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3rd November. Stop thinking about it and DO IT.

WESTMINSTER MORRIS – NEW DANCERS WELCOME

If you are interested in learning to dance Cotswold Morris in the distinctive Westminster style, taking exercise, having fun and a drink or two afterwards, come along to the Taster Session on 3rd November and give it a try, or any Wednesday evening this Autumn.

We are a friendly, all-inclusive, mixed team with a passion for keeping a great English tradition alive and everyone is welcome. No previous experience is required.

When and where:-
St. John’s Church Hall, 18 Hyde Park Crescent W2 2QD
8:00 to 10:00 pm each Wednesday.
Nearest stations Paddington, Edgware Road and Lancaster Gate.

Questions?
email our Bagman, Richard on newbagman@westminstermorris.org
Call our Squire, Roger on 07312111850
See our website westminstermorris.org or
https://www.facebook.com/morrisdancers/

June 26th 2021 – Not a day of dance but it’ll do

Westminster Morris have been holding our Day of Dance celebration in May for over 60 years now, and then bloody Covid came along and buggered it all up. We spent 2020 and a good part of 2021 on zoom meetings, trying to dance to music which was even more behind the beat than usual. It was not fun. Finally, we’re allowed to venture out and this is what we’ll be up to.

All times quoted are BMT (British Morris Time = BST plus or minus an unspecified amount of time depending on unspecified things such as, pubs)

Here’s the list of where we’ll be from our lovely Squire, who is being even more vague than usual.

  • 11:00 The Red Lion Crown Passage, SW1Y 6PP
    • Crown Passage is a narrow alley off Pall Mall at the Western end, opposite Marlborough Road. The nearest tube is Green Park.
  • 12:00 Waterloo Place – the top of the steps from the Duke of York Column overlooking St. James Park
    • SW1Y 5AG might help you
  • 12:45 A pub, whose name or street Roger can’t remember – either that or somewhere else for lunch.
    • So, if you don’t see us in that pub, look somewhere else
  • 13:45 St Martin’s in the field.
    • There’s a  nice terrace near to the posh entrance.
  • 14:30 The Ship and Shovell
    • 1-3 Craven passage Wc2N 5PH
  • 15:30 Adelaide Street
    • WC2N 4HZ – on the pedestrianised bit, near the Subway food substitute place.
  • 16:00 Finishing at The Harp
    • Anyone still able to stand will be here
    • WC2N 4HS
    • Either that or The Wellington (Next to the Lyceum)
      • WC2R 0HS

Come on down – we’d love to see you…. if you can find us!

In memoriam: Dr Denis Smith

Long time musician to Westminster Morris, Dr Denis Smith died in November 2017. His funeral in December was well attended but, being in Scotland, there were many more who were unable to make the trip.

Lynda has arranged a memorial service to be held in the church at Thaxted on 9th June 2018 at 2:30 and all are welcome. Please see the notice attached here and let Lynda know if you are going to attend. It will help with the catering arrangements.

Unicorns

Unicorns are a topic close to our hearts, and news this week surfaced of an exhibition in New York featuring 16th century tapestry, “The Hunt of the Unicorn”.  From the article in The Economist:

The most moving work on view is “The Unicorn in Captivity”, a tapestry from the Rockefeller series. A unicorn rests inside a wooden enclosure. Thousands of flowers cover the ground. A gold chain links his collar to the trunk of a pomegranate tree (a symbol of fertility). Red juice drips onto the unicorn’s pure white coat. The wild creature has surrendered himself to love. This is a sensual and tender image. The remaining tapestries, in a room nearby, tell a different story—about aggression, betrayal and death.

Though our Unicorn is the last left alive, people will recognise the ancestral behavioural themes: love, aggression, and resting.  Not so much on the pomegranates latterly, but a link’s a link.

Another article in The Times reminds us, for those who maybe can’t make it over to New York, that replica tapestries created by weavers for West Dean are to be found in Stirling Castle.

Further interesting Unicorn information can be found on the BBC’s Listen Again website from the “In Our Time” programme with Melvyn Bragg.