Last year a young blonde lady watched Tyne Bridge Morris dance at dawn on the Town Moor, thought "I'd like to do something like that" and just after Christmas started coming to practices. As I mentioned in a previous blog she's a natural and has picked up the dances really well. A few weeks ago Mrs Elswitch decided her injuries and other commitments meant she could no longer dance (although she still fiddles from time to time) so relinquished her kit. We passed it on to the Chick who took it home to her mum to take up.
At practice on Thursday I thought we only had 7 dancers signed up for the booking so we went through all the six person dances the Chick knows: Rose & Crown, Shrewsbury Flourish, Goostrey and Grenoside. However at 4.45 this morning we discovered that not only had I missed Mrs Quilt off the list, but also that Mrs Librarian was fit, well and able to leave her baby with her Daddy for the duration. So we were able to do an 8-person dance as well. As it was her maiden dance-out the Chick chose Stockport and acquitted herself very well in every dance.
Our dragon turned up to add his bit of mayhem to that provided by the Kingsmen and their followers.Unfortunately it was overcast this morning so the only sign of the sun was a little strip of pink sky over Gosforth. But we still danced towards it until it was so light we knew it had risen.

Number Two Son came along again (for the third time) and was a real help in carrying the bags of garlands etc.

The only real fly in the ointment was my tights, which, despite appearing new, refused to stay up. Worse still they kept dragging the rest of my underwear down with them. I had to have an undignified hoiking up after every dance. After following the Kingsmen processing back to Claremont Road I got to my car, took off my clogs, tore off the offending tights and undergarment, waved goodbye to Bodrhanman with them and drove home going commando.

PS - thanks to Diane for the photos of Tyne Bridge dancing - I was in every dance so couldn't take one.

PPS - Friends fans will know what 'going commando' means, the rest of you will just have to use your imaginations.