About Us
Braybrooke Morris Dancers almost started by accident. Many Braybrooke villagers will recall the visit in 1988 of the town band from Vollinghausen in Germany to perform at the village fete, and the return invitation to their hosts to join them in Vollinghausen, the following year. The invitation was accepted and it was decided that Braybrooke should put on some sort of performance to entertain their hosts in Vollinghausen. Presumably because it was traditionally English it was decided that the men in the group should learn some Morris dances so those going over were coerced, sorry, encouraged, to attend a class in the Village Hall to learn a few dances, which started on Monday 6th February 1989.
The course was led by Barry Lewis, who with his brother ran a music shop in Kettering . He was well known locally for teaching Morris and folk dancing A number of people not only from Braybrooke showed interested to see what it was like.
The Braybrooke pressed men, sorry recruits, slowly began to dwindle away and by the sixth week they had all vanished. However the others continued to practice each week and a collection of £13.50 to cover the cost of hiring the village hall was handed to Geoff Pitcher making him the sides first and only Bagman as he is still Bagman today. Lloyd Smith became our first Squire and Barry Lewis was musician and leader.
Throughout the spring of 1989 we were practising ready for dancing out in the summer, either in the Village Hall or sometimes in the church, but always on Monday nights. We also had to sort out our costumes it was in the Squires workshop we all cut and riveted leather to make the bell pads which are tied below each knee.
We first danced out in public in costume as Braybrooke Morris Dancers in the evening of Wednesday 28th June 1989 in front of the Swan at Braybrooke. Nerves jangled as much as bells as no one had previous experience of doing annything like this infront of an audience. The Side’s first paid event was three days later on Saturday 1st July when they danced at Arthingworth Fete, in the grounds of Arthingworth Manor.
The side have danced at many local events in and around Mkt. Harborough over the years. Including last year at Braybrooke Village Fete
There have been a number of memorable events over the last 25 years including 1993 when we danced with a team of touring American Morris Dancers called Bells of the North and in 1994 when we went over to Holland and danced on Queens Day with the Driekusman, a team of Dutch Clog dancers.
The Side dance out on a Thursday evening from Mayday to the end of August.Practice continues through the winter months in the Village Hall.
The Side Dances in the Cotswold Tradition and is a Member of Open Morris
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING A GO PLEASE COME TO THE ‘’TASTER EVENING” WHEN ADVERTISED (USUALLY OCTOBER) OR USE THE CONTACT FORM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
The course was led by Barry Lewis, who with his brother ran a music shop in Kettering . He was well known locally for teaching Morris and folk dancing A number of people not only from Braybrooke showed interested to see what it was like.
The Braybrooke pressed men, sorry recruits, slowly began to dwindle away and by the sixth week they had all vanished. However the others continued to practice each week and a collection of £13.50 to cover the cost of hiring the village hall was handed to Geoff Pitcher making him the sides first and only Bagman as he is still Bagman today. Lloyd Smith became our first Squire and Barry Lewis was musician and leader.
Throughout the spring of 1989 we were practising ready for dancing out in the summer, either in the Village Hall or sometimes in the church, but always on Monday nights. We also had to sort out our costumes it was in the Squires workshop we all cut and riveted leather to make the bell pads which are tied below each knee.
We first danced out in public in costume as Braybrooke Morris Dancers in the evening of Wednesday 28th June 1989 in front of the Swan at Braybrooke. Nerves jangled as much as bells as no one had previous experience of doing annything like this infront of an audience. The Side’s first paid event was three days later on Saturday 1st July when they danced at Arthingworth Fete, in the grounds of Arthingworth Manor.
The side have danced at many local events in and around Mkt. Harborough over the years. Including last year at Braybrooke Village Fete
There have been a number of memorable events over the last 25 years including 1993 when we danced with a team of touring American Morris Dancers called Bells of the North and in 1994 when we went over to Holland and danced on Queens Day with the Driekusman, a team of Dutch Clog dancers.
The Side dance out on a Thursday evening from Mayday to the end of August.Practice continues through the winter months in the Village Hall.
The Side Dances in the Cotswold Tradition and is a Member of Open Morris
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING A GO PLEASE COME TO THE ‘’TASTER EVENING” WHEN ADVERTISED (USUALLY OCTOBER) OR USE THE CONTACT FORM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION