But we would not have had the skating.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Sep 06 - 09:11 AM

Never had to consider the words "morris" and "slick" in such close conjunction before. And none of our side have actually come out in public as "intermediates"

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 06:35 AM

Actually, I forgot we do have some high grip rubber soled shoes for use in the wet, or on very hard surfaces, as our normal ones have no padding or structure to them, and very little grip. I try to block the rubber ones out of my mind as I hate wearing them.

It's normally the choreographer or big boss of dancing* who decides if it's wet enough to change, as its not good having half the team in rubber, and half in leather. We move somewhat differently in rubber, as you have too much grip, and it looks very odd if half the team has changed.




Normally someone who's injured themseleves, or is spare for that day, so is free to run around organisisng, ie shouting at, others, without having to worry about where they're supposed to be. Very useful

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 06:45 AM

It's time to change from intermediates to full wets when the squire is doing the breast stroke. [no not that breast stroke the swimmy one!]
G

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 06:52 AM

Leathers, now there's a thought, I wonder if Williams have considered leather tyres?
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 07:08 AM

I must admit to a level of surprise that Nude Morris Dancing didnt get mentioned til well into the thread !!

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Paul Burke
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 07:15 AM

I didn't think Morris ever had an F1 team. Though there used to be Footwork.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Dead Horse
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 03:42 PM

I have found that the deciding factor in most things, esp things of this nature, is the bloody musicians. For some reason they refuse to play their instruments during a downpour. Damn poor show, say I.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 07 Sep 06 - 05:34 PM

Musicians.... the limiting factor.

Either find them some cover, ie a pub, or you find a piper, who will carry on playing in the rain. We have used both....

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 02:04 AM

as its not good having half the team in rubber, and half in leather.

And what's not good about that?

Royal Libery Morris used to dance in leather and denim... cooooooor!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 03:49 AM

Trust me Liz, you really don't want us in leather and rubber that way. Although a number of our ladies thought their bodices worked best done up tight, with nothing under them.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: mandotim
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 04:05 AM

Rain???? Wimps, all of you. I had a slightly surreal experience playing mandolin with a Morris side a few years ago. It was one of the dancers birthday, and there was a 'bit of a do' in the local pub, high up in the Staffordshire Moorlands. It turned out that the pub was too small to stage the specially written dance (a surprise for the birthday boy)so we tried to stage it in the car park. Not a good idea; this was 11pm in early February, and the car park was covered in sheet ice. No one had their ice spikes or crampons with them, so we danced on the only ice-free place; the freshly-gritted road outside the pub. By now there was a blizzard, to the extent that the musicians couldn't really see the dancers, so we were working from the sound of feet, sticks and the occasional groan as someone fell over. The best bit was the look on the face of a passing motorist...
Tim

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: oggie
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 04:50 AM

Saw Ken Loveless playing his Kimber concertina in Nottingham many years ago. First drop of rain he stopped mid-step so to speak and so did the team, covered the concertina in a cloth, put it in it's case, bought out another concertina and continued playing from where he'd stopped as if nothing had happened. The team never missed a step!

All the best

oggie

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 04:56 AM

Of course in North West morris the decision is just whether to put rubber or iron on your clogs. It's not so much as rubber grips better but your irons do tend to rust...

:D (tG)

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 05:11 AM

When ah were yoong ah laiked a lark
Ah liked ti mak clog irns spark.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Folkiedave
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 06:40 AM

At Warwick this July past - one of the lovely Pecsaetan went flat on her delectable bottom.

And they danced in the pool. That was the wettest I have evers seen a morris team. (mind they were in cossies and not kit).

As for Sheffield City Morris dancing through the fountains in the Peace Gardens, that was amongst the more stupid things we have done. (And we were sober too!)

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 06:47 AM

Folkiedave

When Warwick had an outside pool - many a morris side got very wet dancing and 'pyramid' building!

One year Taffy (Thomas) led a conga line from the LNE Ceilidh into the pool - he came out wet and very cold - a stiff brandy soon revived him.

Elfcall

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: skipy
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 07:58 AM

Those where the good old days, I started the nude ceilidhs! the forerunner to the aqualy.
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 09:06 AM

No Skipy, No! Nude ceilidhs just bring too many bad images to mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 08 Sep 06 - 09:28 AM

I'm not saying it doesn't bring some good ones to mind too, it's just they're significantly outnumbered...

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: GUEST,Partridge
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 01:02 AM

I danced at Warwick many years ago and I remember that outside pool.
It was the hottest day of the year, we were much in need of a refresh.

When the sun went down we went skinny dipping and it was beautiful - then somone switched the changing room lights on - lots of squeals and grabbing of towels.

Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 04:08 AM

Ah yes FolkieDave... and do you remember all those children who were playing in those fountains beforehand? Must have been about 25 of mixed ages... wearing Tshirts, pants, swimming costumes or just getting their clothes wet....   

Who was the only child with no clothes on at all?



Go on.... guess......















Ah Limpit..... she's not so brazen now you know!!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 04:10 AM

It's a family thing!
G

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 05:01 AM

No, I've never taken all my clothes off and danced through a fountain in broad daylight....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 06:16 AM

And in the dark???

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 09:36 AM

Why not Liz?

Subject: RE: BS: Morris dancing in the rain
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 06 - 04:04 PM

Fountains tend to go up first.... I prefer my water to come from just the one direction....

LTS