Highside Longsword Logbook 1998
FIFTY SECOND PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 23rd May 1998
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Chas Marshall (Concertina)
Captain -
1 Ted Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Keith Worden
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
(7) Rob Thew
The second International Sword Spectacular. We managed to get a team to Whitby on the Saturday of this 4 day event. It was quite a dull day weather wise but with 30 sword dancing teams it promised to be an interesting time. There were teams from Belgium, France and Italy as well as all parts of England.
We had asked Chas to play for us, he had played for us before at a casual event in Luchon (Harrogate's twin town in the Pyrenees), and has been practising with us for a new dance that we are learning. We decided to have a practice early in the morning (10.00) when there would be no one about. Trevor Stone arrived with his video camera! Rob danced at number 2 while Roy sang. We then moved to our first official spot at the bandstand and it went quite well. We were also wearing our new waistcoats and we were praying that the seagulls wouldn't get us!
The next spot was on the pier at the foot of the 199 steps. Jim sang and Rob had to dance at number 5. There was a very small audience of Bishop Gundulf's Men and a few of Newcastle Kingsmen. Then, back to the bandstand for another performance. This was followed by fish & chips and on to a coach to Grosmont where we were put on a train to Goathland. We danced by the entrance to the station to a good audience including the president of Goathland Plough Stots who was very complementary. We had a pint in the Inn on the Moor and danced on the grass in the village where a Belgian team did some flag waving and sword dancing.
Keith left us and we caught the coach back to Whitby. We had one last spot back in the Pavilion as last team of the day. Rob now had to dance at number 3! There was a very small audience but it was strangely nerve wracking. Finally we were to be presented a certificate from the Mayor of Scarborough. Somehow ours went missing and it looked as if we were the only team left out, but one of the Belgian teams hadn't been presented either and the organisers found two certificates under a table!
FIFTY THIRD PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 26th December 1998
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain -
1 Ted Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Keith Worden
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
Our annual Boxing day tour proved very wet. We met at the Grantley Arms but it was too wet to dance. We moved on to the Queen's Arms in Kirkby Malzeard and after a quick drink danced under the pool table lights on a nice wooden floor. The largely local audience were appreciative. There were two ‘collectors' in the audience, Ian Barclay? who had danced Kirkby with another team and had bought a holiday cottage in Kirkby. The other man was from Belmont Sexy Sword from Durham, we demonstrated the lock to him afterwards and, for once, it went straight in! Both had read about us in Rattle Up My Boys.
We then moved up to the Henry Jenkins, it was still pouring with rain. We danced to small audience in the posh bar and collected £7.30. We returned to our house for food and drink where it became very windy with lightening and torrential rain.