Highside Longsword Logbook
HUNDRED and FORTIETH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 8th January 2023
PERFORMERS :- Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 John Creedon
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Keith Worden
6 Iain Thew
Kirkby Malzeard plough blessing was at 11.00 am instead of the usual 10.30. Following the recent death of Margaret Atkinson this was a slightly different affair. Much smaller congregation than usual, fewer farmers with the plough but still a significant event for us. We were again seated in the choir stalls to the left of the altar as last year, with the farmers, young and old, opposite. It was nice to see a young lady representing the young farmers in the responses. The Lay Preacher was Adrian Roberts from Kexmoor who gave a wonderful sermon on hope. We danced after the blessing, rather than before. I think it would be fair to say that we danced averagely! Because of concentrating on playing I didn't see much of it.
After we danced, Adrian said it looked so complicated he would cry if he was asked to learn it! We beheaded him instead. Lindsay Atkinson provided lots of food for the social after the service that was very much appreciated.
|
|
|
|
HUNDRED and FORTY FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 8th January 2023
PERFORMERS :- Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 John Creedon
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Keith Worden
6 Iain Thew
Later in the day, after the Kirkby plough blessing, we travelled to Ripon Cathedral for their plough service. They provided the food beforehand from 2.30. We danced at 3 before the 3.30 service.
This time we danced very well to a quite large appreciative audience. Peter's singing arousing curiosity from the 'diners'. The dance went very well with me managing to change to 'Rattling Bog' half way through. We beheaded Sid Hawke, the mayor of Ripon who had been watching intently throughout.
On the to the Royal Oak for a pint.
 |
 |
 |
HUNDRED and FORTY SECOND PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 22nd January 2023
PERFORMERS :- Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain - Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 John Creedon
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Keith Worden
6 Peter Meese
St Mary's Church in Masham had asked us to dance at their plough blessing on the 8th of January and when we said we couldn't, they moved theirs to the 22nd to accommodate us. So, it came as surprise to see a poster at the entrance to the church saying that Kirkby Moorside Highsword Dancers were going to perform.
As they were about to interview for a new vicar the service was organised by a lay reader and a very nice service is was. Our dance afterwards was again restricted by the dance area and a new figure was introduced! Double Sword Up and Down! It seemed to impress the congregation but could probably not be repeated!
Lots of nice comments afterwards while we had mulled wine and sausages. Even an appreciation for using two tunes.
HUNDRED and FORTY Third PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 7th May 2023
PERFORMERS :- Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain -
1 Keith Worden
2 John Creedon
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Jim Coulson
6 Anita Roy
This was a booking we had been looking forward to for a while, the celebration in Kirkby Malzeard, of the coronation of King Charles III the day before. Unfortunately Peter went down with a fairly serious bout of covid a few days earlier. Jim offered to sing the calling on song and as Rob & Iain were unavailable, in a first for the team, Anita danced in at number 6. This wasn't a problem for her as she has danced most positions at practice. We met at Andrew's house, Longswales, for a run through. As the double sword down didn't go well we decided to leave it out!
We went to the Highside Playing Fields at around 1pm where the event was being held to see quite a lot of tents and gazebos, a bouncy castle and a maypole. We were told there were over 300 people there!
We danced after the children had danced round the maypole. Jim sang well and even got a round of applause. He managed to alter the gender of number 6 to suit. I'm not sure that it was our best performance, one excuse being that we aren't used to dancing on grass (or such a big audience)! We got a very good round of applause though and 'beheaded' Danita, the granddaughter of Joan Clark who we had danced for many a time when she was alive.
Some of us stayed for the party and we were regally looked after by Karen Pickles the organiser. Andrew's wife, Angela, did some called dances which also went down well.
HUNDRED and FORTY FORTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 17th May 2023
PERFORMERS :- Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain – Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 John Creedon
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Jim Coulson
6 Iain Thew
This was Kirkby Gala Weekend or Kfest as it's now called. After 4 or 5 weeks of hot, fine weather it started to rain as we practiced in Andrew's garden. We then discovered there is room in his conservatory to dance! Lots of good practice.
On to the event on the Highside Playing Fields, we were billed for 3pm but as ever they were running late. As John needed to be away by 4 we persuaded them to bump us up the list. This made it seem as if we were part of Kirkby's Got Talent. There was some truly terrible Karaoke acts but some rather good children one who played guitar and one who played keyboard. Also our friend Patrice played just before us.
The dance went well, the lock went well and we beheaded Patrice! And the rain cleared.
HUNDRED and FORTY FIFTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 24th May 2023
PERFORMERS :-
Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain – Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 Keith Worden
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Jim Coulson
6 Peter Meese
This was the English Country Music Weekend which this year was based in Masham. As Peter was one of the organisers he asked us to do a demonstration and for me to give a talk on the team. We were on the 2 till 3pm slot.
As Keith was relatively new to the 2 position we did a lot of lock practice before hand. It was a very hot day and we were upstairs in Masham Town Hall.
As the ECMW is mostly for musicians to get together to play in sessions, I assumed that not many people would want to listen to a talk on Longsword.
We had 40 + people in the audience and the dance went reasonably well. Sadly the lock didn't and fell apart as Rob held it up. We remade it and beheaded Janet West, another good friend of ours and wife of Andy who has danced with us in the past.
The talk seemed to go well with some odd questions at the end!
Some of stayed on a played in the sessions.
 |
 |
 |
 |
HUNDRED and FORTY SIXTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 15th July 2023
PERFORMERS :-
Musician – Ted Dodsworth
Captain – Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 John Creedon
3 Colin Fine
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Jim Coulson
6 Iain Thew
Masham Steam Engine and Fair Organ Rally. A wet weekend but thankfully it only rained on us once. We had 4 spots between acts on a trailer stage. The acts were two ladies singing sixties songs (The Cherry Tones) and Reeth Brass Band. We had the beer tent on one side and the dodgems on the other and a huge fairground ride opposite. It was an interesting experience and the dancers danced very well, especially considering it was on wet grass. Peter valiantly sang to attract an audience and I had to play as loud as possible to be heard!
We were paid £120, the biggest fee we've ever had but we earned every penny!
 |
 |
 |
 |
HUNDRED and FORTY SEVENTH PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 26th December 2023
PERFORMERS :-
Musicians – Ted Dodsworth, Janice Hopkinson
Captain – Peter Meese
1 Rob Thew
2 Iain Thew
3 Anita Roy
4 Andrew Bodey
5 Jim Coulson
6 Peter Meese
Boxing Day turned out to be the first decent weather of particularly wet and windy December. Colin was struck with a long bout of Covid so Anita fitted into number 3 admirably. We had a practice in the Queen's Head car park beforehand which went very well and for the first time we had two melody musicians with Janice joining on melodeon.
We had a couple of practices beforehand including one where we taught the dance to Harry, a dancer from Ripon City Morris Dancers.
We weren't quite as welcome in the pub this year, they were showing Leeds United getting beaten by Preston on the TV and expecting some diners so couldn't sit in the dining area. No free drink either! There was also a massive Christmas Tree next to the cross and a car parked beyond that so we had to dance in the road by the Queen's. To be fair the owner offered to move the car but the audience had seated themselves at the pub tables, so we stayed put. Quite a good and appreciative audience, including Colin who looked forlorn in his Covid mask!
Back in the pub after the dance which went very well we were grilled by some visitors as to the origin of the dance and all manner of things Kirkby related. Then up to the Ringbeck end of the village to a large audience, most of whom turned out to be Andrew's family! Again the dance went well, Peter in fine voice. Then once more near Andrew's house where we beheaded Hilary, Jan's (who we beheaded here last year) sister.
As the Crown in Grewelthorpe is now closed we couldn't have a music session as it was too far to travel in differing directions so a few of us went to the Kings Arms in Masham.
 |
 |
 |
 |