Author Archives: Jim Hague

Cornucopia Winter Ale 2016

Monday’s not a usual evening for an ale, so it was a barely quorate Havoc – 4 dancers and 1 musician – that headed out to East Challow on Monday 21st March for what sounded like a low key Winter Ale hosted by Cornucopia Appachalatian Dance. Only a £1, snacks provided, bring your own drinks.

Our hosts, Cornucopia

In fact, it was a very jolly evening. The promised snacks turned out to be considerably more substantial that we’d expected, and I have to mention a particularly fine ginger cake.

Unusually, dancing did not stop for food, so everyone ended up doing 5 dances. Luckily, we were joined by familiar faces from Icknield, Ridgeway Clog and , plus a side new to me at least, Garston Gallopers, so we got a fair break between dances.

With only four dancers, we had to adapt our dances down from the usual 6 or 8. In most cases this was straightforward, but a reduced Vandals of Hammerwich did require a careful run-through of the hay with coins on the table before we tried it. And, slightly surprisingly for all, it worked first time.

There being nobody spare from Havoc to hold a camera, you’ll just have make do with pictures of the other sides.

Ridgeway Clog at the Cornucopia Ale

Garston Gallopers

Masons Apron at the Cornucopia Ale

Vale Islanders Ale

Saturday March 12th, and it’s one of the highlights of the Havoc year for your correspondent. The Vale Islanders Ale.

Our hosts, the Vale Islanders

The Vale Ale is always a good do. I have to confess that a major attraction is the 17th century dinner they provide!

Vale Ale menu. Yum.

Dinner!

We shared the evening with some familiar faces from Icknield Morris, Owlswick, Ridgeway Clog and Hazzaz Belly Dancers from Witney.

Ridgeway Clog at the Vale Ale

Hezzaz at the Vale Ale

Owlswick (plus two substitutes) at the Vale Ale

Havoc on the radio

Somehow we seem to be managing quite a media blitz at the moment. Fresh from our Oxford Mail appearance, also picked up by its sister publication the Oxford Times, Mick and Jim found themselves talking to Alex Lester on afternoon BBC Radio Oxford slot, and even playing a quick tune as well. The action starts 14 minutes in.

Alex Lester on iPlayer
Listen on iPlayer.

We even spent couple of minutes teaching him a little dancing.

Direct link to video.
Teaching BBC Radio Oxford’s Alex Lester a dance.

Check our Facebook feed.

Havoc at the Oxford Mail

The local press can move in mysterious ways.

But it looks like the Oxford Mail likes our picture after all.

The Oxford Mail reports on our charity fundraising for 2015.

Charity donation for 2015

Morris Dancing is, we have to admit, an eccentric way to have fun. But there’s more to Cry Havoc than just fun. From the outset, we’ve collected each year for a local charity. Our charity for 2015 was the Oxfordshire Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre. We’re proud to announce that this year we’ve raised £1000 for a cause that has touched the lives of several Havocs.

This coming Thursday, November 17th, we are presenting the cheque to the Centre. This afternoon a few Havocs gathered with the cheque for the benefit of the local press.

Look out for our announcement of our charity for 2016 in the New Year.

White Horse Folk Festival

After a week of rain, Saturday was a mercifully dry, and we had a fine old time dancing at various locations in and around Wantage for the White Horse Folk Festival.

The day started at the famous Uffington White Horse. Dancing just above the horse’s head, we had a brilliant view over the hills.

Our hosts Icknield Way led the way.

Icknield Way

We did three dances at the Horse.

Dancing Constant Billy atop the White Horse at Uffington.

And had time to enjoy the view.

Emma and Mick enjoy the view standing on the White Horse at Uffington.

Other local groups Cornucopia Clog and Rose Hips bellydance danced in the sunshine too.

All sides dancing at the White Horse at Uffington.

After that, we visited locations in Wantage and Grove, dancing 14 different dances in all. A busy day.

More from the Foxwhelp Weekend

Some more pictures from the recent Foxwhelp weekend.

At the session at the Harp in Glasbury on Friday night. Mick and Jane pause for breath.

Friday night session at the Harp in Glasbury. Mick and Jane take a break.

Our first location in Hay-on-Wye on Saturday, with our hosts Foxwhelp Morris and local sides Jenny Pipes and Leominster Morris

Outside Hay Castle. Barbera gets a better view of the action.

Foxwhelp at Whitney Bridge.

Jenny Pipes outside Hay Castle.

Leominster Morris outside Hay Castle.

Flashback – Kern Day of Dance

Catching up on past Havoc outings, this time it’s back to the first weekend in June. It’s a fair old hike from Botley to Durham, but a dedicated group of Havocs made the trip to join in with a day of dance and our friends at Kern Morris. And a great chance to dance again with Havoc Claire, who moved away from Oxford to Northern parts last year.

Saturday was spent dancing at various locations around Durham. The rain was kinder this year.

Dancing outside Durham Cathedral

Kern at Palace Green by the Cathedral.

Kern get airborne!

Sunday saw a fun and relaxed dance with Kern and Havoc outside the Royal Oak, the pub we’d stayed at.

Kern and a ringer.

Sonia the landlady joined in too!

Dancing Shepherd’s Hey outside the Royal Oak

Sonia, the Royal Oak’s landlady, tries ‘Shepherd’s Hey’.

Flashback to May Morning

In the midst of the summer heat, a flashback to May Morning, and a panoramic view I’ve just found on my phone and I rather like. I’d forgotten I’d taken it. A couple of Havocs can be spotted.

A May Morning panorama by the Radcliffe Camera.

Chippenham Folk Festival 2015

Chippenham Folk Festival is a regular fixture in the Havoc calendar. We’ve had to deploy umbrellas more than once in the past, but Saturday May 23rd was a perfect day.

We started on the main stage and then proceeded to various dance spots about the town.

About to launch into ‘Constant Billy’ at the Chippenham Folk Festival.

It was a day for running into dance types less often encountered. Slovak dance group Morena plough a very different furrow to English folk.

Slovak Dance Group Morena at Chippenham.

We were on more familiar ground with Lancashire’s very own Regency Rejigged. A couple of Havocs have done Playford, and much looked familiar, or so they said.

Regency Rejigged at the Chippenham Folk Festival.