A member who lives a few miles out of Bedford shares the story of a typical practice night earlier this year:
Thursday thoughts
Will she? Won’t she?
Thursday 1200
It is raining like mad. Hope it eases off, because it’s Red Cuthbert practice night and I don’t want to get wet.
Thursday, 1830
It’s pouring – still.
Do I really want to go out? Er, no!
Do I need to go out? Well, I don’t need to go out, but it is Morris night, so I should go, but do I want to?
Thursday 1845
Of course I want to. I just don’t want to go out, so how do I get to St Cuthbert’s church hall in Bedford without getting cold and wet and having to drive through massive puddles (if not floods!) to get there? It’s a shame my sticks and hankies aren’t magic, or I could wave them in my usual rather uncoordinated manner and whisk myself painlessly to Bedford.
Will she? Won’t she? Will she? Won’t she, go to the hall?
Thursday 1855
I wonder whether, if I walk very quickly from the car park to the church hall, I may survive without getting totally soaked. Retrieve my waterproofs, still slightly damp from the morning’s attempt at a walk.
Thursday 1912
I’m in the car! Off I set. It’s a good job the wipers are decent. As always, I know I will really enjoy the practice session and the company, it’s just the rain putting me off tonight.
Thursday 1919
To my annoyance, I suddenly realise that my bag of sticks and hankies is still in the hall at home.
Oh, bother!
Will everyone else will remember theirs? Will we have enough kit if I don’t have mine? Hmm.
Thursday 1920
Turn round and go back to get the stick bag. Now wonder if I’ll be late, but reassure myself that Morris time tends to be a fairly flexible commodity. This turns out to be a good thing to remember as some parts of the roads are like lakes and I do think that a RIB might be a more suitable means of transport to get to Bedford tonight.
Thursday 1955
Horrible journey, but at least there is lots of space in the car park, as nearly everyone else has wisely decided to stop at home. Grab the stick bag and scuttle through the rain to the church hall. Some of the other members of the side are already there. They are also wet.
We practise; we go wrong; we do it again; we get it right; we have a laugh.
Why, from one week to the next, do I forget some of the moves? It makes me feel a bit stupid, but no one seems too bothered and the patience and gentle correction takes the pressure off.
Hot and a bit breathless (well, some of us more than others) we are desperate for bagging so we can have a rest. Finally, we sit down and discuss forthcoming events, but are soon recovered and dancing again. And yes – we do dance Vandals of Hammerwich.
Thursday 2130
Practice over. Time for the pub, or in the case of some of us tonight, to brave the roads and go home.
Thursday 2120
Arrive home.
Am I glad I went? Of course I am. How could I not enjoy going along to Red Cuthbert’s practice? There’s always a warm welcome and it’s lots of fun. It’s only the weather that was miserable and as every week, I’m pleased with what I’ve learnt and feel really uplifted by the dancing. I get a real buzz from it. I’ve had such a good time. It drove away my grey (weather) mood and the journey home, on a post-practice high, seemed so much easier than the journey there.
Disclaimer: the persons and events mentioned here are not in the slightest bit fictitious.
Red Cuthbert is a real Morris side.
They really do practise in St Cuthbert’s Hall in Bedford on Thursdays, 20.00-21.30. (Morris time!)
They are fun, they are very patient and teach you a lot in an accessible way.
Come along and try us out – weather permitting!
