Highside Longsword Logbook 2008
NINTIETH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 13th January 2008
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 service at St. Andrew's Church in Kirkby Malzeard. The church was quite full as usual. We were going to have a practice at the school but Roy was quite ill with flu so we waited in the warm at the back of the church.
The service was as normal except the preacher made some strange comments about Muslims and later when we offered to ‘behead' him he though we must be Muslims! He is the Ex Bishop of Lincoln. Paul Theakston did the reading.
The dance went well, videoed again by Anita.
NINTEY FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 20th January 2008
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 service at St. Mary's Church in Masham. We ran through the dance outside the Church for Rob's benefit (in another place again)! Nice service with the address given by Susan Cunliffe-Lister, very pro farming for a change.
After the service and before we danced the Organist played the Sabre Dance. As we lined up to walk on, Ray also played the Sabre Dance! Everyone was amused except the organist.
Sausages and mulled wine after.
We then went to the Castle Arms at Snape and danced again (the short version), not much room. Afterwards we had a very good music session.
NINETY SECOND PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 3rd August 2008
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Rob Thew
4 Keith Worden
5 Jim Coulson
6 Andy West
Very unusual dance out for us, an alternative/rock festival at Lime Tree Farm near Grewelthorpe. Invited by Alan Foster and paid a fee of £100! It was the day after St Wilfrid's Procession and Geoff had gone over on his ankle and unable to dance, fortunately Andy was about and stood in.
We met at the pub in Grewelthorpe and had an unsuccessful practice in the car park. Then on to the Farm.
Our first spot was in a stone circle after the Belly Dancers, seemed to go well although the ground was a bit rough. At least the weather was kind.
Our next spot was in front of the main stage between bands. This meant that the next band were sound checking! At first the drummer seemed to play with Ray but the other musicians weren't so kind. Reggae!
After a pint of excellent Roosters we danced in a tepee frame on top of the hill. This spot went really well and we noticed the Belly Dancers down in the stone circle were imitating us! Surreal.
One last spot in the stone circle finished the day off nicely before we transfomed into Wakeman Mummers for the evening
NINETY THIRD PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 26th December 2008
PERFORMERS :-
Musician - Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Rob Thew
4 Geoff Hyde
5 Jim Coulson
6 Andy West, Paul Freeman
Our annual Boxing Day tour started, as usual, at the Grantley Arms on a dry but very cold day. First dance with Andy at 6, seemed very slow, poor Ray, it was cold. We were watched by a London photographer who had been following Ripon Sword Dancers round in the morning. He was taking pictures to update his book on folklore.
On to Kirkby, a swift drink in the Queen's before dancing by the cross. Paul at 6 this time, quite a bit faster but a bit raggedy. Small appreciative audience.
We then walked to the Ringbeck end of the village stopping outside the Henry Jenkins (closed - for sale) to dance on the pavement.
At the Ringbeck turning we had quite a good crowd, including the family who lived in the house on the junction. A collection of £8.62!
We walked back to our cars and drove to the Drovers at Dallowgill. It was still daylight and we got a good crowd out to watch us including Brian Smith and his family. Brian sang the calling on song for us for a while and played fiddle. Also there was a member of Stone Monkey, who's parents live in Kirkby and as he spent every Christmas there, could he dance out with us next year?
Soup and a roll and a couple of pints finished the afternoon off nicely.