Welcome to our new Blog, and thanks to David the Bagman for setting all this up.
The Plough Sunday church service, and the most excellent meal are now over. Despite my view that all these traditional rituals are complete nonsense, they have a certain charm, and were very enjoyable to be part of. Now is the time for Bathampton to move forwards. We have some great active dancers and musicians who make this side function week in and week out, and it is around these that we will grow!
If only you could have been at our informal party in the evening of Squiremaking Day, you would have seen how this can happen. We are lucky in having the legendary Tuckers Grave Inn on our doorstep, and ten of us were joined by four from White Horse Morris (a mixed Cotswold and Border Morris side), and the Bounds of Selwood (an exciting new all-female Cotswold side from Frome). The energy was amazing! Five of our ten – Andy, Gavin, James, Martin and Steve, were joined by Gwen, Helen, Jemima, Julie and Phil and others to take part in dances that have just not been possible for Bathampton over recent years. If our revered founder, Mrs Oakey, had been there, she would have been well proud.
It is my view that Bathampton Morris, as it moves forward, must start to admit women as dancers and musicians. The process is uncertain and bumpy – the groans from a few surviving traditonalists are understandable – but that is the journey I hope we will embark upon.
Thom