Midgebite Ceilidh Band in action, Saturday 2nd March

It's always great fun to play with Midgebites: the band has fun - therefore the audience has fun....and the whole thing escalates until we reach critical mass..

What's not to like?

This was Saturday's ceilidh in Stretford, a young lady's birthday celebration.

L>R: Bill, Brian, Emma, JW, JJ

I let a young lady member of our audience take a few photos with my Lumix TZ70....she did a far better job than I could have.

 

The band in action (inaction?)

All very great fun - I can't wait for the next one!

Dancing up the Mayday sun, Tuesday 1st May 2018

Windgather Rocks
The fine folk of Powderkegs like to rise early on Mayday morning in order to dance up the sun on their local top, Windgather Rocks. At 416m it’s not a towering peak but it’s a nicely dramatic crag. It’s famous for rock climbing, good views (when it doen’t rain), easy access, and er, Mayday morning morris dancing.

Windgather Rocks

UK Climbing describe to top as crag being amply provided with square-cut jugs and picnic spots. Well, I’m not sure about square-cut jugs but the top certainly offers nice flat bits for picnics. And dancing.
Rather than get up at stupid o’clock in the morning to drive over in good time for the 5.36am sunrise I chucked some gear into my pack and set up camp on the top last night.
This was my second Powderkegs Mayday morning – last year I was joined by Rob – we camped. This year it was only Rob who showed up – he drove over in the morning rather than camp. Rob does photography rather well. He’s a pretty decent musician too. And a good dance-caller. He’s also a really nice guy….but don’t tell him I said so, it might go to his head.



An hour or so of not very fruitful night-time photography preceded a hot cuppa and a snuggle-down around 1am.
4 hours later my alarm jangled me awake and in time for caffeine followed by caffeine.

Dancers were already arriving – the sun waits for no man. Or woman. Or dog for that matter.

I took some photographs, chatted, sang a song, ate a sausage butty and then went home, getting back around 7.15am.
It was good.

Thanks Powderkegs, you’re a great bunch - you actually get out there and DO IT! And you gave me a great excuse to get out in the tent last night
Oh, and thanks for the lovely sausage butties!
Lots more photographs are here.
Rob’s far better photographs may well be here…I hope.
And a video c/o, and I never thought I’d say that, The Daily Mail

21st January 2017, Fundraising for Syria Relief

Marmalade in action, raising funds for Syria Relief - we helped raise around £2000 last night, playing a ceilidh at St Peter’s Assembly Rooms in Hale.

 

The event was very well supported, in fact it was a sell-out.

Photograph by Brian, our very excellent caller for the evening.

31st December 2014, New Year’s Eve in Mobberley

Edited: New photographs added*

The Plan was to put a New Year’s Eve Ceilidh together for 2013 but it was left far too late for A Plan to be formulated and implemented. The organising of an event like this doesn’t happen overnight, but in 2014 it DID happen:
A lot of work went into making this happen. It took me a couple of days to recover from playing all evening, but it was a huge success. There’ll be one in 2015 – the hall has already been hired.

 Just part of the band: L>R:  Marian, The Snowman, John McN, me

Karen, one of our drummers

Rob – a very fine caller

A very enthusiastic audience danced the night away until midnight when proceeding were halted for The Big Ben Bongs…..then the dancing started all over again.

Gill, busy calling the dances in fine style

And being as wot it was a Bollin Morris event it would be rude not to include a photograph or two of the side in action at stupid o’clock that evening….or was it the morning?

All the photographs were taken by Rob or his very tolerant wife, Mrs Rob. Rob was a busy lad that night. When he wasn’t calling dances he was either playing his box in the band, taking photographs, or somehow managing to spend some fleeting moments with Mrs Rob. We apologise loads to Mrs Rob for keeping her husband from her for most of the evening – but he did a splendid job!
We had a brill evening.

*the added photographs were taken by Paul Middlehurst

Saturday 7th September, Thelwall

Thelwall Morris are a fine bunch of lads, always up for a bit of fun and a leap around. Every year they invite a few Morris sides to Warrington to join in the fun and leaping around. This year was my first Thelwall Day of Dance – and what a cracking day out it was. A bus was commandeered hired for the day which provided transport around the various venues. This was a good plan….most of these venues seemed to provide lots of rather good beer.
Just some pics from the day….and more pics here.

 

  A grand day out Grommit!

11th August, Last week was the week that was…

Just some pics:

Flahs:

Shame about the focus on this one

Oh dear x2:

A fine example of a flying kettle, aka Suzuki GT750 2 stroke triple:

I’m fairly certain that’s a non-standard seat

Lymm Rushbearing:

(Anyone spot the Long Suffering Rick?)

Lymm Morris

Marmalade in Manchester:

And in my spare time…

25th May 2013, Bollin Morris @ Great Budworth