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Page updated 05 Sep 2008 |
Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men are an all-male side based in central Sussex. We were formed in Shoreham in 1953 and were elected to the Morris Ring in 1955 - one of our founder members is still actively involved with the side! We dance mainly Cotswold, but we also have a strong North West side, with most men dancing both styles. The geographical centre of our 'territory' is Brighton and Hove but for the most part we tend to avoid the city, which is very well covered by our colleagues, Brighton Morris Men. Most of our dancing is done in pub gardens and car parks in the country towns and villages up to about 15 miles from Brighton, although we have been known to venture much further afield in search of a good pub! Our regular dancing night is Wednesday, but our programme includes the odd weekend event and a number of 'away' events, both in the UK and overseas.
We practise from 8pm - 10pm on Wednesdays from October to April at Woodmancote Parish Hall, near Henfield, West Sussex (map), usually followed by a couple of pints at the Royal Oak at Wineham. If you are interested in giving morris dancing a try, you can come along to any practice session (no strings attached!), although it's best to check with the Bagman in advance. Although turning up on a Wednesday evening doesn't commit you in any way, you might prefer to dip your toe in a bit more gently by attending a one day beginners' workshop. We usually run a couple of these each year, including one in Hurstpierpoint in September each year as part of the Hurst Festival. If this option interests you, please let the Bagman know as soon as possible. Details of workshops are posted on this website as soon as they are finalised. This year's is on Saturday 13th September from 10.30 am.
Whichever way you start, you might be surprised at what you can achieve in a reasonably short time, even if you thought you could never dance. Most men who start practice in October are able to dance in public the following summer.
Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men sometimes take private bookings, subject to the suitability of the event and the availability of sufficient men on the requested date. All enquiries should be referred to our Bagman.
If during the course of one of our performances you are confronted by our dragon, Georgian, you are strongly advised to appease his hunger by feeding him coins of the realm. He is particularly fond of the little gold ones and has even been known to swallow the Euro, which is more than can be said for the rest of us.
We don’t usually get time to take pictures, so we always welcome photos and video clips to add to our archive. Please send them to the Bagman.
Sussex boasts a fair number of morris sides, offering the opportunity to see every variation of the art. We dance with a number of other sides throughout the summer season, although it isn’t always possible to finalise details in time to include them all in our printed programme. See our programme page on this site for the latest information. For a full list with contact details and links to websites, see our Friends and Neighbours page.