Brief History of North West Clog Morris
The morris from Cheshire and Lancashire originates from the industrial towns. The costumes worn tend to be striking and the footwear will normally be clogs traditionally with irons nailed to the soles and heels. The dancing involves much stepping and the rhythm is accentuated by the clogs.
Often the dances took the form of a procession, in which the dancers perform a few figures before continuing along the street and repeating the sequence. Today they are usually performed in sets.
In the early industrial period the dances were performed annually by men only at the Rushcart ceremonies which took place in Wakes Weeks.
The dancers hold short sticks or sometimes slings to accentuate the movements of the dance but do not clash them as in other forms of morris.
Old Speckled Hen was started in 1992 and was named after one of the beers from the Morland Brewery in Abingdon.
Interested in dancing? Want to play music? Or just want some more information? Email
oshclogbag@gmail.com
Old Speckled Hen 