A Whirl of Bells and Staves
Windsor Morris 50th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday 12th July 2025
Windsor Morris 50th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday 12th July 2025
Morris dancing is one of the oldest and most vibrant traditions in British folk culture. With its origins dating back to at least the 15th century, Morris has been a feature of village greens, festivals, and royal courts, evolving into a rich and diverse tradition of movement, music, and costume that continues to thrive today—including right here in Windsor.
The earliest references to Morris dancing appear in court records from the reign of Henry VII. The term "Morys" or "Moryssh daunce" likely derived from the word "Moorish," indicating an exotic style of performance that captured the Tudor imagination. Over time, the dance was absorbed into English rural culture, particularly in the Cotswolds, East Anglia, and the North West, where regional styles developed. These included the handkerchief-waving Cotswold Morris, the clog-shod precision of North West Morris, and the stick-clashing Border Morris of the Welsh Marches.
Windsor Morris
Chinewrde Morris Dancers
Sheffield City Morris
Great Western Morris
On Saturday 12th July 2025 a Home Tour took place in Windsor to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Windsor Morris.
Guest sides invited to perform in the Windsor Morris 50th Celebration were:
I spoke to Cherith Simmons and Shirley Dixon from Windsor Morris who told me a little about the history of their club, both Cherith and Shirley have been involved with Morris Dancing for over 50 years.
Shirley, who was the foreman (instructor) of Windsor Morris in 2011, wrote a brief history of Windsor Morris where you can read about the “interesting times” in the 1970s when it was revolutionary for women to dance the Morris.
This was originally published in English Dance and Song, the members’ magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society and has been reproduced by kind permission of the Society.
Shirley, who was the foreman (instructor) of Windsor Morris in 2011, wrote a brief history of Windsor Morris where you can read about the “interesting times” in the 1970s when it was revolutionary for women to dance the Morris.
This was originally published in English Dance and Song, the members’ magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society and has been reproduced by kind permission of the Society.
Cherith Simmons
Shirley Dixon
