Holt Morris

NO MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEK is complete without a jaunt down Shepton Mallet way for the “Gert Big Show”. Of course, the sun will shine, but we’ll pack the wellies just in case. We’ll be dancing late morning and early afternoon on the Village Green, followed by a visit to the amazing cider tent to check out some local produce – purely for research purposes.

FUN, FROLICS and feisty music – something for all the family with lots of bands playing at Holt Recreation Ground from early afternoon until late at night. Holt Morris will be there during the afternoon, aided and abetted by our friends from other morris sides. We’ll be dancing on the playing field in between band performances. This is a very popular and well-supported event which we love doing.

A KNEES UP in delightful Dorset – why not? We’ve enjoyed dancing at this festival every summer since the mid 1990’s. We’re really pleased that it’s been possible for the festival to continue in 2013 and so we’re planning to repeat the “Holt Morris on vacation” formula of previous years: dancing lots, drinking a wee bit, singing in the “King’s Head”, camping, barbecuing, swimming and frisbeeing in the dark. Let’s hope the sun shines this June, eh?

MIDSUMMER. A balmy evening at a slightly over policed pre-historic site, dancing with our good chums, Berkshire Bedlam. A now traditional gathering, blessed with lovely dancing from the Bedlams and marred only each year by Holt’s flawed though enthusiastic renditions of 1960’s pop gems.

As this year is so close to yer actual solstice, we can expect lots of excited people to show up: revellers, mystics, bikers, camera crews, and of course our very own boys and girls in blue, the Wiltshire Police. The latter, we hope, won’t be too excited.

THE SIDE will be performing at the festival’s opening party at Westbury Gardens, between 1 and 5pm.

NO PRACTICE this Thursday. Instead we’re dancing out at the Inn at Freshford, a pub now owned by our sponsors Box Steam Brewery.

Our traditional Boxing Day programme of dancing and singing, accompanied by Bells Angels, around the village is as follows:-

• Little Parks – 10.00am
• Firlawn - 10:45am
• Village Shop - 11:30am
• Village Green - 12:15pm
• The Tollgate - 13:00pm
• The Old Ham Tree - 13:30pm

These are approximate times and are to be noted for those who wish to join in with the festivities or indeed those who are looking for a quieter celebration of Boxing Day this year. We are pleased to have been invited to dance at The Tollgate this year after an absence of several years.