The Club was admitted to association in the Ring as the Bournemouth Morris Men in June 1936. The name was changed to the Foresters in 1937.
The Club was founded by Jack Putterill at St Andrew's, Plaistow, where he was Vicar, in 1937. The name was taken from the famous inn, the Greengate, which stands in the Barking Road, with an open space in front of it, and is therefore suited to the Morris in more ways than one. Here the Morris danced on Bank Holidays, as well as at other times in the streets of the parish and other parts of the East End. A barrel-organ was acquired and fitted with folk-tunes (country-dances and the Swalwell Sword-dance). The side twice entered at the Stratford Music Festival and obtained awards. Jack was Squire and musician, and his daughter Sylvia helped with the music. The Morley College Morris joined the Greengate side in outdoor dancing, and the Balgowan men also came to dance in Plaistow. Activities came to an end in 1939, and Jack returned to Thaxted in 1942. (J.Putterill)
The Greensleeves Club was founded in London in 1926, and has always remained what its founder,
N. M. Cameron, intended it to be, 'a Club for men members of the English Folk Dance Society, who
meet regularly and dance English Morris and Sword-dances together'. The early members, Cameron,
Bell, Croft, G. F. Green, Finch, Martin, Freedman, Ranger, did much to further the general
appreciation of Cecil Sharp's work for the English Morris. The first meetings were held in
St John's Mission. Later the Club moved to Cleveland Street School and then to Tichborne Street
School, which remained its meeting-place until the autumn of 1940. In spite of cramped conditions,
the dancing reached and maintained a high standard, and the team was often chosen to show the
Morris at the All-England Festivals of the E.F.D. & S. Society, and was invited to take part in the
tours and festivals organized by the provincial centres and Clubs.
Cameron, unfortunately, had to leave London in 1929, but his successor John Heaven ably led the team
until he too had to leave in 1940. During the war members were scattered, but with the return of
peace Gordon Neil, ably assisted by William Ganiford, gathered together those old members who were
still able and willing, and with these and some new members again formed the Club. Since then, more
old members have returned, and regular meetings are held at Cecil Sharp House.
(J.Snelgrove)
Under the tuition of William Kimber, who was playing for the Headington Morris when Cecil Sharp first saw it in 1899, the Headington Quarry team has recently been revived and is in a very flourishing and vigorous condition. The team, accompanied by Mr Kimber on his concertina, danced before Princess Margaret in Cecil Sharp House on June 2lst 1949.
The Club was founded by Wilfrid Abbott, from a team of boys belonging to a Scout and Rover Troop. After Wilfrid Abbott's death the leadership was taken over by William Ganiford, until 1938. Wilfrid Abbott also danced with a team of village boys at Emberton, and taught them Morris and Sword dances.(F.Abbott, W. Ganiford)