You will find Bampton, famous around the world for its Morris dancers, on the southern edge of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. The teams dance each late spring bank holiday Monday in streets, squares and gardens and you will find them performing from 9am until dusk in their white suits and bowler hats decorated with flowers to the accompaniment of fiddles, melodeons, accordions and the ancient pipe and tabor. Everywhere they go they are accompanied by the Fool with a bladder on a stick and the Sword Bearer. Impaled on the bearer's sword is a plum cake, pieces of which he distributes to the crowds for luck. 2009 We normally start dancing outside 'The Talbot' in Bampton (map here) at 8.30 am on Whit Monday. See you there! If you click here, you can see
photos from Whitmonday, 2008. You will get the album of photos the slideshow came from if you click here. If you click here you will see photos from this year, 2009 and the album of those photos if you click either here... or on the picture below:  Sonner Townsend Among the photographs at the link above is
one of Sonner as he watched us for the final
time last Whit Monday. Paul Smith, a dancer and musician with the
side and Barry Care, Clown, wrote about aspects
of Sonner's life. They can be read by clicking here. The Team   Picture taken by and supplied by John Maher of the Morris Ring and used on this site (tbmd.org) with his kind permission Come and join us! The Traditional Bampton Morris Dancers rarely perform outside Bampton; they are best seen in their traditional surroundings, anyway. Come and join them in their summer celebration. Bring all the family, unpack your picnic, sip a cool drink, relax - and enjoy one of England's finest traditions. The team always welcome new members, so if you live in Bampton (or close by) don’t hesitate to telephone for a chat or speak to one of the team when you see them. Morris is a wonderful way for fathers, sons and grandads to spend time together. Just ask the members! On a completely different note: Click here to see a trailer for the film Morris Dancing: A Life With Bells On. Also worth reading is an article on Morris Dancing in the Mail Online.  bampton, traditional bampton morris dancers,
whit monday, bampton, morris dance, morris
dancing, traditional, arnold woodley, jinky
wells, oxfordshire, folk, accordian, pipe
and tabor, Contact us at: mail@tbmd.org Site created by Tom Bower © 2008 morris dancing, traditional bamton morris dancers, 2009 , obama, event, events, credit crunch, twitter, bampton, whit monday, free, time, oxfordshire, may bank holiday, tradition, cotswold, cotsqolds, tourist attraction, things to do, |
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