It started with a workshop in Somerset.
In 2009, Joan Whilock travelled to Halsway Manor - the home of English folk music and dance - with the Leek U3A Folk Dancing group. There she took part in a morris workshop run by Ken Winter of the Forest of Dean Morris Men.
Ken sent her home with a CD of the music, scripts for the dances, and fatherly advice on the phone afterwards. Joan went back to Leek and began searching for any record of a Morris side that had danced in the town before. There was none. So they had no local tradition to follow - and they built one.
The first proper dance out was at Art in the Park. A donation offered to help buy bells couldn't be accepted because the group was part of U3A; that, and a wish to be open to dancers of every age, led them to become independent. The CD player did the music until accordionist Brian Shufflebotham joined them and gave them their first live band. Brian is much missed.
The current Squire is Annie Gilman, who took over from Joan in October 2019. Sue Clowes is Bagman (and the person to ask if you'd like to dance).
