Christmas at The Gunmakers

We're taking bookings now! Click here to view the menu in PDF, then email info@thegunmakers.co.uk to make your reservation.

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Westminster Morris Men

Next Wednesday, the Westminster Morris Men will be dancing outside of the pub. This morning, I put up posters to let people know it's happening. My French chef clocked one as he went out for a tab break. "What eez zis, 'Morris Mens'?" Perhaps the description I gave wasn't very good. After I finished stumbling over my words, he looked at me wearing an expression of horror and confusion.

It's election day for the European Parliament. As a child of the early 80s whose earliest memories are of policemen scrapping with striking miners at the end of our street (you see, I am Northern really), I find it surreal that Arthur Scargill is on the ballot paper for London. What a blast from a miserable past.

12 comments:

please don't said...

Seriously? Morris Men? Seriously?

Do you have to??

Jason B. Standing said...

Not sure if this'll help, by way of explanation to your kitchen maestro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hslLqt_QrvU

Victor Vectis said...

1984.........? Miserable......?? You're kidding!
I had a summer of fun running away from violent, London based, thugs in blue uniforms and not spending 7 hours a day, five days a week half a mile underneath Yorkshire.
(Didn't do any Morris dancing though!)

Coxy said...

is Dom Jolly coming?

please no said...

Doing this is as bad as - or probably worse than - all the fantasy role play imagery that surrounds Hobgoblin.

Why must we continue to associate real ale with this kind of sad-act, godawful nonsense?

beerblogger said...

I'm another blogger who writes about beer, and I've been known to morris dance, nothing wrong with it. If English people are embarrassed about traditional English pastimes I have no sympathy. Now I'm not saying you have to take it completely seriously all the time...

swiss chocolate stout said...

The MMs look a bit more merry than the grown-ups participating in traditional carnival in our town:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9lNlpGHvw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brNN5i4s6ds&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NadBqsqYVIg&feature=related

papastonch said...

Are these the kind who bash each other with sticks?
If so, it could be a real crowd-puller.

Showbizguru said...

I love Morris Men.They remind me of England and summer and pints of ale and women in cheese-cloth tops and all the good things which still make this country such a nice place despite the sodding politicians' efforts to ruin it.
Fuck the begrudgers Jeffrey.

Peter Brissenden said...

I remember having some American friends over a few years back and showing them the 'Dead Horse Morris Dancers' at the Faversham Hop Festival.

They were stunned into silence at the sight of a beered up, sweaty, be-clogged, six foot something man with his face painted black, covered in ribbons and bells, hitting another equally huge sweaty drunk man with a stick.

They still mention it pretty much every time that I speak to them several years later!

I quite like a bit of Morris myself.

Artist formerly known as Wurst, CEO APRK said...

Any relation to Matchstick Men?

catherine said...

If you could bring together Arthur Scargill, Morris dancers, (male of course) and ale; well that would be truly fabulous! and a sight to behold.