Di, Angela, Mavis and Carole B were the superb organisers of the celebration of Winterbourn
Down Border Morris's 21st year. Many thanks to them. Somerset Morris, Bristol
Rag, Ashley's Rise and Priston Jubilee came on the day to commiserate with us,
and Keynsham Brass Band serenaded us in the afternoon. Terry and Alan led us
all on a tour of Winterbourn Down's highways, byways, kissing gates and the
White Horse as a pre lunch appetiser. Or maybe just to sample the delights of
the kissing gates. Back in the Church Hall there was good nosh, lots of balloons
and a great birthday cake made by Dick and Sally which was very well received.
Alan had made a film from early videos of the side in action over the years,
and this ran in a continuous loop in the Hall. A display of photographs and
early memorabilia also attracted a lot of attention - in particular the paper
clock face on a pole. It's too embarrassing to explain in public what this was
for, but if you email me I'll send you the answer in a plain brown envelope.
Maybe. Also Alan's extra leg. Likewise, not suitable for discussion before the
9pm watershed, but just check out the pictures below carefully.
But before we could celebrate, we still
had to wake up before dawn a few days previously... Here we are with
Rag Morris, on Brandon Hill on May Day 2007. |
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Winterbourn Down giving it their all again, in the rosy pink
of dawn. How romantic. A pity Hugh can't stand up straight. Someone should
tell him about using the other leg as well as an aid to achieve verticality.
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Ashley's Rise... in action outside
the White Horse in Hambrook, at the start of our 21st anniversary. |
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Winterbourn dancing Damson's Bridge at the White Horse.
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And then back to the Church Hall for
lunch. |
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And lunch
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And lunch... Alan and Liv are modelling
our new anniversary T Shirt, while Ann is modelling the back of it for
the benefit of those who can't work out what it would have on the back. |
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The photo display inside the Hall. Kathy checking out how young
we all looked back then, and wondering if there's a cure.
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Lunch continues... and Mavis is
left contemplating how it is her plate is suddenly empty. I think her
friend has got designs on the next plate as well. |
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Colin from Priston Jubilee and some of Somerset Morris
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Likewise, a bit of Priston Jubilee and
a bit of Somerset... come on, it hasn't been that hard a day yet. |
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Steve trying to explain to Vanessa that one of the essential
qualities of a slice of cake is that it is actually finite in size, and
therefore at some stage it comes to an end.......
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Lunch is over, and... Priston Jubilee
Morris get us going again. |
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Terry in his finery. And that's just the beard.
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Rag Morris... showing us how it's
done down their way. |
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Winterbourn lining up for a dance. Now sometimes I can work
out which dance it is from the number of dancers - this time I tried counting
the number of feet and dividing by two, but something wasn't quite right......
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Di and Terry sizing each other up...
at the start of The Folly. |
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Alan doing the Broom Dance with a bit of extra support from
his spare leg. Or was it extra hindrance? He was falling over half the
time, the rest of us were falling over laughing.
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Keynsham Brass Band... and an appreciative
audience. |
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Cutting the Cake time
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The concern on the young faces says
it all. |
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What did you put in it, Dick?
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The end of a happy day... Well fed,
well danced, well chatted, well reminisced. |
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BBQ At Mavis's that evening. Ann describing to Sarah the principles
underlying Do-It-Yourself palmistry.
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Winterbourne Carnival the next day.
It rained at our first spot, but by the time we arrived at our second....... |
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....the sun had come out
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Susie... balancing well and happily
at the end of.Down Parade. What you can't clearly see from this photo
is that it needed eleven other dancers to hold her up. |
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Mandy happy as well - something to do with the ice-cream van
in the background, maybe?
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