Joining Aldbury Morris Men
Are you looking for a new activity that will keep you fit, is a lot of fun, and is very sociable?
Then you should join Aldbury Morris Men - we always welcome new members.
Click here to send an email to bagman@aldburymorris.co.uk - 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)
Remember: 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; and you will be keeping an excellent , eccentric English folk tradition alive - (and that's the end of the serious bit.)
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 "I'll buy you a drink - 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!
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 cider drinkers.
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!
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