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The Wessex Morris Men were founded in 1957 by a group of young men (including our present Foreman: Don Byfleet) out of The White Horse Morris Men. The side is an all male side, dancing mainly in the Cotswold tradition. The side is an active member of The Morris Ring.
Traditionally, The Wessex have been associated with Cerne Abbas, in Dorset, and can regularly be seen dancing above the Giant's head at sunrise on May Day and on, or around, Yule (christmas) at The Red Lion. During our closed season (September to April) we used to practice at Cerne Abbas Village Hall, but due to a rather serious problem with the floor; we have decided, reluctantly, to practice at Pulham Village Hall. Mondays are our usual practice nights when we start at 8:00 pm and on completion, around 10:00 pm, we ascend on the Halsey Arms for a music and social session. We are always on the look out for new recruits. So if you are reasonably fit and willing to learn the dance or already a Morris man and have recently moved to the area and would like to continue dancing, why not come along to one of our practice sessions. We are also always on the look out for musicians.
We are a truely international side and have in previous years visited Poland, Germany, France, Channel Islands, Southern Ireland
and even the darkest, remotest parts of Dorset (passport most essential). We also visit other sides within the UK and try if possible
to attend their Ales and Ring meetings.
Recent events (2003) we have been involved with are:
Ripley Ring meeting at Ashover Derbyshire, a fantastic time was had by all in the Derbyshire Dales.
Douzelage (Sherborne twinning group of Towns) meeting at Kotzing Germany, where we found out that the Germans can organise a very good
piss up in a brewery.
At our Christmas Party, at the Red Lion, Cerne Abbas, we also perform the traditional King George Mumming play. Last year we unexpectedly
found ourselves in the news, when the Dorset County Council, were informed by some public spirited person, that we were going to perform in the
Red Lion and The New Inn. The pubs were called by the Council and told that: if we performed our play, then they would be in breach of
licensing laws and would be prosecuted. Not to be outdone, we performed our play in the street. With a few amendments to the dialogue that is, ie. "out
goes I, King George instead of "in comes I King George" etc. All in all, this caused quite a stir, with articles being written in the
Dorset Echo and other newspapers.
Especially at a time when the Government intend to intruduce changes to the licensing laws in July. Unless the new law is changed, it will mean that
we will not be permitted to dance, sing or perform our plays without special licenses, effectively pricing ourselves and our friendly landlords out of the folk business.
Just lately we have been performing the mumming play on St Georges day at the Weavers Club in Sherborne. In the future we may even revive a special
St George and the Dragon Mummers Play.
The side are the owners of the infamous Dorset Ooser, the new one that is, a giant of a creature with a large wooden head and even larger horns.
Poor old Alan Cheesman always draws the short straw when it comes to carrying the Ooser, something to do with the fact he is the only bloke big enough
and strong enough to lift it. Other people have tried on numerous occasions and ended up with bleeding sores on their shoulders, even Alan has a rough
time of it and has to stop and rest at regular intervals. This is the main reason the Ooser is only seen on May day and St. Georges Day.
It is said, by some, to be the Dorset manifestation of the Horned God; also known as Herne the Hunter, Cerne, Cernnunos, etc.
The new version was made by John Byefleet in 1975 and can be seen at The Dorset County Museum in Dorchester. If you want to see the Ooser in action you will have to get up
very early on May day and meet us at the top of the Cerne Giant before sunrise. This year, (2004) the Ooser and the Wessex will dance on the Giant on Monday 3rd May at 6:30 am and NOT 1st May.
The original Dorset Ooser, (as seen in this photo from between 1883 and 1891 by J.W.Chaffins and Sons of Yeovil), was last seen in a Doctor Cave's loft in Crewkerne around 1935 and is reported to have been
sold by Doctor Cave's servant to a stranger from East Chinnock, but in a very sorry state of repair. The horns had fallen off and woodworm had made the mask very fragile. It is
now the popular opinion that: if it still exists at all, it has decayed to such an extent that it will be unrecognisable as the Dorset Ooser.
Further information and a complete history of the Dorset Ooser can be obtained from: The Dorset Ooser web Site by Daniel Patrick Quinn
As previously stated, The Wessex dance mainly in the Cotswold traditions of Adderbury, Bampton, Bledington, Brackley, Ducklington, Fieldtown, Headington and Lichfield and a couple of border dances, the Upton on Severn stick dance being one of them. We also have our own speciality fertility stick dance from Cerne Abbas: the Giant, which was devised by Don Byefleet. It is best viewed from above when the full impact of the dance can be observed, (something to do with a certain part of the Giant's anatomy. Ladies be warned.).
