Topic: Ian Hislop's Olden Days (Read 8529 times)

Ollie · « **on:** April 23, 2014, 03:12:33 AM »

Tonight's episode of Ian Hislop's Olden Days has a feature on Morris dancing during WWI. The more observant amongst you might recognise the grumpy melodeon player...

BBC2, 9pm, or catch it on iPlayer.

pikey · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2014, 09:26:08 AM »

And Ebor Morrisman Crispin Walker too !

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2014, 12:46:46 PM »

Thanks for the head's up. Look forward to it!

Ollie - surely you weren't around for WW1 or was this a previous incarnation?

Ada · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2014, 01:17:06 PM »

We (Chingford Morrismen) were approached to do this, but they'd already found somebody by the time we agreed - chiz chiz,boo hoo etc

Thrupenny Bit · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2014, 10:10:13 PM »

Well, I really enjoyed the episode, I thought it was the best of the three.
Great to watch Ollie plus several of our young 'uns, now venturing forth.
I thought the morris input was really good, and the factual stuff about Sharp and Deakin ( I think twas her ) fascinating. I didn't know the extent of using dancing to revive shell shocked troops. Plus a couple of old archive of dancers..... all in all a positive use/spin on dancing for a great change.
..... plus a snatch of some brilliant box playing too, obviously

Q

Malcolm · « **Reply #5 on:** April 24, 2014, 06:05:14 AM »

If I'd only known Ollie, I would have asked for your autograph on Friday night!

Ellisteph · « **Reply #6 on:** April 24, 2014, 07:28:17 AM »

And good to see Vic Gammon featured too!

Chris Ryall · « **Reply #7 on:** April 24, 2014, 10:01:31 AM »

He was around for WW1!

… I'd always suspected that Ollie was older

than he looked.
Anyways, great little programme, and well played by both

pbsalt · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2014, 03:10:48 PM »

I enjoyed it too . Hadn't heard of of using dancing to revive shell shocked troops or that WWI resulted in a revival of morris - I thought that the First World War resulted in the end of many Morris dance sides ( that's what I remember from a long ago feature on Folk on 2 in Jim Lloyds day which I think was called Sticks & Bells) . Can anyone enlighten me on this.
Paul

Andy Next Tune · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2014, 03:43:09 PM »

There's more about Daisy Dakin at http://www.ju90.co.uk/ctfolk/ctfolk6.htm

Someone posted it on FB earlier.

I think WW1 did result in the demise of many morris teams. The proposal in the programme was that it was the work of Sharp, Dakin and others that built a renewed interest in folk/morris/dance/tunes/singing/etc after the war, leading to the morris revival, founding of the Morris Ring etc.

Andy

Nick Collis Bird · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2014, 03:54:16 PM »

It's correct. WW1 did wipe out many Morris teams. This was in the days when Regiments were formed from complete villages. Loose a battle,you have then lost all the eligible youth of several towns/ villages all at once. After that dreadful war, the practice was ended.

nigelr · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2014, 04:02:18 PM »

Quote from: Nick Collis Bird on April 25, 2014, 03:54:16 PM

It's correct. WW1 did wipe out many Morris teams.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, I recommend Tim Plester's documentary 'Way of the Morris', which is based around Adderbury Morris being nearly wiped out by WW1.

pikey · « **Reply #12 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:25:04 PM »

Plus of course many teams were struggling and going out of existence before WWI started. The war just helped to kill off the traditional teams.

The Travelling Morrice ( I think that's the spelling they used), formed from keen university types and Sharps friends, danced and collected in the Cotswolds before the war. Sadly some of them perished in the war to end all wars. I'm sure George Butterworth was one of them, the famous composer, and also Reginald Tiddy.

Here's a great clip of Butterworth dancing, plus the Karpeles sisters and Sharp.
http://youtu.be/tI5qxjWutrs

Update: a two more of Sharps original team also died at the Somme, Percival Lucas and George Wilkinson.

911377brian · « **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:39:04 PM »

Pikey, don't know why but that clip made me feel quite emotional ....side effect of getting old I guess...

EastAnglianTed · « **Reply #14 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:40:28 PM »

Lovely job Ollie! And you were on the BBC Iplayer front page too

pikey · « **Reply #15 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:41:07 PM »

Me to, It is an amazing look back into the past, before the Great War. The dance style has to be the closest you will get to the traditional dancers.

pikey · « **Reply #16 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:42:14 PM »

Was that Owen in the photo in the Radio Times, with Mr. Hislop?

Ollie · « **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:45:58 PM »

Quote from: pikey on April 25, 2014, 05:25:04 PM

Plus of course many teams were struggling and going out of existence before WWI started. The war just helped to kill off the traditional teams.

The Travelling Morrice ( I think that's the spelling they used), formed from keen university students, danced and collected in the Cotswolds before the war. Sadly some of them perished in the war to end all wars. I'm sure George Butterworth was one of them, the famous composer, and also Reginald Tiddy.

Here's a great clip of Butterworth dancing, plus the Karpeles sisters and Sharp.
http://youtu.be/tI5qxjWutrs

The Travelling Morrice formed in 1924, and the last show (at Adderbury) of the first tour coincided with the death of Sharp. Butterworth was never a member of the TM, but people such as Arthur Peck, Kenworthy Schofield, Cyril Papworth and Russell Wortley were members, as, er, am I.

pikey · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2014, 05:49:43 PM »

Ta, my memory isn't what it used to be

they were Sharps original display team, decimated by the war.

Ollie · « **Reply #19 on:** April 25, 2014, 07:48:52 PM »

Who, the people in the video, or the TM. As far as I know, the Travelling Morrice never met Sharp.

News:

Author Topic: Ian Hislop's Olden Days (Read 8529 times)