Hundreds of Morris dancers entertain Peterborough city centre crowds

Peterborough Morris hosted the 365th meeting of Morris Ring on Saturday, where 20 morris dance sides from across the country brought action, colour and music to entertain crowds throughout the day

Entertainment came from the likes of Jockey Morris of Birmingham, Dolphin Morris Men of Nottingham, Kemp’s Men of Norwich, and Cotswold Morris - typified by crossed ribbons called baldrics and handkerchieves. First Class Stamp demonstrated their fast-paced Appalachian step dancing, with local side Pig Dyke Molly performing Cambridgeshire Molly dancing.

The different groups performed between 11am and 4pm, along Bridge Street, in the Cathedral Precincts and on St John’s Square, with massed shows on Cathedral Square.

The event was originally planned for September 2020 to celebrate the end of Peterborough Morris’ 40th anniversary year, but was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Morris Ring is an association of 180 clubs, founded in 1934. It seeks to encourage the performance of morris, and to promote awareness of its history and traditions. There are usually several meetings of Morris Ring members each year, but this is the first time that Peterborough has hosted such a gathering.

Anyone interested in joining Peterborough Morris can email [email protected] for details.