THAXTED RING MEETING 4-6 JUNE 2010

The overwhelming success of the 75th Anniversary Morris Ring Meeting in Thaxted, the so called ‘Great Northern’, where 33 sides, over 400 dancers and eight tours left a lasting impression on AA Gill in the Sunday Times, BBC Panorama and an early day motion in parliament, and not least Thaxted, who are still recovering and the church where the feast of feasts took place. We are hoping for a slightly more modest meeting for 2010 in the run up to our Centenary in 2011, but that of course is up to you.

If you are a fan of anniversaries and the work of the Morris revivalist and social worker Mary Neal, it is the 150th anniversary of her birth on the Saturday 5th June. It was one of her Esperance teachers, Blanche Payling, who taught the first Thaxted side which numbered 50 plus in 1911. Unlike this year when we were the most northerly Morris Ring meeting, next year we are the only UK Morris Ring meeting of the summer so come and see what all the fuss has been about and make our ‘classic’ 77th meeting in our 99th year even more special and worth celebrating.

The Thaxted Morris Meeting is the one against which all other meetings are compared. Sword dance in front of the medieval cutlers guildhall, folk and mummers plays in front of the guildhall and church, feast in style, process from both ends of the town and experience massed dancing in the arena of Town Street and just when you thought you had reached experience overload, all will go quiet and the hairs on the back of your neck will stand up for the climax of our Horn Dance. We are fully licensed, wired up and prepared for whatever you may want to perform provided it is of a high enough standard. Join those who come year after year and make it the spectacle that it is and an experience to remember. Reductions for children and day men, individuals and scratch sides as well as full sides are very welcome. Extensive indoor and outdoor camping available. Cost estimated between £65 and £70 for the full weekend with all meals, but can be reduced if you don’t book every meal. Numbers approximately 300.


Click here for this years programme