MARION SAUVEBOIS meets a Morris side keeping traditional dance alive

NOBODY seems to know quite where it came from, but one thing is for sure, Morris dancing is probably the most fun you can have while safeguarding a harvest or warding off evil spirits.

If you meet some pretty liberal physical requirements and don’t give too much thought to what passes for cool these days, Andy and Liz Barrington, of the Great Bustard Morris, 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 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, a retired electrician, and Liz, 65, a former nurse and shop worker, founded the Great Bustard Morris side in 2010.

It 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.

“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.’”

The side meets on Fridays at 7.30pm at Rodbourne Methodist Church in Romsey Street.

 Further information about Great Bustard Morris is available by calling 07906 931973 and at www.facebook.com/ GreatBustardMorris