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X-WR-CALNAME;VALUE=TEXT:Morris Ring event
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UID:events.875.field_eventdate.0@themorrisring.org
DTSTAMP:20260509T072910Z
SUMMARY:The 40th Saddleworth Rushcart - hosted meeting of Morris Ring
  sides
DTSTART:20140822T170000Z
DTEND:20140824T170000Z
DESCRIPTION:Saddleworth Rushcart in 2014 falls on the Bank Holiday weekend
  of Friday 22nd August to Sunday 24th August.\n\n
  Eddie Worrall writes:\n\n
  As you may know\, 2014 is our 40th birthday as a side and also
  the 40th Saddleworth Rushcart\, since we revived the local
  tradition after a c.50 year break.  We are delighted to be
  sharing our celebrations with the Morris Ring in its 80th year.\n\n
  For the first time ever\, the weekend will operate as a hosted
  meeting of Morris Ring Clubs but will still follow our tried
  and trusted format of the last 39 years.  There will be NO
  feast\, NO speeches\, NO massed dancing\, NO p.a. systems\, NO
  bus tours.  If you want all these things\, this may not be the
  meeting for you….\n\n
  There will however\, be the usual enthusiastic & Morris savvy
  audiences in the local Saddleworth villages waiting for you to
  turn up and dance and a weekend spent in the beautiful Pennine
  countryside.  The beer’s pretty cheap as well.\n\n
  The Friday evening is an informal beer\, music & song session
  in the pubs of Uppermill. The ‘Cart is then pulled around the
  villages of Saddleworth on the Saturday with dance spots
  throughout the day.  On Sunday morning the Rushcart is pulled
  up the hill to St. Chad’s Church in Uppermill for the
  Rushcart service.  This is the culmination of the Rushcart
  procession\, where rushes are ceremonially spread on the Church
  floor as has been the custom in Saddleworth for centuries
  past.  Throughout the Sunday afternoon all sides will dance
  and competitions such as Gurning\, Wrestling\, Clog Stepping &
  Worst Singer\, will be held.\n\n
  As in previous years\, both indoor and outdoor camping will be
  available at a minimal cost over the weekend (approx £5 per
  man/tent pitch at time of going to press).  No other cost is
  charged by us\, all we ask is that you buy your own food &
  drink over the weekend. A Morris weekend where you are in
  charge of how much you spend!\n\n
  If your side would like to attend\, or you would like to attend
  as reps\, please get in touch ASAP.  We would also like to
  hear from sides who would like to attend as day men for the
  Saturday/Sunday (or both if you are local?!).  For the sake of
  clarity\, female musicians are welcome at Rushcart.\n\n
  We particularly would like to hear from sides who dance
  NorthWest as a main or second tradition.  If you are secretly
  practicing a Colne\, an Ashton or a Royton\, this is your
  chance to put that hard work to good use!\n\n
  Our accommodation for visiting sides is limited\, Saddleworth
  is after all a fairly small place.  However\, there are
  various options locally\, including camping/caravan sites\, B &
  B’s\, Hotels etc. details of which will be supplied to sides
  who are booked in to attend. \n\n
  From its humble beginnings in 1975 it has grown to the annual
  spectacle that it is today. With each year that passes the
  Rushcart gets bigger and better but with that it becomes more
  precious to us. It becomes more important to keep it going and
  we have to find ways of protecting it\, to preserve it for
  years to come.\n\n
  One avenue to explore is to try and make it safer for all
  involved. Whilst we have had no major incidents in recent times
  we have had a few close shaves. Had they turned out to be more
  serious\, they could have caused questions to be asked about
  the future of the ‘cart.\n\n
  The Saddleworth Rushcart is built with moorland rushes\, and is
  a solid construction. It stands approximately 14 feet high and
  weighs about two tons (we don’t actually know how much it
  weighs but you wouldn’t want it to roll over your foot!). The
  cart itself has a single axle and relies on the three brave
  lads on the shafts to balance it. It has no brakes\, no
  suspension and when fully manned has the turning circle of a
  super tanker.\n\n
  We have put together a few tips to try to anticipate and avoid
  problems. \n\n
   \n\n
  Please e-mail edworrall [at] gmail.com (subject:
  Rushcart%202104)  (Eddie Worral) directly with any enquiries.\n\n
  Eddie Worrall\n\n
  Rushcart Secretary\n\n
  Saddleworth MM
LAST-MODIFIED:20200116T123951Z
CREATED:20140820T000815Z
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