Oxford Folk weekend – what a fine bunch! And a chip off the old (er) block!
Hogacre Wassail
If you have an apple orchard, and especially if you’re hoping to get some cider from it, then one tactic to ensuring a good harvest is to Wassail it. Briefly, this consists of alternately bribing the trees with gifts of toast dipped in cider, and frightening evil spirits with noise and ructions.
Over at Hogacre, we’ve been assisting doggedly wassailing their orchard for some years. As far as I know, none of the trees have yet to produce fruit. Obviously without our efforts things would be in an even more parlous state.
As usual, this year we did a few dances while the crowd waited for darkness to arrive.
Then in the gloaming we head over to the smallest tree in the orchard, where master of ceremonies Tim Healy explains wassailing and related customs, and leads the crowd in singing and noise.
Boxing Day at the Seacourt
As ever,. we marked the festive season with a little dance out on Boxing Day.
Amongst the spectators were our old members Ben and Emma. Who proved they could remember a dance or two – if pushed.
We did dance for quite a while, but we’ll spare you a picture of everything. Enjoy!
Wootton Fete
(More in a late catchup of events your humble script missed.)
Wooton does itself well with its annual fête. We’ve been lucky enough to be asked to dance there several times, and it’s always a fun day out.
White Horse Folk Festival
(And another late catchup on an event your scribe missed.)
The White Horse Folk Festival is a small festival in late summer. It starts with those Morris sides that can make it dancing on top of the venerable White Horse itself.
The weather was a little unpromising, but I think I recognise Icknield Way, Cornucopia and the Garston Gallopers amongst the fray.
A few pictures from the top of the hill.
Icknield 
Hankies fly 
Looking down the hill 
Rounds! 
Garston Gallopers 
A full band 
Musicians 
Cornucopia 
Garston Gallopers 
Uh-oh. Rain.
After all the fun of the top of the hill, a little lunchtime dance somewhere more sheltered.
Seacourt – no, Prince of Wales
(First in a series of late reports on events your humble scribe missed).
We were supposed to be having a quiet evening dance out by ourselves at the Seacourt, but the dreaded Covid struck. Luckily, the Prince of Wales at Shippon could host us at short notice.
I must say, it does look sunny.
At the Plough, late on in June
The Plough at Long Whittenham is another of our regular summer stops, and it was great to be back in their garden. There were a goodly number of locals there, enjoying a warm late July evening. Unusually, not many of them ran away the minute we got going.
We’d been hoping some of Towersey Morris might also turn up, but in the event we were undisturbed.
We did our usual thing – some dances followed by some tunes and songs as night fell.
In truth, we remain a bit rusty and unpractised. But after the last 18 months, we’ll settle for being rusty and unpractised but out dancing again.
An evening at the Fox with Icknield Way
In those long-forgotten ‘normal’ times, we made an annual visit to the Fox at Denchworth as guests of Icknield Way. Perhaps the world is slowly getting back to rights again.
It was a warm evening, and the garden was packed with diners. Ah-ha! A captive audience.
Icknield had brought alone their youth division. I believe it was their first public appearance. They did very well.
As ever, we finished the evening with some tunes while the light faded. What can I say? It’s nice to be back.
Summer evening at the Eight Bells in Eaton
No, we don’t restrict our outside-Botley dance outs to pubs named ‘The N Bells’. Really.
The Eight Bells at Eaton is an old favourite of ours, and while they were still restricted to largely outside activity, the weather was up to allowing us to mildly disturb those enjoying a summer evening with food and drink.
We also took a good look at the pub sign. It’s relatively new, and painted by our very own BarberaP. It looked quite magnificent in the evening light. She’s also restored the predecessor sign on which it’s based, which now hangs inside the pub.
We weren’t overflowing with dancers, and were interrupted by the arrival of spring rolls and chips that required attention, but as a way of losing a bit more of our dance rust, it was very just what we needed.
A summer evening at the Six Bells
July dawns, and with it a summer evening with our old chums Old Speckled Hen. They were feeling short of match practice, so just came to watch.
It was one of those evenings rare in an English summer, where it was not only warm but the half-promise of some rain did not materialise.
Our new recruit, Josh, has only had a limited opportunity to practice. But by heck, he’s learned quickly – and looks the part, too.
With the help of a dancer borrowed on the spot from Headington Quarry, we danced into the dusk, and finally managed to entice the assembled Hens into an impromptu dance.
When we’d all finished with a mass Bonny Green, time for tunes and songs as the sun set. Oh, summer dance outs. We’ve missed you.
