Last Updated 23rd February 2001
[p149 - Souvenir Programme - Headington Ring Meeting]
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Meeting at Headington Quarry 4-6 September 1959
The seventieth meeting of the Morris Ring, held at Headington on the weekend September 4th-6th 1959 at the invitation of the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers, celebrated both the silver jubilee of the Morris Ring and the sixtieth anniversary of the occasion when Cecil Sharp, on a visit to Headington, first saw the Morris and first met William Kimber. It is not surprising, therefore, that this meeting drew an exceptionally large number of teams, and the total number of dancers (395) in fact constituted a record, slightly exceeding the 380 present at the London Meeting in 1955. The following 39 clubs were represented: - Abingdon, Beaux of London City, Bedford, Benfleet Hoymen, Burton upon Trent, Cambridge, Chanetonbury Ring, Colchester, Coventry, East Surrey, Exeter, Foresters, Greensleves, Headington Quarry, Jockey, Kennet, Leeds, Leicester, Lichfield, London Pride, Longstraw, Malvern Swordsmen, Martlet, Monkseaton, Morley Collage, Northampton, Offley, Oxford, Oxford University, Ravensbourn, Roding Valley, St. Albans, Standon, Thames Valley, Westminster, Whitchurch, White Rose, Winchester, Woodside.
[p151]
The host clubs had gone to considerable trouble to arrange the sleeping accommodation and the dancing (apart from the tours) entirely within the bounds of Headington. The Morris Ale on the Friday evening was held in a large marquee erected in front of the Secondary Modern School, Margaret Road, which formed the headquarters for the week-end. Most of the men slept in various school boarding houses where breakfast was supplied. On Saturday morning the teams were grouped into 12 tours, six of which assembled at Margaret Rd. and six at Headington Girls School. Each had one or two Quarry dancers as guilds. The tour itineraries extended as far as Aylesbury, Banbury & Stow-on-the-Wold, and included a number of Cotswold Morris villages. After lunch on tour the men returned to Headington and assembled in Bury Knowle Park for the main display at 3p.m. Owing to the enormous number of dancers two simultaneous shows were given in the park, separated by about 150 yards. Each had a good crowd of spectators and after about ¾ hour one group made an impressive procession to join the other. This was
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witnessed from a distance by Bill Kimber sitting in Peter Lloyd’s car. After tea at Margaret School a Special Meeting of club Representatives was held, and the Feast followed in the marquee at 7 p.m. 374 men sat down to the Feast, the guests being the Mayor of Oxford (Councillor F.H. Brewer), the Vicar of Headington Quarry (Rev. R.E. Head), & his Curate (Rev. K.C. Thompson), Mr. C.E. Eason (Headmaster of Headington Secondary Modern School), Mr. C.R. Fox (a former Chief Constable of Oxfordshire, himself a Morris dancer an a friend of William Kimber’s), and one deputy Chief Constable. After a first-rate meal the loyal toast was drunk and the Squire than gave the toast of the Immortal Memory of Cecil Sharp, coupling it with the health of William Kimber.
William, who was to celebrate his 87th birthday in three days time, then rose to speak with marvellous assurance and with justifiable pride of his 25 1/2 years with Cecil Sharp ("there was never a more kindly man"). With him, and later with Douglas Kennedy, he had done his best to make Morris dancing prosper. Another friend of the Morris, he said, was Mr. Eason at whose school he has often had three sets of keen boys at one time at practice. William sat down to loud cheers & the singing of "For he’s a Jolly Good Fellow".
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Douglas Kennedy then summed up in a few well chosen words the great debt which all those present owed to this one man; and in Headington Quarry itself he has not only inspired the present day Quarry Dancers but he has earned the support of the church, the school & the Police.
The Squire next invited Geoff Metcalf to propose the toast of the Morris Ring. The growth of the Ring through the past 25 years, he said had brought its problems, particularly in the matter of maintaining a high standard of dancing. He wished to couple in the toast the health of the Squire, Jim Phillips, who understands the Morris in all its aspects. Replying Jim urged the clubs to do their best to keep up their standards. The toast of the City of Oxford was proposed by Lionel Bacon. "Old Mother Oxford", he said might take pride in being a suburb of Headington Quarry, and he expressed the Ring’s grateful thanks to the city; to the Mayor, the Education Authority, the Parks Committee & the Police. When the toast had been drunk Kenworthy picked up his pipe & tabor and played the tune "Old Mother Oxford". The mayor, replying to the
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toast, reminded the men that it was from the stone of Headington Quarry that the City had been built, and from this "emptied womb had sprung a monument which had redounded to its great credit. He complimented William Kimber, Douglas Kennedy & the Squire on their speeches. The toast of the Headington Quarry Morris Dancers was proposed by Fred Hamer. Besides thanking them on behalf of the Ring for the immense amount of work put in the organising of the Meeting, Fred expressed the gratitude of us all to the Quarry Dancers for so generously sharing with us their magnificent tradition. Charlie Jones, replying to the toast, admitted it had been a big job, but all their men had pulled their weight and what still remained to be proved was whether nearly 400 dancers could be got into the Quarry village at one time!
The squire presented staffs of association to the representatives of the White Rose Morris Men and the Malvern Swordsmen.
Explaining that the Bagman-Elect appointed last January had been compelled to withdraw owing to his removal to Glasgow, the Squire announced that Ewart Russell of the Colchester Morris Men had been elected in his place by the Club Representatives at their meeting earlier in the evening. The
[p155 - Order of Service - Headington Ring Meeting]
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retiring Bagman then handed to Ewart (or "Rusty" as he is commonly known) the Ring Collecting Box, Minute Book and Log Book, with the expression of good wishes and the hope that all club officers would do their utmost to lighten his load, especially by prompt attention to circulars & other correspondence. After a brief reply from Ewart a presentation was made from the clubs to the retiring Bagman in recognition of his work for the Morris Ring over the past nine years. This took the form of a token reel of recording tape & a cheque to be used towards recording equipment.
Alan Brown of Monkseaton then rose to convey greetings from the Sword Dancers of the North of England to the Morris Dancers of the South. Geordie Osborn, father of the Rapper Sword Dancers & 50 years leader of the Royal Earsdon team, had given him a special message for Bill Kimber; "Take my regards to the Old Man; I only wish I could shake his hand". Instead he had sent him, a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale, and another one for Jim. These were duly presented and after one or two songs the feast was concluded at 9.30 p.m.
The twelve tours were instructed to distribute themselves in Headington Quarry Village in the following way: tours G, C & K to the Crown & Thistle,
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A, E & I to the Mason’s Arms, B, F & J to the Chequers and D, H & L to the Six Bells. It is believed that most men found their proper destinations in due course, though some took considerably longer about it then others. Dancing continued, needless to say, at least till closing time (11.0 p.m.)
After breakfast on Sunday a meeting of Club Representatives was held at the school, and at 10 o’clock a procession was formed in Margaret Road headed by Arthur Kimber mounted on a somewhat nervous white horse, in accordance with a Quarry precedent of 18- for which photographic evidence exists. The service in Headington Quarry Church was an additional one laid on especially for the Ring, since the Morris Men alone completely filled the church leaving no room for the normal congregation. It was conducted by the Vicar, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Kenneth Loveless. Afterwards there was dancing in the Quarry Village in the same glorious sunshine with which the whole weekend had been mercifully blessed. The final dances were performed in front of the Mason’s Arms at 1 o’clock, and the proceedings of this most memorable
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Silver Jubilee Meeting closed with lunch at the School. The total bag (including the sale of programmes) amounted to £197-7-5.
[Signed]
Nibs Matthews
Squire
24th Sept. 1960.
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