Dance and Music

I am or have been active in the following:-
(Music & Dance Photos will take you to photos & videos of my music and dance interests.)

• Traditional Dance
  • Chiltern Hundreds Northwest Clog Morris
    I joined this side in 2019 to enable me to continue playing for North West Clog Morris.
    The Chiltern Hundreds are an ancient region of Buckinghamshire, including the Chiltern Hills.

  • Liberty Hill Northwest Morris
    I joined this side in 2023 to enable me to play for another North West group who perform to a high standard at Festivals.

  • Chinewrde Morris
    I played for this Kenilworth, Warwickshire-based North-West Clog side from 1999 until 2014.
    Before you ask, Chinewrde is the old Saxon name for Kenilworth, and this is more evident when pronounced in Saxon than in modern English.

  • Nancy Butterfly Morris
    I used to play for this group of North West clog morris dancers, from the late 1980s.
    The question everyone asks is "Where did the name come from?". The answer is that the house of Nancy Butterfly is marked on old maps of Redditch, and was a renowned brothel.
    This information is totally unrelated to the fact that I met my wife at Nancy Butterfly!

  • Jenny Geddes Clog Morris (now defunct)
    "JG plays for JG"
    Whilst working in Edinburgh I played for this North West side named after the woman who threw a stool at the Dean in 1637 in St Giles' Cathedral in opposition to the imposition of a new liturgy written by Archbishop Laud. She cried "De'il colic the wame o'thee" - wouldst thou say Mass at ma lug?".
    This caused a riot!

  • Silhill Morris
    I played for this West Midlands Border Morris side for 30 years (1992 - 2022), recently retiring.
    Silhill being the old name for Solihull, near to where they practice.

  • I played for Mallemarokers (a Ceilidh Band) throughout their existence; a 12 piece Ceilidh band whose apex was closing the Late Night Extra on the final night of the Sidmouth International Festival.

  • I used to play occasionally for a group of Coventry based Step Cloggers who perform local displays of English Step Dance - Hornpipes, Reels, Waltzes etc from Lakeland (Westmoreland), Sunderland, Lancashire, Durham and the like.

  • I used to dance with an Appalachian Step Dance group (One Step Beyond) for a number of years, giving it up back in Sept '95.
    The less said about one of them, the better!
• Music Sessions English, French and Scandinavian music (never, ever, manic diddley-diddley music !!)
  These are transient, coming and going with changes in landlord and pub ownership, and subject to the attendance of like-minded fellow players.
• I am a regular musician at weekly sessions at Fradley Junction, Staffs, moved since covid to Lichfield
• I am a regular musician at a bi-monthly Scandi session at Moseley, Birmingham, West Mids, moved since covid to monthly at Kings Heath.
• I often attend a monthly session at Temple Grafton, Warks
• I sometimes attend a monthly session at Handsacre with Armitage, Staffs
• I sometimes attend a monthly session at Ilmington, Warks
• I am sometimes found in a weekly session at Burton upon Trent, Staffs
• I was a regular musician at a monthly session at Blithbury, Staffs until the pub closed in 2020
• I was a regular musician at a monthly session at Kenilworth, Warks, session discontinued since 2020.