Trip 144 - Thaxted (Morris Dancing)

Friday 30th May (Day 1)

We have been to the Thaxted Morris Ring Meeting many times. The first around the year 2000 when Matt was young. That said we have not been for about ten years and so a trip is long overdue. We left home around 1015 for a ninety minute trip to Holly Oak Farm, a CL. We arrived and soon were set up in 22 degree plus heat / sunshine. A laze around until a light lunch and then a walk into the town for just a stroll about. That said The Maypole pub ‘sucked’ us in for a beer, well they had a Beer Festival this weekend. While there we were joined by some Morris Men and supporters and entertained by them playing hurdy gurdys and accordions. We were back at the motorhome around 1740 and sat in the sunshine until we cooked our evening meal. It was then a stroll back into town, arriving around 2100. We stood outside The Star watching the impromptu dancing. After a short while we returned to The Maypole which was much better. No dancing (we will get a lot of this over the next three days) but a large group with assorted and different instruments, accordions, a guitar, a flute, a mandolin and several violins. It was almost midnight when we returned to the motorhome.

Saturday 31st May (Day 2)

A busy day. A good start with a big boys breakfast. Then once sorted we rode our bikes into Thaxted to the Recreation Ground for the Dog Competition and Fayre. The main reason was that at 1100 one of the coach tours of Morris Dancers were performing. We watched them and  then listened to the Feltead Steel Band before cycling to Great Sampford (The Red Lion) where another coach tour of Morris dancers were due at 1230. The best of this group was the ladies from Saddleworth Clog and Morris team. Once we had seen them we cycled on again to our favourite village, Finchingfield and the The Fox Inn. 1430 was to be a third coach tour of Morris dancers. We sat outside the pub in scorching sunshine with a tipple. You get to see some sights. A group of men were on a pub crawl dressed as Aussie life savers. After a while we were asked to move table and we joined a couple from Dagenham who were staying in an ‘unplugged’ accommodation nearby. You park your car and had a wheelbarrow to get belongings out the place you actually stay at. A safe was used to lock your phone away. It was his birthday and he had really enjoyed the solitude from technology. By 1600 we said our goodbyes and cycled back to the site by which time we had covered 14 miles. A brief interlude sitting in the sun and then a walk into Thaxted for the evenings entertainment. Again this did not disappoint. At 1730 the main street was shut and a mass procession took place at 1745. What followed was ninety minutes of dancing, with the occasional halt to allow a bus through. A break around 1930 until it started again at 2130. The last dance was the four hundred year Abbots Horn Dance where apart from a violating it was silent as the dancers had rubber shoes on. By just after 2230 we were on our way home very tired.

Sunday 1st June (Day 3)

An interesting day.  After a simple breakfast we went into the town for the after church service morris dance in the church yard. A pleasant time in the sunshine fir about an hour or so. We had booked in for a 1345 meal and it was a bit early so a cider in The Swan. A slow walk down to The Maypole. We then had a very nice, but not fantastic, roast. A good amount of meat and great roast potatoes with seasonal veg. It was let down by the cauliflower cheese; it was dry and lacking in cheese. When we finished we went into the garden area where there was a good singer. Here we joined a couple of(soon to be four) and had a  very lively, hilarious afternoon. Such a good time that Chris exchanged mobile numbers. A ‘wibbly’ walk back to the site.

Monday 2nd June (Day 4)

A promo start and a short, uneventful drive home.