Previous engagements
Dancing Through the Years
Eynsham Morris was re-founded in 1979 and first danced on May Day 1980. We have had a full fixture list every year, up to 25 outings in a season. We have visited other sides in England most years, and hosted visiting sides in the village. Appearances at festivals such as Sidmouth have been by invitation and we have had a variety of trips abroad. This is a record of all the weekends or long weekends away in England, trips abroad, and other special events (up to date to 2024)
Weekends and long weekends away to:
- 1984, 1986 and 2004: Ravensbourne Morris, Kent
- 1985: Manley Morris, Chester
- 1987 and 1999 (‘Blessing of the Nets): Brighton
- 1988: Dartmoor Folk Festival
- 1990: Exeter Festival
- 1991, 2007, 2008 and 2018: with our old friends Winster Morris, Derbyshire (also 2012)
- 1994, 2014, 2017and 2024: Sidmouth Folk Festival
- 1994: Stroud Morris Ale
- 1994, 1997 and 2008: Sowerby Bridge Rushcart
- 1997, 2003 and 2005: Chippenham Folk Festival
- 2000: White Rose Morris, Yorkshire
- 2003: Grand Union Morris, Leicestershire
- 2003: Black Mountains weekend
- 2004: Anstey Morris, Leicester
- 2005: Bromyard Folk Festival
- 2006: Saddleworth Rush Cart
- 2007 and 2016: Shrewsbury Folk Festival
- 2009: Scarborough Morris Fayre
- 2010 and 2011: with Boggarts Breakfast, Derbyshire (dancing in The Devil’s Arse cave)
- 2012 Winster and Bacup (‘The Crown Affair’) (both on same trip)
- 2015: Whitby Folk Festival
- 2019: Broadstairs Folk Week
- 2021: Swanage Festival
- 2022: Wimborne
- 2023: Wallingford Bunkfest
- 2024: Lynton and Lynmouth
Trips abroad, and other special events:
- 1984: ‘Dancing England’ at Derby Assembly Rooms
- 1985, 1986 and 1988: three boating trips to Brittany, by yacht captained by Stan Launchbury’s cousin Sid (Morlaix and Treguier)
- 1988 and 1989: ‘Flying Morris’, Weston-on-the -Green Glider Club
- 1989: Ballerup International Music Festival, Denmark, arranged by John Darnell’s relatives, who lived there. Members stayed with Danish host families. A massive event! In the parade we improvised a banner with a Morris T-shirt on top of a broom. Robin S danced the broom dance in the middle of the shopping mall
- 1991: Cycling trip to Brittany, staying at the house owned by Rupert Boulting at Plestin-les-Greves for ‘Night of the Sausage’ festival. We broke the stage at the festival ground. Memorable visit to the owner of a house full of rusty antiques who plied us with home-made Calvados, following which some members fell off their bikes and others slept in a ditch
- 1992: (1) Cobh International Music Festival, Ireland, hosted by members of the local Irish Dance team. Temporary stage in the main square. Fun at night at the Roaring Donkey Inn (2) Hitzendorf Folk Festival, Austria. Trip to intact 15th Century Armoury (‘Zeughaus’) with complete set of weapons for an army, in the town of Graz
- 1993: Germany, a visit to local festival, resulting from the connections between the Eynsham and Witney Fire Brigade and the Feuerwehr of Ihringshausen. Members stayed with German host families who were Feuerwehr members
- 1995: (1) Second visit to the Ballerup Festival, Denmark (2) Trip to France for start of Tour de France at Lannion
- 1997: Dancing in front of the Globe Theatre, South Bank, London, at its opening
- 1998: (1) Albania: to Korce (‘Korsha’) by van, with medical supplies purchased by an appeal for funds (2) Dancing at the Globe Theatre (second appearance)
(3) Brittany: second visit to Plestin-les-Greves, for ‘Night of the Mussel’ and ‘Night of the Sausage’ - 1999 Albania: to the Art and Music School, Korce, with a consignment of musical instruments, bought from the ‘Albania Fund’
- 2001: Romania for ten days, attending 2 weekend festivals, hosted by the members of the local folk-dance team in Mediash (Transylvania). One festival took place near the top of a mountain, where the whole huge field had been scythed by hand. Memorable sight-seeing trips, including to a salt-mine, and the town of Sighisoara (connections with the Dracula story)
- 2003: Visit to BBC Television Centre to dance for Blue Peter
- 2006: Marlborough Festival, Boston, USA. Trip to New York, where all 5 sides in the city came out to dance with us
- 2007: Visit to Cecil Sharp House, London, for the presentation to Mike Heaney of the Gold Badge of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. We danced in the main hall, and saw the portrait of Feathers Russell (the foreman of the 1900s side) painted by William Nicholson, the eminent Edwardian artist. This is one of his series of at least four paintings of Eynsham Morris around Blenheim Palace – the others are held by various galleries in England and the USA
- 2023: France: trip to David Rivalin’s village in the Vendée, attending village festivals