Easter has always been marked with great secular celebrations, possibly because Easter follows Lent – a period of religious observance and abstinence from worldly pleasures. This year Easter is 18th - 21st of April. Unfortunately the abstinence appears to include sides not updating events diaries. If we've missed your entry, or you can confirm (or otherwise) the unconfirmed please let us know emailing webeditor [at] themorrisring.org
Today, many people might give up chocolate or even alcohol, but before the Reformation Lent was rather more involved for English Christians. They were supposed to avoid eating meat, eggs or dairy, they couldn’t play any sports, and they had to abstain from sex. So when Easter came around, there were many good reasons to celebrate. All kinds of sports and games took place from Easter Monday and into the following week, including archery contests, hunting, handball games, horse racing and, of course, dancing, a tradition many sides still enjoy, even if they haven't been abstinent.
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Saddleworth MM : Maundy Thursday - 7:30 pm approx Road End Fair. Greenfield (opposite King William IV)
- first dance out and waistcoat awards: 8:30 pm Boarshurst Band Club, Greenfield -
Abingdon Traditional Morris Dancers : Good Friday - 2:00 pm & 3:30 pm Love Beer Brewery, 95 High St, Milton, OX14 4EJ.
Saturday 30th March: Abingdon Easter EggStravaganza, Market Place, 12.30 & 2.30 pm - Saddleworth MM : Good Friday - Easter Tour of the villages in Saddleworth with guests Earlsdon and Moulton Morris Men - 11:00 am The Swan Delph; 12 noon The Swan, Dobcross ; 1:30 pm The Navigation, Dobcross; 3:00 pm Uppermill Museum Car Park; 4:00 pm Uppermill Park; 5:15 pm Church Inn Uppermill; and 6:00pm Cross Keys. We’ll be ending the day with singing and music at the Con Club in Uppermill.
- Bury-Pace Eggers : Advice of the Pace-Eggers demise was fortunately misplaced and they have been active pre-Easter. We'll keep you posted of any future appearances.
- Chanctonbury Ring Morris : Good Friday - Cotswold dancing and Long Rope Skipping at The Anchor Inn, Lewes Rd, Ringmer, Lewes BN8 5QE staring about noon as guest of Knots of May.
- Monkseaton Morris Dancers :Easter Saturday - 12 Noon - Outside at Spanish City Plaza, Whitley Bay NE26 1BG
- Ripley Morris : Easter Saturday - 11.00 am and 12 noon Bakewell Tourist Information Office; 2.00 pm The Bull's Head Monyash, 3.00 pm The Devonshire Arms Hartington
- Ashdown Forest MM : Easter Monday - 3:30 pm The Laughing Fish, Isfield TN22 5XB - Beer Race Day!
- Blackheath Morris : Easter Monday - Noon – Outside The Royal Naval College nr. Cutty Sark entrance; 1:00 pm The Old Brewery The Pepys Building, The Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN; 2:00 pm Trafalgar Tavern Park Row SE10 9 NW; 3:00 pm – Greenwich Tavern 1 King William Walk, London SE10 9JH; 4:00 pm – Ashburnham Arms 25 Ashburnham Grove, London SE10 8UH featuring the ancient chairlifting tradition.
- Chapel-En-Le-Frith Morris : Easter Monday - Easter Tour. The Bull's Head, Monyash, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm and Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
- Mossley Morris Men : Easter Monday - The Traditional Mossley Pace Egg Play, 2:00 pm The Commercial Hotel 58 Manchester Rd, Mossley OL5 0AA; 3:00 pm The Brittania Inn, 217 Manchester Rd OL5 9AJ; 4:00 pm Roaches Lock Inn 387 Manchester Rd OL5 9BB; 5:00 pm Tollemache Arms 411 Manchester Rd OL5 9BG TO BE CONFIRMED
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Silurian Border Morris Men : Easter Monday Tour visiting Brewers Arms, Lower Dingle, West Malvern, WR14 4BQ. followed by The Morgan Pub, 52 Clarence Road, Malvern, WR14 3EQ
We start at the Brewers Arms at 12 Noon and then move to the Morgan Pub around 2 ish.TO BE CONFIRMED - Taunton Deane Morris : Easter Monday - Tour of Taunton Area with Sweet Coppin starting at 10:30am Taunton - War Memorial Vivary Park TA1 3QE; 12 noon Halse - The Triangle TA4 3AF; 1:00 pm Norton Fitzwarren - The Village Hall TA2 6RQ; 3:00 pm Sheppy's Cider - Bradford on Tone TA4 1ER
- Thelwall Morris : Easter Monday - 12:30 pm Ye Olde No. 3, Little Bollington, WA14 4TA ; 1:15 pm Swan with Two Nicks Park Lane, Little Bollington, Altrincham WA14 4SU; 2:14 pm Pickering Arms Bell Lane, Thelwall, WA4 2SU
- Trigg Morris : Easter Monday - Annual Easter tour starting 10.30 am Launceston Town Square; 12 Noon Archer Arms, Lewannick PL15 7QD; 1:00 pm Jamaica Inn Bolventor PL15 7TS; 2:0pm The Blisland Inn Blisland PL30 4JF; 4.30 pm Lanivet Inn Lanivet PL30 5ET
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Victory Morris : Easter Monday - The Not The St George’s Day Tour! Annoying the good people of Petersfield!
Firstly a walking tour of a few pubs in the Town: 12:15 pm The Good Intent 40-46 College St, GU31 4AF; 1:00 pm The Town House 28 High St, GU32 3JL; 1:45 pm The George 28 The Square, GU32 3HH.
Then from 2:30 we will be dancing in the Square with a couple of other sides to support Graeme Lloyd from Lee-on-Solent , who is planning to run the London Marathon dressed as a Dinosaur (!) in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. In the run-up to the event he is walking to London, and his first stop will be at Petersfield. This is planned to last for 1-1.5 hours, then we will retire to the Square Brewery GU32 3HJ for some refreshment !