Last Updated 23rd February 2001
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[In pencil] acknowledgement to Arthur Blake
Meeting at Whitley Bay 12-14th Sept. 1958
The sixty-fifth meeting of the Morris Ring was held at Whitley Bay on the week-end September 12th-14th 1958. This was the most northerly point at which such a meeting had been held. The hosts were the Monkseaton Morris Men. The following 15 clubs took part: - Beaux of London City, Bedford, Burton upon Trent, Coventry, Derwent Valley, Greensleeves, Headington Quarry, Jockey, King’s College N/C, Leeds, Monkseaton, North Skelton, Royal Earsdon, Stafford, Stockton and White Rose.
On Friday evening a preliminary 35 minute show was given outside the Victoria Hotel by the Monkseaton, Headington Quarry and Greensleeves sides. Later on, in addition to the usual Morris Ale held at the Hartley T.A. Camp which formed the headquarters for the Meeting, there were two successful tours of working men’s clubs by the Rapper teams. Eventually the dancing subsided and men returned to their familiar surroundings of the army camp. The accommodation was excellent for the purpose, but those expecting to find bedside-lamps were disappointed.
After breakfast on Saturday the six tours made an early departure by car or coach under the aegis of local guides: -
[p123 - Souvenir Programme - Whitley Bay Ring Meeting]
[In Pencil] Sept 1959. Turbulent lot these Derwent Valley Men. I am informed (at Ludlow) at Whitley bay they broke a strict Sth.Shields - Nth. Shields Ferry bye-lawThat there should not be dancing on the ferry. However they did a lovely rapper in front of Curry's windows in Ludlow. E.J.R.
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Tour A: Headington Quarry & Monkseaton danced at Gosforth, Alnwick, Alnmouth, Warkworth, Amble & Ashington.
Tour B: Stockton & Coventry danced at Blyth, Bedlington, Morpeth, Rothbury, Cambo & Gosforth.
Tour C: Jockey & Stafford danced at Newcastle, Corbridge, Hexham, Stamfordham, Belsay & Ponteland.
Tour D: Bedford, Beaux of London City & White Rose danced at Blaydon, Stocksfield, Blanchland, Hexham, Corbridge, Walbottle & Newcastle.
Tour E: Derwent Valley, Burton upon Trent & Greensleeves danced at Tynemouth, Swalwell, Consett, Stanley, Chester-le-Street & Sunderland.
Tour F: King’s College, Leeds & North Skelton danced at Durham, Brancepeth, Crook, Stanhope, Edmundbyers & Newcastle.
In the course of the tours Monkseaton and Headington danced on the beach at Alnmouth, a hooden horse was referred to by a member of the public as a kangaroo, and Derwent Valley confounded an obstructive entertainment official by asking for his credentials. Two tours paid profitable visits to local agricultural shows. Lunches had been arranged at various hostelries.
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After tea, which like all meals except Saturday lunch was at Hartley Camp, the gathering transported it self to Whitley Bay, where a section of main road was closed off by an order in Council under the "Town Police Clauses Act, 1847, section 21" to enable uninterrupted dancing to take place to a large and appreciative audience. Individual teams showed their dances, massed dances being interspersed; and special mention must be made of the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers (dancing the Willow Tree), the Royal Earsdon Sword Dancers, & the North Skelton White Rose Sward Dancers. After a quick drink (if lucky) the clubs returned to the camp for the Feast at which 120 men were present
Guest at the Feast included the Deputy Mayor of Whitley Bay (Councillor Weir), the vicar of St. Paul’s (the Rev. Henwood) & the Commandant of Hartley Camp (Capt. Leach). After an excellent meal toast were proposed to the Queen and the Immortal Memory of Cecil Sharp. Then followed a duet on the Northumbrian small pipes by Forster Charlton and Colin Caisley of the Northumbrian pipers society. After an encore the retiring Squire Bill Cassie, announced that several car owners had
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been booked for parking offences during the evening dancing in Whitley Bay. A high local official had, however, intervened on their behalf, and if the drivers concerned reported to the police the next morning, it is possible nothing more would be said. He mentioned the progress of the Alec Hunter Memorial Fund and booklet and showed a sample of the latter; and he extended a particular welcome to George Osborn and Jimmy McKay of Earsdon, and Fred Foster of High Spen.
Fred Hamer next proposed the toast of Whitley Bay and the Monkseaton Morris Men. He thanked the town for its generous co-operation and hospitality and instanced the closing of a section of main road for the massed dancing. He also congratulated them on their recent acquisition of borough status. Fred then commended the Monkseaton Morrismen for their initiative in approaching Whitley Bay and pointed out that this was the first time that a full-scale Meeting had been organised by a club not yet in the Morris Ring. He commentated particularly on their success in finding the amount of co-operation that they had and suggested that a particular vote of thanks be recorded to the ladies that served diligently & voluntarily throughout
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the weekend, all of whom were members of the Monkseaton or Newcastle Folk Dance Groups.
Councillor Weir replied on behalf of the Borough of Whitley Bay. He apologised for the absence of the Mayor, who was a attending another function. He welcomed the Morris Ring to this healthy spot and hoped they would come again in the future. Alan Brown, for the Monkseaton Morrismen, observed that Whitley Bay had now been placed on the map for members on the Ring, and between anecdotes delivered in a strange tongue he too hoped, that the Morris Ring would return soon to the land of living tradition of rant and rapper.
Bill Cassie thanked the Monkseaton Men and other local clubs and expressed his gratitude at being able to complete his term of office at a northern Ring Meeting. He thanked particularly Jim Phillips and the Headington Quarry team for travelling such a distance, especially after being at Colchester the previous week, this allowing the handing over of office to take place on his own territory. During his period of office he had tried to visit as many clubs as possible. Morris dancers were increasing in
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numbers, and to help overcome the difficulties arising from this rapid growth, instructional meetings had been introduced by the Ring, and had met with considerable success. The principal dangers lay in the telescoping of traditions and the lack of attention to detail. Plans were now afoot to hold an instructional week-end for club instructors, as distinct from complete teams, the idea being to offer assistance in overcoming difficulties rather try and impose a standardised method of dancing. Meetings of the Morris Ring in1959 would be held at Thaxted and Exeter, Headington and Ludlow. The meeting at Headington would commemorate the 60th anniversary of the meeting of Cecil Sharp and Bill Kimber. In 1960 meetings were planed at Birmingham, Thaxted and Reigate. Bill Cassie presented the Squire’s staff and Badge of Office to the new Squire, and in proposing his health wished him every fortune in that office.
In reply, Jim Phillips thanked Bill for the way in which he had done his job in the last two years, and said that he hoped to keep up the tradition of previous Squires. He expressed his pleasure at being able to attend this meeting, and congratulated the northern
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clubs on their standard of dancing.
He them presented a staff to John Whitley of the North Skelton White Rose Sword Dancers who had recently been admitted to association in the Ring.
Alan Brown then presented Jim Phillips with a 3-feet long stick of Whitley Bay rock in red & white spiral stripes, and Bill Cassie with a 4-foot long crutch, also of rock.
Telegrams were read from the Colchester Morris Men and from Kenneth Loveless, thanking the retiring Squire and conveying good wishes to the new one. The feast was concluded with songs from George Osborn, Jim Phillips, Fred Hamer & others.
Unable to resist the bright lights of Whitley Bay, several teams returned to the sea front and performed with rather more energy then precision before retiring to bed.
After the clubs Representatives Meeting on Sunday morning, men were transported into Whitley Bay, and a procession wound its way to St Paul’s Church, where the service was conducted by the Rev. Henwood. Afterwards teams danced on the promenade. This show was enlivened by a Scots pipe band who passed the Jockey pitch with silent instrument and down cast eyes,
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but struck up immediately after and drowned all our musicians over a quarter of a mile of promenade. Lunch marked the close of a very successful and very enjoyable meeting during which 500 pints of beer and 48 flagons of cider were consumed. The Bag (including sale of programmes) amounted £140.
[Signed]
J Phillips
26.9.59
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