Journal Live - Blog Central

Morris: A life with bells on

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:00:40 +0000

A few weeks ago we received an email from Hexham Morrismen inviting us to dance with them , and as many other local teams as possible, before the premier of "Morris: A life with bells on" at the Forum Cinema Hexham. Sadly Tyne Bridge Morris couldn't get a team together. However this afternoon Mrs Quilt drove me over and we watched some dancing before heading off to the cinema with everyone else....

Holy Knickers!

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:30:38 +0000

I wore the wrong shoes to Tyne Bridge Morris practice a while ago. They were just that bit too big and moved around as I stepped. As this was both uncomfortable and slightly dangerous I took them off and danced in my socks ...

Larn Yersel' Geordie

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:38:35 +0000

Following my last post I received this plaintive email from our Colonial Cousin of Island Thyme Morris on Vancouver Island.

"Encore, je ne comprend pas!. That's two in a row that went over my head, and this time the problem is not generational, but dialectal. Google told me what a Routemaster is ... but "nack"?"

As Big Sister didn't understand the term either, here is an explanation for those unfamiliar with current Geordie vernacular ...

Chateaux Midden: Train evesdropping

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:31:40 +0000

We spent last weekend with Big Sister in London so that the boys could see their auntie and cousin and explore the outer reaches of London's transport system. I got my wish to see the fourth plinth, Number One son his to see Big Ben and Number Two to ride on a Routemaster. Fester was frustrated in his desire to visit any sort of fish or food market so it was a winner all round for me.

The train journeys were good too and, coming home, I overheard the following from a Geordie lad (possibly a soldier) sitting behind me and on his mobile 'phone:-
"Did you put your finger in to see if it would bite you?"
Long, listening pause ...
"Did it nack like?"

Generation Gap

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:51:24 +0000

Tyne Bridge Morris' dances are done in sets of 8 or 6, with the occasional dance for 5 or multiples of 3. Ideally every dancer should know every position. The reality is that most of us can only do a couple of positions in most dances, a lot of positions in a couple and one in a few. Some dances you get the griff of and can do anywhere. Others just elude you and are always hard work. And every dancer is different and finds different dances difficult or a doddle ...

Save the Cooperage and Egypt Cottage

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:33:10 +0000

I was hugely concerned to read recently of the threatened closure of the Cooperage and the Egypt Cottage. Not because I'm a regular, or even occasional patron, of either establishment; but because, if they go, Tyne Bridge Morris will have to create dances in their memory ...

Should have used stronger elastic

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:31:13 +0000

Last Thursday was Tyne Bridge Morris' last practice until September, although there may be a couple of 'drinking practices' in the interim. We have no more dance-outs booked until the North Shields Victorian Christmas Market; and with people going away to festivals and on holidays it's getting hard to know who's available to practice. So it's far simpler to have a break ...

Battle of the Bandanas

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:16:17 +0000

A few weeks ago I received an email from a lady who had recently moved up from Kent, where she and her son had been involved in morris dancing. The lad wanted to carry on playing the fiddle with a morris team. Could they come along to Tyne Bridge's practice? They were both, of course, more than welcome and have come to almost every practice since. Kentishlad made his debut with the band when we danced out recently at the Cumberland Arms.

Banjoman, Squeezeboxboy and Little Miss Fiddle have all been most encouraging of the Kentishlad's playing. I fear, however, that the rest of the band are determined to lead him astray. At least as far as headgear is concerned ...

Chateau Midden: fighting the flood

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:11:43 +0000

There was a cloudburst over Benton this afternoon.

The street out the front was an inch deep in some places, with a stream simply running over the top of the drain by my front gate as it was too full to let any more water in. I looked out of the back door and discovered the doormat beginning to float as the back yard filled with water. I put on my little red wellies and went out to investigate.

Chateu Midden: non-sequitor

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:18:04 +0000

Number Two Son watched the installation of Mr John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons with me on BBC Parliament. I explained that we were watching a historical moment: I told him how the old Speaker was the first one to have been forced out and resigned for hundreds of years; and that this was the first time the Speaker had been elected in a secret ballot.

"And" I said "Mr Bercow is the first Jewish person ever to be Speaker of the House of Commons."

"Jewish" said Number Two with interest and curiosity "Is he beige?"

Menopausal Morris Musings

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:30:23 +0000

Chauffeuring Fester this morning I heard a trailer on the radio for Menopause the Musical at the Journal Tyne Theatre this week. It put me in mind of a conversation I had when Tyne Bridge Morris danced at Morpeth Gathering this spring.

Polyglot Counting

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:29:12 +0000

As I may have mentioned before, in order to morris dance you need to be able to count to at least 8 preferably 12 (see Numeracy 23/3/08). This is because certain things are done on certain beats and it looks best if everyone does these things together. Some of us, me included, spend the whole dance counting. Sometimes, especially in practices, we do it out loud which some other dancers find irritating, including Mrs Quilt ...

Letter from home - email update

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:14:41 +0000

My last blog produced this exchange of emails between my Big Sister and myself
(Middle Sister has not yet joined the information superhighway)...

Letter from home

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:34:10 +0000

Number One son's rooting around in the bookshelves this morning unearthed a letter from my Mother dated 7 May 1993: ten years and four months before she died.

I did what I used to do when she was able to write regularly and sat down and read it over breakfast. All the usual stuff was there: how the flowers were doing in the garden; who was doing what amongst our family and friends; and how "despite the lying weather forecasters we've had some really lovely days." For a few moments it was as if she was back with us again, full of character and with all her faculties intact.

It was particularly poignant because, in my mind, we lost Mother long before she died, as Alzheimer's slowly took away first her ability to write and finally her power of speech.

Chateau Midden: What's that smell?

Sat, 23 May 2009 11:42:45 +0000

Fester likes fish and one of his less savoury habits is having kippers for breakfast.
This morning Number Two Son came to me and asked "What's that smell?"
"Daddy's having kippers for breakfast" I replied.