Wheatsheaf Morris Men taught Richard "Gus" Guscott Bidford, and he taught Bidford as the first three dances learnt by Spring Grove Morris Men. But who taught Gus and where did Wheatsheaf learn their Bidford? Wheatsheaf Morris Men are hard to come by these days as they stopped dancing mid-80s.
04-Sep-2012: On a Hartley Ring Meeting I met Stephen Collingwood, the squire of North Wood Morris Men. In conversation he mentioned that he started dancing with Wheatsheaf, and at the same time as Gus. He is trying to remember/contact Wheatsheaf's archivist who encyclopedian knowledge of all things Wheatsheaf might provide the answer. Steve demonstrated the Bidford vigorous style, horizontal knee, strong hankie movements; so it's changed little since Wheatsheaf passed it on.
Wheatsheaf Morris Men where established in Forest Hill, South-East London, and came out of Woodcraft Folk. There is a video in the Morris Ring's archive of Wheatsheaf dancing.
I added them to the Morris History spreadsheet that tracks the origins of side as Spring Grove's progenitor.
14-Sep-2012: To my surprise a few weeks later the following details had been added to the Morris History spreadsheet.
"They practised at the Co-op hall in Forest Hill and their symbol was a wheatsheaf. Their kit was white shirt and trousers, black socks, shoes and belt (same as Spring Grove -ed). Red and green baldricks with a golden wheatsheaf in the rosettes." (Spring Grove use yellow and green baldrics with a grove of trees and a spring in the rosettes) 16-Nov-2013: Again met Stephen Collingwood, this time dancing as one of James Denny's Ten Lords Morris, for Westfield Stratford's switching on of the Christmas lights. He recalled that the foreman who taught Wheatsheaf Bidford renounced the Morris, left to pursue a Christian fundamentalist lifestye, and to all intents and purposes disappeared. He thought it unlikely that this foreman could ever be contacted, but again undertook to put me in contact with Wheatsheaf's archivist. 7-Aug-2018: Talked with an ex-Blackheath Morris Men outside the Rugby Club while moving between music sessions. He talked of Blackheath MM's origins as the "Blackheath Foot'n'Death Men" in '69 from Goldsmiths College, and also of Wheatsheaf. He recalled that a Hammersmith Morris Man had attended a Roy Dommet workshop on Bidford, and then taught Wheatsheaf that same interpretation of Bidford. So the style inherited by Spring Grove was from Roy Dommet, now that's a good heritage.
[1] Morris Dancing, VA 30/14/1, Folk Collection, Video Archive, Essex Record Office |
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