Highside Longsword Logbook 2019
HUNDRED and TWENTY SEVENTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 13th January 2019
PERFORMERS :-
Lock Bearer – Ted Dodsworth
Musician – Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Keith Worden
2 Roy Waite
3 Colin Fine
4 Iain Thew
5 Jim Coulson
6 Rob Thew
A fairly run of the mill Plough Blessing at Kirkby Malzeard. Ray decided to come and play for us which meant I had no role other than carrying the lock in the procession down and up the aisle behind the plough.
We had a stand in vicar, one who had been retired from Holy Trinity in Ripon. His approach of wandering in the congregation made it difficult to hear his sermon in the choir stalls. There was something about replacing an ox that pulled a plough at a plough blessing being replaced with a pantomime horse!
Couple of very minor hiccoughs in the dance. Keith led the dancers the wrong way, so number 1 was at the opposite end to usual. Another slight mistake in single over but the rest of the dance went well. Nice to see Geoff Hyde in the congregation.
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After the dance we beheaded Bernard Bateman the Mayor of Harrogate. Then coffee and a biscuit and back to Colin's house for lunch.
HUNDRED and TWENTY EIGHTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 13th January 2019
PERFORMERS :-
Musician – Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Colin Fine
4 Iain Thew
5 Jim Coulson
6 Rob Thew
After a marvellous lunch at Colin's house and a grand tour of the property we went to Ripon Cathedral for their plough blessing. We danced just after 3 o'clock. It was a fairly mundane affair with a relatively small audience. Peter really had to belt the song out to be heard. Probably seemed tame after last year's endless photography session. Mr Bateman, the Mayor of Harrogate was in the audience and his wife asked if we could behead him properly this time! We actually chose a random clergyman who was a good sport about it all.
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We had our photo taken outside with Dean and a 6 furrow reversible plough.
Then on the the Royal Oak for a pint or two.
HUNDRED and TWENTYNINTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 20th January 2019
PERFORMERS :-
Musician – Ray Waite
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Ted Dodsworth
2 Roy Waite
3 Colin Fine
4 Iain Thew
5 Jim Coulson
6 Rob Thew
Masham's plough blessing has been moved to the morning and involved the communion so was a longer service than usual but that meant there were more people in the church.
The dance went fairly well just a senior moment from Roy in the double sword down, nothing serious.
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The usual sausages and mulled wine afterwards – very pleasant. Then on to the White Bear for a pint. The pub was crowded so we sat outside on a cool but pleasant day.
HUNDRED and THIRTIETH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 5th May 2019
PERFORMERS :-
Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 Roy Waite
3 Colin Fine
4 Iain Thew
5 Jim Coulson
6 Andy West
We had been invited to entertain the crowds at the Tour D'Yorkshire event that was passing through Kirkby Malzeard in the afternoon. The short piece of road in front of the Queen's Head was cordoned off for us and a few tables from the pub.
We performed once and then went for lunch in the Mechanic's Institute. We did think of dancing there but it was too crowded. We also though of dancing outside but Andrew Bodey's ceilidh band were playing out side. We returned to the pub and danced again. Then we got some members of the public to join in, one being our very own Anita and another being our good friend Fid. Then a few tunes with Angie.
A great atmosphere although the cyclists went through the village very quickly. The pro-europeans managed to get some flags waved!
HUNDRED and THIRTY FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 26th December 2019
PERFORMERS :-
Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Keith Worden
2 Roy Waite
3 Colin Fine
4 Iain Thew
5 Jim Coulson
6 Rob Thew
Boxing Day - very mild weather this year. We met at Colin's house for a run through even though we'd had two practice sessions earlier in the month. Unfortunately forgot to tell Jim so all we could do was practice the lock. It didn't matter, the dance went very well all the time we were in Kirkby.
First spot at the cross was well received by an enthusiastic crowd. Second one at the Ringbeck junction had a small audience but very attentive.
Then on to the Green where we hoped we'd meet up with Danita, Joan Clark's Granddaughter but she wasn't in! Another lady watched carefully and it turned out she was Joan's youngest daughter that lived in Northallerton – so we had to 'behead' her.
Next spot outside the butchers had a great audience of people from the nearby houses and they seemed to really enjoy it.
No free drink a the pub this year so on to The Crown at Grewelthorpe. A great reception here, the landlord and his 'step' son cleared the tables away so we could dance in the dining room. Keith had left, so Rob moved to one and Peter danced in 6. Quite a few people came to watch us, one lady gave us £5. We 'beheaded' our Jenny as she has watched us faithfully since the beginning and this was her first time for the chop.
A nice music session followed with Peter coming out with his melodeon and Colin singing his 'Ordinary People' song, which he wrote. A lovely day.