New Year and the Morris Tour

The Morris Dancers of New Zealand organise a get together every year. I was instrumental setting this up in about 1980 and it has been held regularly since. We generally select some area of the country, base ourselves in a (boarding) school, camp grounds or similar venue and explore surrounding places of interest and dance as much as we can. This year the tour was in the Wairarapa just over the hill from Wellington. My side, Britannic Bedlam Morris Gentlemen, organised it and I have to say we did jolly well. There is a general invitation to dancers in New Zealand and worldwide. People from Australia attend most years and there have been teams and individuals from the UK, America and Hong Kong in the past.

We had two Australian dancers staying just before the tour and held a pre-party for them. They are (going right from Sam) Ian from Adelaide and Drew from Melbourne. That's Jeneane standing next to Noreen behind the sink.
The tour was based at Saint Matthew’s College, a girls’ school in Masterton. On our first day we went to the Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre where we saw tuatara (this is a two year old juvenile)

and kokako.

Mangatainoka is the site of the world famous Tui Brewery where this group photograph was taken. The "Yeah right" is an ad campaign that has been running for several years and often refers to some contemporary happening or issue that is in the news.

Nearby is the Middleton model railway which incorporates Cwmglyn Cheese.

Apparently the model railway fan (operating the controls in the picture) put a lonely hearts ad in New Scientist. He lived in England but got a response from a Kiwi woman who is a well known enameller. She responded to the ad, they corresponded, she went to England, they fell in love, settled in New Zealand and make model trains and cheese. Idyllic.

There are a couple of layouts that children (of all ages) can operate. It even has noises!

We attended the New Year’s ball in fancy dress.

Noreen came over for the night and met up with our old friend Glenda. She was Sam's pre-school Montessori teacher.

We even got Noreen up dancing.

Later in the week we visited Stonehenge Aotearoa and had a very entertaining and informative talk from their resident astronomer. Then we danced (of course).

The remainder of the week we spent dancing around the Wairarapa. Here are the Tasmanians at Cobblestones Museum in Greytown .

On the final night we held a Feast and Ale. This is a traditional event that combines a formal sit down meal with dancing, songs, skits and lots of fun.

Here are the Gentlemen (and special guests) at the high table.

Mark decided we needed tea from a proper tea trolley (he works for the government) so played tea lady himself. Unfortunately there was no teapot so he made tea in the jug!

Dancing continued into the night.Back home and preparing for work we just had time to take a photo of Sam and I for printing on the birthday party invitations which I must get printed and despatched this week.