Aldbury Morris Men - 2010 Diary

How to join Aldbury Morris Men

Could you be a Morris Dancer?

Try this simple test.

Remove shoes and socks (if worn)
Look down at feet* and examine them closely in respect of which side the big toe is on. You should notice that the feet are different - almost like mirror images. One of these feet is called "left" and the other one is called "right" although in Morris it's sometimes also called "wrong". (*If you look down and see no feet, try leaning forward slightly.)
To find out which one is left, find a south-facing hillside and stand facing west - the left foot should be the downhill one.
Now try using your feet to step L-R-L-R-L etc
Now try putting in a little hop L-R-L-L-R-L-R-R etc
Then try skipping like the child inside your head L-L-R-R-L-L-R-R-L-L-R-R-L-L etc
Finally try saying "It must be my round - what are you drinking?"

If you finished the test without falling over or having a nervous breakdown, then you could well be a Morris Dancer!

Should you be a Morris Dancer?

Yes! Why? Three reasons:-

It's good for you - Morris dancing is good aerobic exercise
You will spend a lot of time laughing - and laughter is also extremely good for you
You will be keeping an excellent , eccentric English folk tradition alive - (and that's the end of the serious bit.)

Q&A

Q. Will I have to grow a beard? A. No - not everyone has a beard.

Q. Do I have to be a heavy beer drinker? A. No - most of the men do like their real ale, but we also have non-drinkers, wine drinkers and even someone who drinks lager-top!

Q. Does it cost money to belong? A. No - but see step 7 in the test above.

Q. Do I have to be a brilliant dancer? A. "Strictly Come Dancing" it ain't - but you do need a sense of rhythm in order to move your limbs in time with the music.

Q. Do I need a sense of humour and no shame? A. Yes.

Q. Do I need to be exceptionally old? A. No - we have dancers of all ages.

Q. How will I learn the dances? A. Most new dancers join in the winter and learn on Thursday nights in the privacy of Aldbury Memorial Hall with lots of help from the established dancers.

Q. Will it change my life? A. Quite possibly, yes!

Next Steps?

Drop an email to any of the men on the Contacts page - or drop by Aldbury Memorial Hall to have a look any Thursday night in winter - or try talking to any of the more coherent Aldbury men at a pub any Thursday night in Summer (see diary)