‘Ancient Men’ Morris Dancers tour Cornwall, 25th – 27th July 2019

The Ancient Men (“Not all Ancient, and not all Men”) are a group of travelling Morris dancers who gather together each summer to tour towns and villages in a chosen area.

This Summer, we will be touring Cornwall to commemorate the 90^th anniversary of the first tour made by Oxford University Men’s Morris in 1929.

Ancient Men in Cornwall

Oxford Morris at Trefusis, July 1929. Back row ( L to R) – Bill Picton, Herbert Thomas, Gordon Etherington. Front row (L to R) – Francis Tabor, Charles Bardswell, Colonel Trefusis, Henry Trefusis, Reggie Batchelor

In 1929 a small group of Cotswold Morris dancers from Oxford University, including Henry Trefusis of Trefusis, Flushing, made Cornwall the scene of their first ever dance tour outside Oxfordshire.

This group eventually became the Oxford University Morris Men, who on tour are known as The Ancient Men.

The Ancient Men have been touring every summer since 1952, and we returned to Cornwall in 1970 and 1979.

This year to mark the 90^th anniversary year of the original tour, The Ancient Men will be re-visiting Cornwall during the last week of July 2019, and returning to dance at some of the venues of 1929 and 1979.

Itinerary of Public Performances, 25th – 27th July 2019

Thursday 25^th July

12:15   Marazion, The Station House

15:00   St Ives, The Island

15:45   St Ives, West Pier/RNLI

18:00   Scorrier (Redruth), The Fox and Hounds

19:30   Devoran, The Old Quay Inn

Friday 26^th July

11:00   Helford Passage, Ferry Boat Inn

12:30   Helford, The Shipwright’s Arms

15:00   Helford Passage, The Amphitheatre – Trebah Gardens

17:30   Mawnan Smith, The Red Lion

18:30   Penryn, The Famous Barrel

19:30   Restringuet Point, The Pandora Inn

Saturday 27^th July

10:30      Flushing, The Seven Stars

12:15      St.Mawes, The Square

12:45      St.Mawes, The Quay

14:45      Trelissick, Trelissick Gardens (NT)

From 17:30 to 19:30  Flushing Carnival

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