Cardiff Ale

Sweyn’s Ey Morris were invited to this wonderful event and despite regular musicians and a few dancers not being available to attend, we were still able to muster a strong team. It says something about the Ale when Jonathan Baker drove all the way down from up north to join us! It was certainly good to see him again.

The Ale followed the format of past years, pre COVID, with Carreg Las Border being there, plus a couple of White Hart Morris, as well as mine hosts Cardiff Morris who were there in reasonable force. A broadsheet of paper was put up for people to make suggestions for dances to be done. There was curry which was good, ale that was smashing, and the tombola which provided wonderful opportunity to win all manner of quirky things! There was also a veritable mountain of cheese to eat!

Other highlights were Ben singing a song that used to be sung by Andy Baker, Jonathan’s dad, therefore maintaining a tradition of Sweyns Ey Morris Squires singing at Cardiff Ale, and Jonathan dancing Old Molly Oxford Jig, and then there were Bledington dances like William & Nancy and Cuckoo’s Nest which used to be staples of the Sweyn’s Ey dance repertoire. Cardiff danced Nantgarw Y Caseg Eira and also Ty Coch Caerdydd which looked very good. Sweyn’s Ey performed Badby Beaux, Stanton Harcourt Nightingale, Bampton Speed the Plough and Fieldtown British Grenadiers as show dances.

Here are photos of the Ale, mainly taken by Paul, and Alison.