New Year, new girl, new bag

Firstly, a new girl turned up. She had seen us dancing at dawn on Mayday on Town Moor and thought "That's the sort of think I want to be involved in". So coming along to us was part of her New Year resolution. I hope she lasts longer than mine.

She is a complete morris novice but picked up skipping fairly quickly, made a good attempt at ranting, picked up the figures well and had the instinct and sense to watch the rest of us.

Good morris dancers (and I assume all other dancers who work in groups) continuously watch each other, checking out each other's feet and positions - or should do. It reminds you what to do next, and if you do go wrong you all go wrong together which can be made to look as if you meant it. Unless of course like us you shriek with laughter instead.

By the end of the evening the new chick had danced Rose & Crown twice and Churchtown.

Secondly, Mrs Quilt brought along the bag she's made for the practice garlands, sticks and hankies.

We don't practice with the garlands, sticks and hankies we dance out with, they would get worn and shabby far too quickly. Instead we have an old sheet cut up into hankies, bare sticks about a foot long and things that look like three-quarters of a hula-hoop.

There are 9 practice garlands and carrying them to and from practice can be a pain. Up until now we've used Fenwick's largest carrier bags. Sturdy as they are going to and from my house every week soon wears them out. It's been quite a while since any of us bought anything big enough from Fenwick's to get a bag and it was beginning to tear apart.

Before Christmas Mrs Quilt asked me to measure the Fenwick's bag, and she's made one the same size in what looks like very fetching curtain or furnishing fabric. The garlands slip in and out of it really easily and it is capacious enough to take the stick and hanky bags too. It also has handles so I can hang it off the exercise bike at home out of the way of marauding cats.

District Nurse bustled into practice last as usual.
"Ooh is that the new bag" she said admiringly "looks easy washed"

Not while I'm Bagman it won't be - unless the cats disgrace themselves on it.