September 22nd 2021 will see Wesminster Morris commence practices in our new venue. It’s a short stagger from a nice Fullers pub and from Paddington station.

Here’s what Richard (our baggy bagman) has to say about it…

Our new practice venue will be in the church hall at St Johns Church, 18 Hyde Park Crescent, Tyburnia, London W2 2QD, starting on September 22nd, 8.00pm to 10.00pm.  The hall is on the left-hand side of the church, at the back.

A Fuller’s pub is nearby, the Victoria on the corner of Sussex Place and Strathearn Place, I suggest that early arrivals could meet there.

There are several options for getting there:

Central line: Lancaster Gate and Marble Arch are the same distance from the church, but Lancaster Gate is closer to the Victoria, about 300m along Stanhope Terrace.

From Victoria it’s probably quickest to get the Circle/District line to Paddington.  Take the exit signposted to Praed Street, turn right along Praed Street, and right along London Street.  Ignore the Sussex Arms, it doesn’t have any cask beer.  Continue along London Street/Sussex Place and see the Victoria straight ahead, or turn left along Gloucester Square to the church.  It’s about 400m from Paddington station to the Victoria, 300m from there to the church.

If you’re coming along the Circle/Hammersmith & City line from King’s Cross, either walk from Edgware Road station (700m to the church) or change to the Circle/District line to Paddington.  This is because the Hammersmith & City platform at Paddington is much further North and you have to walk miles around the building site to get to Praed Street (guess how I know that!).

From Victoria station to Napier Hall was about 950m, so most of us have less far to walk

(This article is also available in PDF form – click to download)

Here is the day’s dancing programme for this year’s Westminster Day of Dance – which takes place this year on Saturday May the 10th.  London will come alive with the traditional English dance: this year demonstrating the rhythmic clog dancing of the North West, the East Anglian form known as Molly Dancing, and of course the traditional Cotswold Morris.

We’ve got a couple of interesting new spots, as well as some of our old favourites.  And once again we’re delighted to be joined by some of our friends from around the UK, and this time even further afield!

Come on down – we’d love to see you!

It’s an age-old story – you’re out at a pub one summer evening when your evening is unexpectedly enhanced by the appearance of a set of morris dancers, and you say to yourself, “I’d really like to give that a try – it looks like fun!”.  Well, the excellent news is that it is, and YOU CAN!

On Wednesday October 9th will be holding an open practice session, and anyone who wants to come along & learn a dance will be welcome.

We’ll be going through the basics of the structure & form, learning about key differences between different Cotswold village dance Traditions, some warming up techniques (note: the pictured method is not recommended) and then learning the “figure” and “chorus” moves of a couple of the dances – the end goal is that by the end of the evening you’ll have learned one or two (depending on time, progress, and how distracted we get talking nonsense) complete morris dances.

We’ll provide the hankies, sticks, and traditional music for the evening.  You don’t need to bring anything other than enthusiasm.  No experience necessary*.

Please send Lewis, our Bagman, an email on newbagman@westminstermorris.org if you’d like to attend, or have any questions.

7:45pm until 10pm, Napier Hall, 1 Hide Place, Westminster, London, SW1P 4NJ.  Closest tube stations Pimlico (Victoria Line) & St James’s Park (District/Circle Line).

* that’s experience of morris dancing, not experience of being enthusiastic.

We’re very proud to be celebrating the team’s 60th anniversary this year – it’s widely known that Westminster first danced out in public on the Queen’s Coronation Day (which also makes it a lot easier to remember significant milestones). One of the celebrations therefore was to hold a grand dinner of team members past and present, partners, and our dear friends from both within and without of the morris.

Saturday night saw a Who’s Who of Westminster descend on Brown’s Brasserie in Old Jewry – a building once housing the London branch of Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, itself well-known for its distinctive yellow and black livery.

People came from far afield to join the evening of conviviality and reminiscence – guests from all corners of England, plus a few who’d made the considerably longer hauls in from Guernsey and New Zealand! And of course the locals made an appearance (although the Westminster men are spread further afield than you might think – from Cambridgeshire to Wales, Petersfield, and The Cotswolds!). There was plenty of mingling over the champagne reception with people catching up with their comrades not seen in years, and also newer members being introduced to their terpsichorean forebears, and finally putting faces to names spoken of in team folklore.

As the dinner bell was rung, 60 years of morris history made its way (slowly) up the staircase to enjoy a delightful 3 course meal – accompanied by toasts and speeches as befits such a moment. Daniel Fox of the Thaxted Morris Men delivered a fine piece in tribute to theme of Westminster. A Westminster man of old, Angus Morris-Coole responded with quite an epic tribute to our friends and guests (we were delighted and honoured to be joined by representatives from Chester City, Monkseaton, Headington Quarry, Thaxted, Moulton, Martlets, Winchester, Greensleeves and Etcetera Morris Men), including those present and absent – notably the rural Dean of Hackney, Father Kenneth Loveless. Robin Ainley passed on a message in absentia from our immediate outgoing Squire, his son Rupert: recently relocated to Nanjing and unable to join us.

With the formalities concluded and every belly in the house satisfied, we repaired downstairs for further catching up and merriment as Mitch Hursey and Brian Jackson deftly wielded their accordion and fiddle.

And as the magic hour approached and people slowly bundled into taxis to return to the various corners from whence they came, a certain unicorn was seen reclining in a corner – with a little smile playing over its face.

A big thanks to all who attended, and also who helped organise this grand feast (and grand feat!) – especially to the evening’s chief architect, Mike WIlson-Jones.