Reconciliation or divorce - my new life with bells on as a Morris Dancing band musician meets my old life of traditional music pub sessions

I've always known that combining my already busy old life of travelling around playing in traditional music pub sessions in the West Country of England with my new pastime of playing in the Exmoor Border Morris band (a life with bells on) would be challenging.

Last weekend was the first big test of their mutual co-existence. Events proved, like in marriage, you can't plan everything.

With great determination, I had organised every element of the weekend with plan Bs, Cs and extra fail-safes cunningly built in.

My main weekend's entertainment was to be the annual traditional English musicians Winter reunion at the Radway Inn, Sidmouth, Devon 2010 (see photo top right) which was to start, as usual, on Friday evening in the pleasant Regency town of Sidmouth in the South of England and then continue during pub opening times until Sunday lunchtime with a brief bit of busking on the sea front in 'the old bus shelter' with the other traditional musicians.

However, for me, this reunion was to be different as it was to be broken by yours truly making a quick dash to savour the beauties of the City of Bath, England and play with the Exmoor Border Morris band in a combined meet-up with their good friends Foxs Border Morris on Saturday lunchtime and afternoon.

After much thought, my logistics had became somewhat complicated and involved parking overnight in my camper van in a drive at Sampford Peverell, a walking trip down a canal, climbing up an embankment and some perilous hitch-hiking in the lay by on the A361 link road approach to the M5 to get me to Bath ... possibly dressed as a Morris man! I thought I had planned everything.

But the one thing my plans hadn't predicted was around four inches of snow falling on the Barnstaple area Saturday morning just when many of Exmoor Border Morris were planning to leave which meant the visit to Bath to meet up and dance with Foxs Border Morris in Bath City Centre had to be cancelled.

On the bright side, I didn't have to miss the Saturday lunchtime session at the Radway Inn, Sidmouth after all and what a good session it was. In fact, all the sessions were a joy with the usual high standard of playing of the traditional English tunes which form the main diet of this particular group of musicians.

It was a shame not getting to play in Bath but perhaps it will be rearranged and I satisfied my craving to help out with a bit of Morris dancing and 'sticking' on Sunday morning by joining in the Herbaceous Border Morris (link shows 2009 meeting) side band on the sea front before going off to play at the Radway Inn.

So, next year I will definitely be back for the Radway Winter reunion 2011 and it remains yet to be seen if I can reconcile my old life as an itinerant traditional folk musician with my new life with bells on.

Bye for now

Rob
(Rob Hopcott - online author, folk musician and newbie Morris Man with bells on)