Category Archives: dancing

Day of Dance

4 Replies


Mr Hemmings Traditional Abingdon Morris Dancers hosted the Day of Dance in Abingdon Town Centre today. Performing with them were several groups:

* Tæppa’s Tump, a Ladies North West Morris side, from the Maidenhead area

* Mason’s Apron Morris from Long Hanborough

* Bampton Morris Dancers.

* Summertown Morris.

* Ashnah Tribal Dance from the exotic part of Abingdon

Dancing started at 11:00 at the Broad Face pub and then moved to the market square and the Punch Bowl. It was planned to finish at the Brewery Tap pub at around 3:15.

Announcing The Election of the Mayor of Ock Street

1 Reply


The election of the Mayor of Ock Street will take place on Saturday 18th June 2022. Following recent tradition, there is a lego display in the curved corner window of Fatface. The new 2022 model shows the Abbey Archway, St Nicolas Church, and The Guildhall, with a water fountain.

The Abingdon Traditional Morris dancers will process into town at around 11:15 to dance outside the Black Swan, Station Yard, Abbey Gateway and the Market Place before lunch.

Afternoon dance locations include Long Alley Almshouses, Coopers Lane, and Brewery Tap. At around 16:15, the election of the Mayor of Ock Street will be announced, followed by the chairing and dancing.

This is the first election in three years. The candidates will be the current Mayor of Ock Street, Harry Knight, and the contender, Richard Grimsdale-Yates. The contest will be officiated by the Mayor of Abingdon (left above), and the new President of Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers, Stuart Jackson (centre above).

I am sorry to say I have a family wedding so will miss this all-important event. Hopefully, somebody will let me use their pictures. I have written a poem for the occasion.

Morris Dancing

Thought it was a Moorish dance brought back from the crusades?
Thought it was like the Basque dances of Luzaide?
Thought it was like the Romanian Călușari dance?
Thought it was Terry Pratchett’s made-up dance?
Think again!

This is England,
Good old England.
This is Oxfordshire.
Good old Abingdon.
This is Mayor’s Day.
This is Abingdon Traditional Morris
Dancing the Princess Royale.

Old mother Harvey
Old George Hunt
Went to Nuneham in a Punt
Lost the pole and away they wunt
and they never got to Nuneham.

Lifting arms together
line dancing
cross dancing
cross ribboned
Abingdon crested
white trousered
white shirted
fabulous flowers
in their hats.

Lifting legs together
ring-a-ling a-ling
lifting arms together
hankies flowing
throwing grain together
making the harvest grow
higher and higher
pure nature
loving dance.

The dance goes on

Leave a reply


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

1 Reply


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.