Highside Longsword Logbook 2002
SIXTY EIGHTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 13th January 2002
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted
Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Keith Worden
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
Plough Blessing in Kirkby Malzeard church, still a nerve wracking but special occasion. Peter Garner was brought out of retirement as Tony Keddie was ill in hospital and the church was full. Nice to see Trevor Stone and Maureen together with two of Handsworth Sword in the congregation.
The dance went very well, probably the best performance we have ever done. Peter's singing had just the right amount of drama.
As we walked back up the aisle as the last hymn was being sung a few of us were upset by the fact that it was ‘Lord of the Dance'. This was played only two days earlier at the funeral of Cindy, one of our dancing friends.
As Peter Garner disappeared we had to behead John Richmond, his hat went flying into the air very nicely!
As the chef at the Henry Jenkins was on holiday we went to the Golden Lion in Ripon for a meal.
SIXTY NINTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 20th January 2002
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted
Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Rob Thew
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
Plough Blessing in Masham church. After a break of a couple of years we were persuaded to dance here again by the new vicar, David Cleves. We danced after the blessing service at the front of the church were there really isn't enough room. Peter sang well and Ray played well but the dancing was a bit ragged. The audience were very appreciative and we were offered food and mulled wine after. Later we retired to the King's Head.
SEVENTIETH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 2nd March 2002
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted
Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Rob Thew
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
Bill Taylor, past manager of Kirkby Dairy is the current president of the Rotary Club and we had been asked by George Merrin to dance at the President's Ball as a surprise for him. We met on Ripon Market Square at 9.00pm to dance after the Hornblower. As it was quite cold we did the version without all the Single Unders. There was a Brownie pack watching who seemed to enjoy it especially when we beheaded Brown Owl.
We then went to the Turf Tavern in the Spa Hotel. As we had 3/4 of an hour to spare, and George gave us £10 we had to have a drink. At the appointed time we moved to the Ballroom and gave a good performance to the revellers. Fantastic applause afterwards and the beheading of Bill went very well. Then we went back into the Tavern where Chas Marshall showed us two of the Ripon Sword Dancers costumes that he had borrowed from Nigel Huddlestone.
SEVENTY FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 8th June 2002
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted
Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Rob Thew
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
Very special event in more ways than one. For the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations Kirkby held 10 days of events and we were asked to dance on the second weekend. In the six or seven weeks leading up to May Day, Paul and I had been teaching about 25, year 6 children from Kirkby school a version of the dance. They performed in public for the first time in school at the beginning of May. We asked them to come and dance with us and 17 of them turned up. We put one set on first, then danced ourselves, then put the other 2 sets on. The children danced very well and got tremendous applause as there was quite a large crowd. We danced in street outside the Henry Jenkins. Kath Gill, the wife of the late Don Gill was in the audience and was quite emotional as 2 of Don's decedents, Hannah Bowen and Sara Wensley were dancing. We later found out that we had also been teaching Connor Lafford who is also descended from Don.
We managed one more dance on a car parking area of a house next door to the Mechanic's Institute called Highside Cottage. We did the short version of the dance this time.
The following Friday, the school took 2 sets of children to an Excellence in Education Event at the Pavillions in Harrogate where they gave an excellent performance and the boys set ‘beheaded' their teacher, Stephanie Ruddy.
SEVENTY SECOND PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 26th December 2002
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted
Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Hugh Waite
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Paul Freeman
A very wet Boxing day. We taught the dance to Hugh in one hour the previous Saturday, he learnt very quickly, the benefit of youth and being around us since the beginning!
We met as usual at the Grantley Arms and as it was pouring down we had to persuade Val (using all our charm) to let us dance inside. It was nearly a quarter to two before Paul and Geoff arrived so we went straight into the dance in front of a roaring fire. Two thirds of the audience were there to watch us including a man from EFDSS who videoed the dance. We beheaded Val, don't think she was too amused!
On to the Henry Jenkins which we had been told was closed, thankfully it wasn't. We danced inside again (short version) to a very appreciative audience including the new landlord. By this time it had stopped raining so we walked back to the Cross and danced there. We were offered wine by the occupants of the old Police House and beheaded the kind lady. Then up to the Ringbeck end of the village and danced the short version here and collected £11.64.
In the gathering gloom we travelled to the Drovers at Dallowgill and quickly danced in the car park as the Beagles returned for probably the last time. After a pint some of us came here (Neresforde) for food and festivities.
