Mystery of Morris men unwrapped

That’s what the old dancers from centuries ago would probably have said, anyway.

These days, thanks to the invention of science, rationalism and suchlike, it’s more like a fun way of keeping fit and taking part in the world’s oldest form of showbusiness.

Even putting on the uniform is enough to cheer a person up. I know that because I was allowed to.

Oh, and they’re recruiting. If you meet some pretty liberal physical requirements and don’t give a damn about what passes for ‘cool’ in this pre-packaged, standardised world, Andy and Liz Barrington want to hear from you.

“It looks terribly easy, slow and lazy until you actually start to do it,” said Andy, 64.

“One of our members joined to lose weight. You don’t have to be an athlete, though.

“If you can move, count to three and move your feet, that’s where we start from and we work up from there.”

The age and mystery of the dance are part of its appeal for enthusiasts.

“It’s the sense of history, it’s the sense of tradition,” said Andy.

“It’s just something so unusual. Everyone is into The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent and all the rest of it, and this is something completely out of left field. This is the way they used to do it decades if not hundreds of years ago.

“It grew up from the people – from the ordinary, common people of the land; the farm workers, the labourers. It’s a dance of the people which is another reason why it appeals to me.

“It’s not manufactured, it’s not artificial like you see in a lot of things on TV. It’s not made up, it’s not chrome-plated. It comes straight from the heart.

“If you don’t know your history, you don’t know who you are and you don’t know where you’re going, and the chances are you’ll be led up a blind alley.”

Andy is a retired electrician, and Liz, 65, is a former nurse and shop worker. The two have also been publicans.

In 2010 they founded the Great Bustard Morris side, which is named for the heraldic bird of Wiltshire. They use its image with the blessing of Mike Prior, designer of the county flag.

Liz handles the music. She plays the melodeon, an instrument somewhere between a concertina and an accordion, and also makes the uniforms.

The side – groups are known as sides – perform at events ranging from fetes and traditional fairs to corporate gatherings.

Andy has been involved with Morris dancing since the early 1970s, when he was a member of a Devizes side called Moonraker. Great Bustard was formed after he bumped into some Moonraker veterans.

“I met them at a country fair and they said, ‘Look, why don’t you get started again? You were okay!’ “I was smoking heavily at that time. I had a couple of dances with the Moonraker and thought, ‘Oh, my God...’ You feel every one of those 30 a day, and it was actually the Morris that caused me to give up smoking.

“Sadly in this day and age, Morris is one of those things that’s considered not cool, and there were a lot of little clubs, such as a lovely side made up of ladies at Liddington, that folded.

“That was the story of so many sides.

“I thought, ‘There are more than 100,000 people in Swindon, so there must be a dozen interested in doing this’.”

Andy, whose favourite TV programme is Time Team, cheerfully admitted: “The 21st century has gone straight over my head. I don’t understand it, I don’t fit it, I don’t get the technology, I don’t understand modern thinking.

“You could almost say I’m encapsulated in a little world of my own, but I tell you what – it’s a very nice, peaceful world.”

The side meets at Rodbourne Methodist Church in Romsey Street on Fridays at 7.30pm. Ring 07906 931973 or visit www. facebook.com/GreatBustardMorris for further information.

The history of Morris

Nobody knows quite where the dance came from. 
Some say ‘Morris’ refers to the Moorish people, the North Africans and Arabs whose culture dominated much of southern Europe from the eighth to about the 16th century. 
Others suggest the roots of Morris go back further, to the time when humans began forming settled communities. 
“The modern dance as we see it now is purely an English tradition,” Andy said. 
“For most sides, the first date of the year is May Day, to ensure good weather, fertility for the crops, things of that nature. 
“Science has caught us up, thankfully, but centuries ago we didn’t have science – we had belief, we had faith, so anything that could be done to nudge that along a little bit was very welcome.” 
Even the uniforms incorporate ancient traditions, notably the characteristic bells. 
“The idea, apparently, of bells, is that they wouldn’t have been made originally of brass – they would have been made of iron. 
“As any folklorist will tell you, evil spirits are terrified of iron. So if you make bells out of iron, then your spirits are just going to go away and leave you to a fruitful harvest. 
“And of course, they do make a nice noise...”