Many Morris events take place on or around May Day (which is, of course, the 1st of May regardless of the date of the May Day bank holiday Monday). Many sides have traditional May Bank Holiday tours and to avoid confusion - and making future editing easier - I have left these separate, below the May Day list.
These are the events we are aware of - if yours is not included please contact the webeditor [at] themorrisring.org (webeditor)
Before May Day:
- Adderbury Morris 50th Anniversary Day of Dance : Normally on the Saturday closest to April 26th
(which happens to be the birthday of Janet Heatley Blunt and is the actual Saturday this year).
10.30 am The Old Wheatsheaf; 11.00 am The Red Lion; 11.30 am The Coach and Horses; 12.00 am The Bell;
1:00 pm Lunch; 2.00 pm Flowers in the Church Yard; 2.15 pm The Dog and Partridge; 2.45 pm The White Hart; 3.15 pm Manor Road/Le Hall Place; 4.00 pm The Bell.
The three sides will be joined at 16.00 by special guests Hammersmith Morris Men, Windsor Morris & Kirtlington Morris.
May Day Itself - Thursday 1st May:
- Adlington MM : May 1st - 8:30am White Nancy, Bollington SK10 5AX (Unconfirmed - it's a school day and they have been busy organising the JMO day of Dance on Saturday 26th April!)
- Aldbury MM : May 1st - The Pond, Aldbury, 6:15 am TO BE CONFIRMED
- Ashdown Forest MM : May 1st - 5:30 am The E.H. Shepard & A.A. Milne Memorial; 6.30 am The Hatch Inn, Coleman's Hatch TN7 4EJ; 7.30 pm The Royal Oak, Newick BN8 4JU
- Bedford MM : May 1st - Ickwell Green Maypole, SG18 9EE, 6:30 am; 7:30 pm The Fox & Hounds 54 High St, Riseley, Bedford MK44 1DT TO BE CONFIRMED
- Bourne River Morris : May 1st - 5:00 am - 8:00 am The Cross Keys Inn, Mannington, BH21 7JZ. Morris, beer and breakfast, followed by music and song.
- Brackley MM : May 1st - 5:30 am Market Place, Brackley NN13 7AB
- Bristol MM : May 1st - 5:41am St Peter's Church, Castle Green, Bristol BS1 3XB.
- Cam Valley MM : May 1st - 5:30 am Beltane Celebrations, Glastonbury Tor
- Campden Morris Dancers: May 1st - Chipping Campden Town Square, 7:00 am for Morris and Maypole dancing.
- Chanctonbury Ring MM : May 1st - Chanctonbury Ring, South Downs, 7:00 am. Meet 6:45 am at the car park at BN44 3DN in time for the top - or meet there. See website for details of the following breakfast and tour with Sompting Morris.
- Dartington Morris : May 1st - 5:30 am Totnes Castle
- Datchet Border Morris : May 1st - dancing at sunrise (5:30 am) at Magna Carta Tea Room TW20 0AE in historic Runnymede from 5:30am, whatever the weather.
- Devil's Dyke Morris : May 1st - 5:30 am Wandlebury Country Park, CB22 3AE
- East Suffolk MM : May 1st - 5:15 AM at Felixstowe Beacon,Beacon Field, Felixstowe IP11 2JQ followed by ferry trip to Harwich.
- Ewell St Mary's MM : May 1st - Dancing the Sun 4:45 am - 5:45 am up on the road by the Lookout, Box Hill, Surrey, KT20 7LB
- Foresters Morris & Sword Dance Club : May 1st - 5:20 am Nottingham Castle by the Robin Hood Statue, Castle Rd, Nottingham NG1 6AA with Greenwood Step Clog, TO BE CONFIRMED
- Forest of Dean MM : May 1st - May Hill, 5:25 am with other local sides.TO BE CONFIRMED
- Gloucester Morris: May 1st - Painswick Beacon, 5:00 am - 6:30am with our friends, the lasses of the Stroud and Tattered Court Morris Dancers
- Greensleeves MM : May 1st - Sunrise Show at the Windmill, Wimbledon Common, SW19 5NT, 5:30 am
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Hartley MM : May 1st - 5:29am The Coldrum Stones, Trottiscliffe; After breakfast, a Vintage Coach Tour -
12 noon - Grasshopper on the Green, Westerham TN16 1AS; 1:00 pm - Titsey Brewery Taproom, Clarks Lane Farm, Tatsfield, Westerham TN16 2JU; 3.30pm - Sevenoaks town centre TN13 1LD - Icknield Way MM : May 1st - 6:00 am - Oxford City centre; 9:30am – 11:00am Breakfast – Linacre College, St.Cross Rd, Oxford OX1 3JA; 12:30 – 1:00 pm The Bear Hotel, 14 Market Place Wantage OX12 8AB; Followed by a Wantage pub, yet to be confirmed, at 1:30 pm
- The Traditional Ilmington MM : May 1st - dancing at dawn 5:30 am (approx.) on Ilmington Downs at Larkstoke; the highest point in Warwickshire 842 feet amsl (52 04.88N 001 43.69W). 6:00 am Bennett’s Place in memory of Mrs Ethel Bennett and for Mrs Jean Hall; 6:25 am The Lower Green in memory of Fred and Molly Paintin then Refreshments for The Morris At The Howard Arms; 7:15am Washbrook Place in memory of George & Lucy Frost Featherbed Lane; 7:30 am “The Old Fox House” in memory of Sam Bennett; Sam’s old house; 8:00 am “Berry View”, Back Street for Betty and in memory of John Bryan one time home of Tom Foster –Pipe & Taborer; 8:15 am Lower Campden Hill in memory of Mike Vincent; 9:30 am The Howard Arms For Breakfast. UNCONFIRMED BUT VERY TRADITIONAL!
- Jockey Morris : May 1st - 5:15 am - 6:15 am Beacon Hill Toposcope, Monument Lane, Lickey Hills, B45 9QQ
- Kemps Men of Norwich - May 1st - 5:00am St James' Hill, Britannia Road, Mousehold Heath: 6:00am The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich NR2 1TF; 7:00am The West Front, Norwich Cathedral, The Close, Norwich NR1 4DH. Then after a wonderful breakfast, Kemps on Tour Venues & Times TBC
- King John's MM : May 1st - The Bargate High St, Southampton SO14 2DJ, 5:00 am – 6:00 am TO BE CONFIRMED
- Kingston Spring Grove Morris : May 1st - Dancing the Sun up on the road by the Salomons viewpoint Box Hill, Surrey, KT20 7LB, 5:00am – 6:35 am with Ewell St Mary Morris Men and Rampant Rooster Morris. TO BE CONFIRMED
- Leicester Morris : May 1st - 7.00 am Bradgate Park, Old John LE6 0AH
- Letchworth Morris : May 1st - 6:30am Ickwell Maypole with Bedford MM
- London Pride Morris : May 1st - 5.15 for 5.31 a.m. sunrise Primrose Hill NW1 4NR
- Long Man Morris : May 1st - at the foot of the Long Man of Wilmington BN26 5Q, 5:30am - 6:30am (5:32 sunrise)
- Lord Conyers MM : May 1st - Trysting Tree, Kiveton, Todwick, South Yorkshire S26 1. Cotswold Morris at dawn (5:30 am). See link for Trysting Tree details TO BE CONFIRMED
- Men of Sweyn's Ey : May 1st - dancing the sun up at King Arthur's Stone, Cefn Bryn, Gower SA3 1AE - weather permitting!
- Mersey Morris : May 1st - Dawn at The Observatory, Bidston Hill, 5:00 am - 5:45 am
- Men of Wight : May 1st - Longstone, Mottistone, PO30 4EB, 4:30 am - 5:30 am
- North Wood Morris : May 1st - 5.45am Crown Hill, North End, Croydon, Surrey – outside the Almshouses and Barclays Bank near where the tramline crosses – CR9 1SX; 6.45am. Queens’ Gardens then outside Fairfield Halls Park Lane, Croydon CR0 1JD [Locations may vary, more details to follow]
- Oxford : May 1st - A Mayday carol from Magdelen College tower and massed dancing around the town center for the remainder of the morning, from 6:00 am
- Packington MM : May 1st - Breedon Hill, Leicestershire, 5:30am and Bull and Lion, Packington - that's about half their performances for the year! TO BE CONFIRMED
- Peterborough Morris : May 1st - Dancing in the dawn, 5:25 am, Customs House, Nene Embankment, by Peterborough Town Bridge, PE1 1EG. - To greet the dawn on May Day and to launch the summer dancing program.
- Plymouth Morris: May 1st - Dancing at sunrise at The Hoe Promenade, above Smeaton's Tower, Plymouth Hoe
- Ravensbourne MM : May 1st - The Geoff Metcalf Memorial Tour - 5:32 am Welcome the Sunrise at Caesar’s Well, Keston Ponds, followed by a tour of Keston Village. After that we please ourselves as to where we go.(More info on www.ravensbourne.org)
- Rutland Morris : May 1st - Uppingham Market Place, 5:17 am (followed by The Vaults for a well earned breakfast ?)
- Shakespeare Morris : May 1st - 5:20 am dancing up the sun on the Bancroft gardens next to the Avon then dance around the town calling at Shakespeare's Birthplace, Shakespeare's New Place and Holy Trinity, Stratford's parish church before breakfasting in a hotel in the town centre. TO BE CONFIRMED
- Southport Swords : May 1st - due to old age, infirmity & apathy The Southport Swords will not be dancing at dawn. But ! They may be out & about celebrating May Day. Meeting outside the Atkinson at 12 noon and proceeding around a variety of public houses including the usual haunts. TO BE CONFIRMED
- Towersey Horseshoes Morris : May 1st - Towersey Crossroads, OX39 3QY, 5:20 am; 6:60 am.The Three Horseshoes for breakfast (please book in advance - call 01844 212322 and pay for yourself ! )
- Victory MM : May 1st - 5:00am The Spur Redoubt PO5 3XX; Breakfast The Pembroke PO1 2NR; 10:00am Mystery Bus Tour; 600 pm ish Old Portsmouth
- Uttoxeter Heart of Oak Morris: Johnny Burke Tree Dedication Ceremony - All Day - The Woolpack, The Green, Weston, Stafford ST18 0JH
- Wath Morris : Saturday of the May Bank Holiday - Wath Festival from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm including at the bread throwing from the Church Tower at noon. (The side made their first public appearance in May 1973 at the inaugural Wath May Welcoming Celebrations!). Also on the following day they dance in the Wath Parish Church service and outside church afterwards.
- Wessex MM : May 1st - dancing above the Cerne Abbas Giant at dawn (5.15 am), then on to Cerne Abbas Village Square DT2 7JG, 7:00 am Please, please keep off The Giant!
- White Rose Morris - May 1st - 5:30 am Castle Hill, Huddersfield HD4 6TA; St Georges Square Huddersfield HD1 1JF TO BE CONFIRMED
- Wyvern Jubilee Morris : May 1st - Just before 5:30 am Ham Hill, Sub Stoke Hamdon, Somerset TR14 6AW In the ice-cream van layby with Treacle Eater Clog NW Morris and Enigma Border Morris
- Yateley MM - May 1st - 5:30 am - Wyndham's Pool, Yateley Common, Cricket Hill, Yateley GU46 6BB Park on Cricket Hill preferably; 6:30 am Breakfast at Short & Sweet 3 Harpton Parade, Yateley GU46 7SB pre-booked meals only)
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Also
Hastings Traditional Jack In The Green : All weekend with Jack in the Green's appearance and procession on the Bank Holiday Monday.
- Knutsford Royal May Day : 1st Saturday in May - this year May 3rd - Knutsford, Cheshire Annual May Queen procession through Knutsford since 1864. Manchester MM have danced in the procession since 1979, and Leyland MM since 1968; Morris teams have been a part of the procession since 1878.
- Yateley MM : Saturday 3rd May - Guildford Summerpole 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
May Bank Holiday Monday 5th May
- Aldbury MM : 12:30 pm The Greyhound Aldbury HP23 5RT May Fair
- Bedford MM : from 11.30am Crown, Northill then procession at 1.30pm to Ickwell with Letchworth Morris.
- Chalice MM : 12 noon Bleadon May Fair BS24 0PG
- Devil's Dyke Morris : 11:00am – 11:30 am Commercial End, The Royal Oak; CB25 0NF; 1:00 pm Reach Fair CB25 0JD
- Kennet MM : 10:30am Goring Heath Almshouses RG8 7RS; 11:30am Goring Lock RG8 9BA; 1:30 pm South Stoke RG8 0JS - May Fair and the May Queen crowning (by a very proud Fool)
- Men of Sweyn's Ey : Morris and maypole dancing from 2:00 pm on Murton May Fair, Village Green, Gower SA3 3AZ
- Long Man MM : Lewes Garland Day hosted by Knots of May 10:00 am Lewes Castle Gun Gardens; Procession down the High Street to Cliffe, then dancing in Cliffe High Street 11:00 am; The John Harvey Tavern 12:15 pm; The Dorset 1:15pm followed by 2:00 - 3:00 pm at The Market Cross, Market Square, Alfriston
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Uttoxeter Heart of Oak Morris: 9:45 am Newborough Well Dressing Newborough, STAFFS DE13 8SU
Meeting at 9.45am & heading to the church first. 2 spots of dancing and procession around the wells. - Whitchurch Morris : This year commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day - 6.30 am - 7:30 am on the top of Coombe Hill by the Monument (by kind permission of the National Trust) then after breakfast we will be dancing at:- 9:00 am The Hampden Arms, Great Hampden HP16 9RQ; 12 noon The White Swan, 10 High St, Whitchurch HP22 4JT; 2:30 pm Pitstone Green Farm Museum, Pitstone LU7 9EY
And in the Days following:
- Westminster Morris Dancers : Saturday nearest May 12th - Day of Dance around Westminster, with Massed Shows in Trafalgar Square at 1pm and 3pm
- Moulton MM : Saturday, one whole week before the Saturday of Spring Bank Holiday - this year between 13 - 19th May. Moulton Village Festival - 20th May - May Queen Ceremony, Childrens' Bowers and Maycart Procession, Moulton, 10:00 am to 3:30 pm