Some words from the Squire about our trip to Brittany
as part of the twinning between Brest and Plymouth
"Wreckers Border Morris set sail with Brittany Ferries on 26th September for a weekend of dance in the streets of Brest in Brittany, to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the twinning of the Naval cities of Plymouth and Brest. The St Dominick based border morris team, a regular at Saltash events each summer accompanied the two Plymouth morris teams, the Plymouth Pipe Band and the Devonport Community Choir , along with a student theatre group and a museum group, around 150 people in total.
The Plymouth Men, who dance some of their dances with naval cutlasses, had their weapons safely bonded for the crossing, and the Pipe Band had their daggers, which they tuck in their socks just below kilt level, placed under safe keeping. The Wreckers’ sticks, to their disappointment, were not considered dangerous enough to be confiscated.
A lively and impromptu music session on the outward bound crossing would have, it seemed, gone on all night - had Brittany Ferry officers not intervened at around midnight, on behalf of passengers that wanted to sleep in peace! All groups were given excellent accommodation by host families, mostly Breton dancers, musicians and choristers, returning the gesture when a Breton cultural delegation visited Plymouth and its environs in Spring this year. The traditions of dance and folk music were exhibited and shared between the participants. It was an unseasonably hot weekend, and with no warm real ale available the morris dancers took refreshment in the form of local beers, tea and crepes – tres bon.
A jolly good time was had, friendships formed and in some cases cemented, and a lovely return crossing was had by all."
And here are a few of the four hundred and eighty two million photos, strangely enough
not a one of them showing us dancing!
