{"id":754,"date":"2025-04-12T14:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T14:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/?p=754"},"modified":"2025-04-12T14:51:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-12T14:51:10","slug":"to-topsham-we-did-go-where-the-cold-wind-did-blow-and-blow-and-blow-anon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/04\/12\/to-topsham-we-did-go-where-the-cold-wind-did-blow-and-blow-and-blow-anon\/","title":{"rendered":"To Topsham we did go, where the cold wind did blow; and blow and blow (anon)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We enjoyed an afternoon of morris dancing on Topsham Quay for Devon Folk Day. Dancer, Mary F conjures up a vivid representation of our experience in her latest poem…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Topsham we did go, where the cold wind did blow; and blow and blow (anon).<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An early chance for us this year,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to have a Morris out,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

on the eve the clocks sprung forward,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

we did meet to leap about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We danced for Devon Folk Day,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

where river mixes with the sea,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and gathered with two other sides,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

at Topsham quay for 3:00[pm].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lovely spot, with channel wide,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

had only one thing wrong,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

unprotected from the coast as was,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the blasting wind was REALLY strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With us were dancing \u2018Exeter\u2019,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the oldest Devon side,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

adorning toggles on waistcoats of green;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and hats with ribbons tied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other lot, called \u2018Dartington\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

wore white, with baldricks red,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

while we wore black; contrastingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each by an able squire were led.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We danced a few from Illmington,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

one formed a ring of waivers high,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

that be \u2018Lily\u2019; in the valley Exe,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

backed by its water, hills and sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though windy, this location was,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

an audience did stay,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and watch our minstrels wandering,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

as we did a classic mirror hey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since not co-incidentally,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

we were positioned near a pub,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with its fayre of many liquids,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and presumably some grub!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Said audience did us motivate,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to ensure our lines were tighter,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

than in practice they had sometimes been,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and our feet be all (in) the lighter (inn).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did I mention it was windy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the kind that chills you to the bone,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it toppled the trolleyed stick bag;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

it blew as constant as a drone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when we could we bundled on,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

any clothing we had brought,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

then huddled up for extra warmth;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

one even further shelter sought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though her spot became quite suddenly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the \u2018stage\u2019 where the shanty crew did sing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

so, Christine got hemmed in for their set,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

though cold, that made us warmly grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a shanty song about,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

some awful work at sea,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

their roped up, 6ft, wooden prop,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

was recommissioned; gleefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As our next dance just so happened,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to be[come] \u2018Bacca pipes\u2019 you see,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

wherein aforementioned capstan did,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

replace Jenny\u2019s pipes; quite spiritedly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last dance was for joining in,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

a jig; with us \u2018Glories\u2019 as the guides,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and in the midst of this, a blended throng,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the wind seemed strangely pacified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recalling: 29th March 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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We enjoyed an afternoon of morris dancing on Topsham Quay for Devon Folk Day. Dancer, Mary F conjures up a vivid representation of our experience in her latest poem… To Topsham we did go, where the cold wind did blow; and blow and blow (anon). An early chance for us this year, to have a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":767,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=754"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":768,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754\/revisions\/768"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gloryofthewest.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}