Category Archives: dancing

The dance goes on

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Ray’s father danced with the Abingdon Morris Dancers from 1934. Ray used to come along with his dad, age 6 or 7, and later joined in the dance. Ray has been involved with the Kennet Morris Men for a lot of his life, and has recently joined the Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers and plays in their band.

This evening Mr Hemmings Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, and their band, were performing at the Broad Face and The Punchbowl.

They were joined by Ashnah.

The evening ended with an invitation for everybody to join in.

June Funfair and Morris Dancers on Ock Street

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Along Ock Street are posters for a funfair at Ladygrove Meadow, beside the River Ock. NHS Staff with IDs can ride for free.

Abingdon once boasted seven fairs. The Michaelmas Fair is still very large and successful. There was also a Ock Street Fair in June. And the Funfair says ‘glad to be back’. I am not sure it is the same one.

A sign at the fairground entrance lists the Covid-19 rules and regulations.

The Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers were dancing outside the Brewery Tap, off Ock Street, at around 3 pm.

Mr Harry Knight was made the mock mayor of Ock Street for next year without the usual election – because of Covid-19 rules and regulations.

Also present was Roger Cox, a previous mock mayor of several years. He now prefers to carry the real mantle of power – a pig’s bladder. He is officially called the fool. In Shakespeare, fools are clever commoners that use their wits to outdo Lords and Kings. In Abingdon, fools are clever commoners who use their wit and pigs bladder to drive Morris Dancers.

The horns are taken from a black ox, roasted on the Bury in Abingdon in the year 1700. An argument broke out between the men of Ock Street and the men of The Vineyard over the ownership of the horns. The horns were wrestled over the Ock Street finishing line after a determined battle between the men of both streets. The Ock Street men got to keep the horns and are still showing them off over three hundred years later.

Mayor of Ock Street – update

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The window of Fatface in Abingdon is being much admired because of a Lego model of the Abingdon County Hall with Lego Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers – modelled by Anthony Walker.

Saturday 19th June should have been the annual election of the Mayor of Ock Street (and leader of the Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers) but this year the Mayor, Harry Knight, will remain in post because of the pandemic and its variants.

There will still be dancing in Ock Street on 19th June. But only lucky people will see it as the schedule is not being publicised.

Lockdown easing has been moved back from 21st June until 19th July because of the Delta variant.

This morning the skies were blue with vapor trails. By the afternoon any vapor trails were lost in cloud.

Open Day at Downland Dance with Free Ballet Class

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Thankyou to Adrian for this ..
Start Ballet
Have you or your little ones ever wanted to be a Ballet Dancer? Downland Dance are giving you the opportunity to try out a ballet class for FREE during their Open Day on Saturday 2nd November. You can sign up to events taking place during half term in Didcot or Abingdon. Sign up for classes for girls and boys aged 3 to 6 or for the Adult Beginners class (Didcot only).

For more details and to register visit www.downland-dance.co.uk/open-days or email info@downland-dance.co.uk
Start Ballet
The Abingdon dance studio is above Seeney’s Pet Shop next to Coxeter House.