Where have you been?

Hi everyone. At last I have found the password to get into the site, so hopefully the sound of silence will be replaced by digital chat. And that is something we are all getting used to in this strange time of social distancing, isolating and lock-down in an effort to aid the fight against the Cv19 Corona virus.
And on a serious note note I’d like to offer our sympathy and condolences to all those Morris sides out there who have lost members due to the effects of the virus, and also to all those of you reading this blog who have also lost loved ones.
As we have been absent for a couple of years now, I’ll try to post a few photos of what we’ve been up to but not go into further detail. For those of you on Facebook you can check out our page, https://www.facebook.com/LassingtonOakMM/ to see more info and pictures from the missing period.

But what are we doing now?

Well, we had another great evening Wassailing in early January at Eric Freeman’s farm. That is a now well established fixture in our calendar, and as always, was very well attended with a wonderful atmosphere.

Practice continued at Highnam Old School with two new members starting, Haydn and Micky who joined our other new member Harry who started last September 2019. Things were going well……. until the virus struck and we suspended practices in mid-March.

But how to keep dance ready and train you may ask. Well our ever intrepid Foreman, Tom Brown, created a set of videos on basic stepping in Fieldtown and Adderbury, and also on the moves and choruses for the dances in those traditions. We shared them on our WhatsApp group and on recent evidence the new members have certainly be using them. Well done lads.

The first big event was to have been May weekend with the traditional dancing up the sun on the summit of May Hill at dawn on May Day and then a trip to the Upton-on-Severn Folk Festival over the weekend. Sadly the folk festival has been cancelled this year and so was the dancing on May Hill. But we didn’t want to let May Day go pass unmarked.

But what to do? A zoom meeting at 5.30 am with all of us dancing to the vagaries of the internet delays of the musician? not great. So instead Tom came up with the Shepherds Hey jig, which he recorded and posted on the WhatsApp group. We learnt it and performed it at home, sending in a recording of us dancing. Tom then created the montage of dancers which we published May Day morning.

But Tom being Tom, he was worried it wouldn’t come together in time so created the alternative movie of us dancing on May Hill using lego figures. And that has gone down a storm, so thank you everyone.

And as for the future, we’ll keep practising at home, and as soon as is allowable, we’ll be back out dancing and singing for you, our wonderful audience.

Lassington Oak at War – 2015

1. Armed with our bag of trusty sticks we assembled at Morris o’clock at Prestbury Park Station. Ready to travel back in time we inspected the transportation.

2. Being satisfied the train was sound Ed changed hats and transformed from Bagman to Ticket-man and handed out tickets and Identity Cards (just in case we forgot who we were!).

3. The trouble kicked off when someone mentioned something about Old Bill to Bill the Foreman.

4. Having sorted out the differences between Bill and Old Bill we arrived at Gotherinton Station where we entertained the troops, nurses and general public with a display of our fantastical topiary (or should that be terpsichore!).

5. Having eaten the cheese and pickle sandwiches and drunk all of the water we were feeling tired and thirsty after all of the dancing. We were told by a trustworthy looking man that food and ale could be found at Toddington station. So off we went for lunch (and a spot more dancing).

6. Arriving in Winchcombe our dancing was interrupted by an air-raid (after all there is a war on!). Being good citizens we raced to the nearest hostelry for shelter.

7. Having been revitalised with refreshing and magical brews from the Harvest Home, we danced all the way back to Winchombe station.

8. Having returned to Winchcombe station it was all a bit too much for some of our younger dancers……

9. Having danced some more and managing NOT to fall off the platform, some of the old folk took a rest whilst waiting for the next train back to Cheltenham.

10. Finding the buffet car on the train was great fun. Food, ale and some music – as is the Lassington way 🙂

11. Once back at Cheltenham station some of the side were pure overcome by exhaustion.

12. So, it was with a fond farewll we left the the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway to their Wartime in the Cotswolds and headed wearily back into the 21st century. Thanks to all who took part.