An Index to The Morris Ring's Previous Meetings

An Index To The Morris Ring's Previous Meetings

INDEX:
1934 - 1940
1946 - 1954
1955 - 1964
1965 - 1974
1975 - 1984
1985 - 1994
1995 - 2004
2005 -

The Ring Celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2009 so that a list of our previous Meetings is apposite! I was amazed to find that such a list did not exist - except in fragments: with Keith Francis holding some as Keeper of the Log; John Frearson, our previous Bagman, in the form of a MS Excel workbook; and most of the rest of the information in the Ring Log books held by our Archivist, Chris Metherell. Matters were complicated by our Treasurer, Steve Adamson, suffering a disasterous house fire a few years ago.

Chris has used John Frearson's spreadsheet to prepare a more complete list {amended Oct 29^th 2006}, and this is now available on-line. There must be some interesting statistics in this file! Of Past Ring Meetings Chris says the following:

Historically there seems to have been some confusion as to what constituted a Ring Meeting. I suggest this as a way forward:
“A simple and foolproof way of defining a Ring Meeting: The official record is the Log Book. When the Squire signs off the log as correct, if the meeting is stated in the log to be a Ring Meeting then that's what it is.”
Early Ring meetings were not organised by a host team but rather by one or two individuals on behalf of the Ring, hence the lack of host team. For many years instructional meetings were also classed as Ring meetings and included in the numerical sequence. This practice stopped in the late 1970s and instructional meetings are not now numbered. It is hoped to produce a definitive list of these in due course.
Sometimes the documents produced by the host team are wrong - but not the log! Examples are the Ludlow meeting of 1959 (N^o71) For some reason the publicity material gives it as N^o68, however the logs are quite clear that it was N^o71. Similar confusion arose in 1980 due to the cancellation of the Bodmin meeting (N^o181). Although it was decided to stick with the numerical sequence, the message did not reach the Bristol men who renumbered their event to take account of the cancellation, hence the publicity material gives it as N^o185 when in fact it was N^o186.
The Ring Archive holds a mass of information on Ring meetings, although the volume for each meeting is very variable. For some all that exists is the log entry, for others we have a whole file of information ranging from minutes of the organising committee to meal tickets and accounts.

The Web list below, produced from the Excel workbook, shows the Ring Meetings according to the organising morris club, but also, and where necessary, shows the site for the meeting in brackets {}, and other notes. Consult the online Excel file for definitive information. Some precise dates are missing and I welcome contributions, comments, errors, etc., these should be reported to:

27th Oct 2006: Some corrections, thanks to John Price of St Albans MM, who pointed out:

... we (SAMM) have the same problem as you when it comes to giving the Ring Meeting date as either a single day (normally the Saturday) or as the spread of days (normally Friday to Sunday). Sometimes our log reports state when men arrived and left: sometimes they don't. Your list is not consistent in this ...

Chris Metherell's Excel file now address this problem, but my web version still has to catch up (29/10/2006).

In 1935, the Earliest Ring Directory listed fourteen clubs. Between 1935 and 1940 The Morris Ring held 18 more meetings; Thaxted MM hosted five of these, the rest were organised by various individuals under the auspices of the Ring.

(1) Inaugural Meeting, Cecil Sharp House, 20^th Oct
(2) Thaxted MM, 31^stMay - 2^ndJune
(3) Stow-on-the-Wold, 13^th - 15^thSept
(4) Cecil Sharp House, 1^stFeb
(5) Thaxted MM, 5^th - 7^thJune
(6) Wargrave, 4^th - 6^thSept.
(7) Grasmere, 18^th - 20^thSept
(8) Cecil Sharp House, 13^thMar
(9) Thaxted MM, w/e 5^thJune
(10) Tideswell, w/e 12^thJune
(11) Kettering, w/e 18^thSept.
(12) Cecil Sharp House, 12^thMar
(13) Thaxted MM, w/e 11^thJune
(14) Stow-on-the-Wold, w/e 17^thSept
(15) Manchester, 29^thOct
(16) Cecil Sharp House, 18^thMar
(17) Longridge, w/e 13^thMay
(18) Thaxted MM, w/e 10^thJune
(19)Cecil Sharp House, 10^thMar

After the 19th Meeting clubs found increasing difficulties in arranging a Ring meeting due to the 1939/45 war. A number of clubs, for example Oxford with their May Day celebrations, did manage some dancing during the war, but there were no Ring Meetings. The meetings started again in 1946. In the list below, where a morris side organises the meeting, this is shown as the first entry, where there is no 'organising side', the name of the place where the meeting was held is given.

(20) Cecil Sharp House, 23^rd Mar
(21) Stratford - with folk festival - 4^th Aug
(22) Cecil Sharp House, 22^ndMar
(23) Thaxted MM 14^thJul
(24) Stratford, 3^rdAug
(25) Thaxted MM 22^nd May
(26) Cecil Sharp House, 25^th Sep
(27) Cecil Sharp House, 26^th Mar
(28) Thaxted MM 28^th May
(29) St Albans MM 10^th Sep
(30) Cecil Sharp House, 25^th Mar
(31) Thaxted MM 20^th May
(32) Bedford 9^th Sep
(33) Thaxted MM 2^ndJun
(34) Oxford University MM 15^thSep {Oxford}
(35) Cecil Sharp House, 22^nd Mar
(36) Thaxted MM 7^th Jun
(37) Abingdon MM 6^th Sep
(38) Tideswell 20^th Sep
(39) Cecil Sharp House, 14^th Mar
(40) Thaxted MM 6^th Jun
(41) DerwentMM / Kings MM / Newcastle MM 29^th Aug-53 {Derwent Valley/Consett}
(42) Ravensbourne MM 5^th Sep {Tonbridge}
(43) Thaxted MM 29^th May
(44) Whitchurch MM (21st Anniversary) 3^rdJul {Aylesbury}
(45) White Horse MM 4^thSep {Salisbury}
(46) Coventry MM 11^thSep

(47) Cambridge MM - 21^st Anniversary of Ring 15^th Apr {Cambridge}
(48) Thaxted MM 21^st May
(49) Oxford University MM 28^th May {Cotswolds}
(50) London Morris Clubs 9^th Jul {London}
(51) Men of Mercia 3^rd Sep {Lichfield}
(52) Manchester MM 17^th Sep
(53) Leeds MM / White Rose MM 21^st Apr {West Riding - Leeds} (54) Thaxted MM 26^th May
(55) Abingdon MM 15^th Sep
(56) Ring / EFDSS - Instructional - 22^nd Sep-56 {Cecil Sharp House}
(57) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional - 30^th Mar
(58) Thaxted MM 1^st Jun
(59) Winchester MM 29^th Jun
(60) Burton upon Trent MM 7^th Sep {Derby}
(61) Thames Valley MM - one day only - 21^st Sep {Kingston}
(62) Cecil Sharp House 22^nd Mar
(63) Thaxted MM 31^st May
(64) Colchester MM 6^th Sep
(65) Monkseaton MM 13^th Sep {Whitley Bay}
(66) Cecil Sharp House 11^th Apr
(67) Kings MM - Instructional - 18^th Apr {Newcastle}
(68) Thaxted MM 30^th May
(69) Exeter MM 11^th Jul
(70) Headington MM - Silver Jubilee Meeting - 5^th Sep
(71) Ludlow MM 27^th Sep
(72) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional - 12^th Mar
(73) Thaxted MM 11^th Jun
(74) East Surrey MM 10^th Sep {Reigate} (75) Monkseaton MM 24^th Sep {Whitley Bay}
(76) Leeds - Instructional - 15^th Apr
(77) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional - 22^ndApr
(78) Thaxted MM - 50th Anniversary - 27^th May
(79) Birmingham 5^th Jul
(80) Bedford MM 9^th Sep
(81) Manchester MM 23^rd Sep
(82) London - Instructional - 10^th Mar
(83) Thaxted MM 16^th Jun
(84) Gloucestershire MM {Cheltenham} 14^th Jul
(85) Newcastle MM 22^nd Sep
(86) Sheffield University - Instructional - {Sheffield} 9^th Mar
(87) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional - 16^th Mar
(88) Thaxted MM 8^th Jun
(89) London Clubs {London} 6^th Jul
(90) Martlets MM {Chichester} 7^th Sep
(91) Sheffield University - Instructional - {Sheffield} 23^rd Nov
(92) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional - 8^th Feb
(93) Thaxted MM 23^rd May
(94) Shakespeare MM {Stratford} 13^th Jun
(95) Newcastle/Monkseaton/Stockton/Derwent Valley MM {Durham} 5^th Sep
(96) Winchester MM 12^th Sep

(97) London - Instructional - 13^th Mar
(98) Thaxted MM 22^nd May
(99) Mendip MM {Wells} 3^rd Jul
(100) Oxford City MM {Oxford} 4^th Sep
(101) Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers {Sheffield} 18^th Sep
(102) London - Instructional - 30^th Oct
(103) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional - 19^th Mar
(104) Thaxted MM 21^st May
(105) Leicester MM 3^rd Sep
(106) St Albans MM 24^th Sep
(107) Sheffield University - Instructional - {Sheffield} 19^th Nov
(108) Cecil Sharp House - Instructional, Roy Dommett on Longborough - 11^th Mar
(109) Thaxted MM 3^rd Jun
(110) Chanctonbury Ring MM {Brighton} 8^th Jul
(111) Green Man MM {Sutton Coldfield} 16^th Sep
(112) London - Instructional, Rapper - 30^th Mar
(113) Thaxted MM 18^th May
(114) Monkseaton MM {Whitley Bay} 13^th Jul
(115) Derby MM 14^th Sep
(116) London - Instructional - 22^nd Mar
(117) Thaxted MM 20^th Jun
(118) Shakespeare MM {Stratford} 28^th Jun
(119) Colchester MM {Colchester} 26^th Jul
(120) Uttoxeter & Stafford MM {Staffordshire} 6^th Sep
(121) London - Instructional - 21^st Mar
(122) Thaxted MM Jun 5^th to 7^th
(123) Exeter MM Sep
(124) Foresters MM Nottingham. 24^th -26^th July
(125) Bristol MM Sep
(126) Coventry MM 12^th Sep
(127) London - Instructional - 13^th Mar
(128) Manchester MM 17^th Apr
(129) Thaxted MM Jun 4^th to 6^th
(130) Cambridge MM Jul 2^nd to 4^th
(131) S.Shropshire MM {Ludlow} 3^rd - 5^th Sep
(132) White Rose MM {Huddersfield} Sep
(133) London - Instructional - Mar
(134) Thaxted MM Jun 2^nd to 4^th
(135) Westminster MM {London Clubs: Beaux, Greensleeves, Westminster, Hammersmith and London Pride} 8^th Jul
(136) Ravensbourne MM {Bromley} 1^st - 3^rd Sep
(137) Green Man MM {Sutton Coldfield} 23^rdSep
(138) London - Instructional - Mar
(139) Thaxted MM Jun 1^st to 3^rd
(140) Green Ginger MM {Beverley} Jun 8^th to 10^th
(141) Gloucestershire MM {Gloucester} 13^th -15^th Jul
(142) Wessex MM {Yeovil} 2^nd Sep
(143) Uttoxeter & Stafford MM {Uttoxeter} 8^th Sep
(144) London - Instructional - 30^th Mar
(145) Thaxted MM 8^th Jun
(146) West Somerset MM {Taunton} 13^th Jul
(147) Winchester MM 20^th Jul
(148) Headington Quarry {Headington} 7^th Sep
(149) Handsworth Traditional Sword Dancers {Sheffield} 14^th Sep

(150) London - Instructional - 22^nd Mar
(151) Thaxted MM 31^st May
(152) Shakespeare {Stratford} 28^th Jun
(153) E. Suffolk MM {Ipswich} 12^th Jul
(154) Whitchurch MM {Aylesbury} 6^th Sep
(155) Furness MM {Lakeland} 27^th Sep
(156) London - Instructional - 13^th Mar
(157) Thaxted MM 5^th Jun
(158) Greensleeves MM {Chipperfield} 10^th Jul
(159) Dolphin MM {Nottingham} 25^th Jul
(160) Cardiff MM {Cardiff} 21^st Aug
(161) Mersey MM {Chester} 4^th Sep
(162) East Surrey MM {Guildford} 11^th Sep
(163) London - Instructional - 26^th Mar
(164) Manchester MM 23^rd Apr
(165) St Albans MM 11^th Jun
(166) Newcastle MM {Heddon-on-the-Wall} 18^th Jun
(167) Thaxted MM (Programme shows this as N^o165) 25^th Jul
(168) Colchester MM 16^th Jul
(169) Derby MM 23^rd Jul
(170) Ravensbourne MM {Keston} 3^rd Sep
(171) Thaxted MM 3^rd Jun
(172) Offley MM {Luton} 24^th Jun
(173) Benfleet Hoymen {Rochford} 22^nd Jul
(174) South Shropshire MM {Ludlow} 2^nd Sep
(175) Thaxted MM 2^nd Jun
(176) Green Ginger MM {Hull} 23^rd Jun
(177) Giffard MM {Wolverhampton} 7^th Jul
(178) Men of Wight MM {Isle of Wight} 11^th Aug
(179) Moulton MM {Moulton} 1^st Sep
(180) Thaxted MM 31^st May
(181) Trigg MM {Bodmin} Cancelled
(182) Silurian MM {Ledbury} 12^th Jul
(183) Lothians MM {Edinburgh} 19^th Jul
(184) Chanctonbury Ring MM {Brighton} 26^th Jul
(185) London Clubs {London} 6^th Sep
(186) Bristol MM (Due to the cancellation of 181,
the publicity material for this meeting erroneously gives
this as N^o185) 13^th Sep
(187) Thaxted MM 30^th May
(188) Coventry MM {Coventry} 20^th Jun
(189) West Somerset MM {Minehead} 4^th Jul
(190) Derby MM Cancelled
(191) Kennett MM {Shiplake} 25^th Jul
(192) Wath MM {Wath on Dearne} 5^th Sep
(193) Thaxted MM 5^th Jun
(194) Hartley MM {Wrotham} 24^th Jul
(195) Icknield Way MM Cancelled
(196) Wessex MM {Sherborne} 21^st Aug
(197) Stafford/Uttoxeter MM {Stafford} 4^th Sep
(198) Thaxted MM 4^th Jun
(199) Offley MM {Lilley} (Publicity material mistakenly as N^o200) 25^th Jun
(200) White Horse MM {Warminster} 16^th Jul
(201) Men of Wight MM {Isle of Wight} 13^th Aug
(202) Moulton MM 3^rd Sep
(203) Thaxted MM 2-Jun
(204) Preston Royal MM {Preston} 23^rd Jun
(205) Cambridge MM 5^th Jun
(206) Greensleeves MM {Chipperfield} 14^th Jul
(207) Wantsum/East Kent/Kings MM {Canterbury} 1^st Sep

(208) Thaxted MM 1^st Jun
(209) Yateley MM 29^th Jun
(210) Faithful City MM {Worcester 20^th Jul}
(211) Helmond M {Holland} 24^th Aug
(212) Cardiff MM 7^th Sep
(---) Manchester MM 10^th May {Insufficient sides expressed interest in the 1986 meeting in Manchester, and so it was scrapped}
(213) Shakespeare MM - Bidford, 100th Anniversary Bidford - 24^th May
(214) Thaxted MM 31^st May
(215) White Rose MM {Yorkshire} 5^th Jun
(216) East Surrey MM {Surrey} 19^th Jul
(217) Harthill MM {Sheffield} 6^th Sep
(218) Colchester MM 16^th May
(219) Thaxted MM 6^th Jun
(220) Claro Sword {Knaresborough} 4^th Jul
(221) Exeter MM {Crediton} 18^th Jul
(222) King John's MM {Southampton} 21^st May
(223) Thaxted MM 4^th Jun
(224) Whitchurch MM {Tring} 2^nd Jul
(225) Trigg MM {Bodmin} 9^th Jul
(226) Wantsum MM {Canterbury} 3^rd Sep
(227) White Hart MM {Redditch} 8^th Oct
(228) Thaxted MM 3^rd June
(229) Dolphin MM {Nottingham} 24^th Jun
(230) Durham Rams MM 8^th Jul
(231) Kennet MM 22^nd Jul
(232) Dartington MM 2^nd Sep
(233) Thaxted MM 2^nd Jun
(234) St. Albans MM 7^th Jul
(235) White Horse MM 14^th Jul
(236) Men of Wight MM 11^th Aug
(237) Bristol MM 1^st Sep
(238) Thaxted MM 1^st Jun
(239) Ripley MM 6^th Jul
(240) Martlet Sword & MM 27^th Jul
(241) Leicester MM 7^th Sep
(242) Thaxted MM 30^th May
(243) Faithful City MM 11^th Jun
(244) Boars Head MM 27^th Jun
(245) Bedford MM 18^th Jul
(246) Forest of Dean MM 22^nd Aug
(247) Hartley MM 5^th Sep
(248) Utrecht MM 15^th May
(249) Thaxted MM 5^th Jun
(250) Richmondshire MM 19^th Jun
(251) Benfieldside MM 10^th Jul
(252) Winchester MM 4^th Sep
(253) Chalice MM 18^th Sep
(254) Thaxted MM 4^th Jun
(255) Letchworth MM 25^th Jun
(256) Harthill MM 16^th Jul
(257) Silurian Border MM 23^rd Jul

(258) Moulton MM 20^th May
(259) Thaxted MM 3^rd Jun
(260) East Suffolk MM 10^th Jun
(261) Dolphin MM 1^st Jul
(262) Rutland MM 15^th Jul
(263) Men of Wight MM 5^th Aug
(264) Richmondshire MM 18^th May
(265) Thaxted MM 1^st Jun
(266) Trigg M 13^th Jul
(267) Icknield Way MM 20^th Jul
(268) Silkeborg MM 24^th Aug
(269) Thaxted MM 31^st May
(270) Stockton MM 21^st Jun
(271) South Shropshire/Jockey MM 12^th Jul
(272) Wessex MM 16^th Aug
(273) Richmondshire MM 16^th May
(274) Thaxted MM 30^th May
(275) Shakespeare MM & Chipping Campden MM 20^th Jun {Chipping Campden}
(276) Exeter MM 25^th Jul
(277) Thaxted MM 5^th Jun
(278) Long Man MM 17^th Jul
(279) Silurian Border MM 24^th Jul
(280) Leicester MM 11^th Sep
(281) Richmond on Swale MM 13^th May
(282) Thaxted MM 3^rd Jun
(283) Anker MM 24^th Jun
(284) Chalice MM 22^nd Jul
(285) Thaxted MM 2^nd Jun
(286) Boars Head MM 30^th Jun
(287) Greensleeves MM 14^th Jul
(288) East Surrey MM 18^th Aug
(289) Richmond on Swale MM 30^th Jun
(290) Thaxted MM 8^thJun
(291) Silurian MM 20^th Jul
(292) Bristol MM 27^th Jul
(293) Hartley MM 31^st Aug
(294) Thaxted MM 31^st May
(295) Ripley MM 14^th Jun
(296) Benfieldside MM - 40^th Anniversary - 12^th Jul
(297) Winchester MM - 50^th Anniversary - 6^th Sep
(298) Dolphin MM 15^th May
(299) Thaxted MM 5^th Jun
(300) Uttoxeter Heart of Oak MM 17^th Jul

(301) Helmonds - 70^th Anniversary - {Holland} 21^stMay
(302) Thaxted MM 4^th June
(303) Durham Rams - 40^th Anniversary - 18^th Jun
(304) Long Man MM {Eastbourne} 23^rd Jul
(305) St.Albans - 75^th Anniversary - 30^thJul
(306) Thaxted MM 3^rd June
(307) Greensleeves MM 15^th July
(308) Mendip MM - 50^th Anniversary - 22^nd July
(309) Thaxted MM - John Bull Meeting, 2^nd June
(310) Ripley MM - 25^th Anniversary, 30^th June
(311) Stafford MM - 50^th Anniversary, 22^nd July
(312) Ravensbourne & Hartley MM - Geoff Metcalf Meeting, Tonbridge, 1^st Sept

Updated: