Isca Morrismen Family Weekend September 2000

Welcome to the Isca Morrismen Website - Home of the Traditional Morris Dancers from South Wales performing Welsh Border and Cotswold Morris dances together with local Mumming Plays, Wassailing ceremonies and the Mari Lwyd custom

Our annual family weekend of dancing takes place every year on the second weekend after the August Bank Holiday weekend. The 2000 event ran from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September and during this event, the Isca Morrismen welcomed representatives from 10 other dancing sides to the weekend. The following sides were in action over the weekend:-

	Adlington Morrismen - A Cotswold side which hails from Cheshire
	Brisingamen - A lively ladies group from the Stockport area
	Broadwood Morrismen - Another Cotswold style group from Sussex
	Full Moon Morris - A recently formed energetic local mixed morris group.
	Greenwich Morrismen - The millenium wonders with their own Cotswold style and one of the few sides to visit annually
	Isca Morrismen - The local hosts
Our new visitors, Padiham Panache, perform on the Sunday
	John O’Gaunt Morrismen - A group from Lancaster performing North West Clog plus local stave dances
	Old Speckled Hen - Another lively street clog group, this time a mixed team from Oxfordshire
	Padiham Panache - A fine clog group from Lancashire visiting for the first time
	Ripley Morrismen - Cotswold dancers from Ripley in Derbyshire and the other annual visitors to our weekend
	Sweyns Ey Morrismen - One of the two other Welsh morris men's sides based in Swansea

The 2000 Family Weekend was a great success with around 130 dancers taking part. As the weekend neared, preparations were well underway as the following sneak photos showed:

Bean Soup Karen busy checking out the latrines before use

Well that'll get the Bean Terry, I think that will be
Soup nicely fermenting adequate for the latrines!

For the 2000 Family Weekend there were 3 coach tours on the Saturday and the following displays were given by the dancing sides:-

10.00 - 10.45 a.m.       Massed Display at Penhow Castle

11.15 - 11.45 a.m.       Nags Head, Usk; Fountain Inn, Trellech Grange and the Star Inn, Llanfihangel Tor-y-mynydd

12.30 - 1.00 p.m.         Red Hart, Llanvapley; Lion Inn, Trellech and the Crown Inn, Pantygelli

2.45 - 3.15 p.m.           Horseshoe Inn, Mamhilad; Greyhound Inn, Christchurch and the Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny

On the Sunday, the focus moved to Magor where performances were given by all the groups attending the weekend in the central square which was closed off to all traffic. In brilliant dry sunny weather, the dancers entertained the crowds outside the Golden Lion from around 11.45 a.m. until about 1.15 p.m.

Details of the each of the three tours made were as follows:

2000 Weekend Tour 1

The 2000 Weekend Tour 1 started off at Penhow Castle where a massed display was given by teams from all three tours from around 10.00 a.m. to 10.40 a.m.

Penhow

A short distance from Newport and alongside the A48, crowning the hill, is Penhow Castle said to have been built by Sir William De St Maur (later Seymour) during the 13th Century and known as Wales' oldest lived-in castle. Embelishments were added in Tudor times and it was later converted into a fortified farmhouse before being lovingly restored by the present owner Stephen Weeks. The earliest example of the televised Isca Morris has been found here, filmed for an Xmas television special, at around 2 a.m, after a long evening rehearsing, using a Wassail tune thrown at us in place of our normal music when the actual filming time finally arrived. A nice castle which has won several awards and where we were made very welcome before we climbed back on the coach to leave at 10.40.

The Star Inn, Llanfihangel Tor-y-mynydd 11.15 a.m. to 11.45 a.m

Llanfihangel

One of the few pubs that has been visited by the side most years since their formation back in 1976 and one where we are guaranteed a very warm welcome from Alan the landlord. The pub is an outstanding country inn once visited by John Wesley in 1798 and which still keeps a range of traditional real ales. Along with a couple of real fires, two large bars and accomodation, it is an ideal base from which to perform. Around 12 noon the tour moved on to the lunch spot, travelling through Raglan and then out on the old road towards Abergavenny, turning off through Llanarth and then joining the B4233 to the village of Llanvapley.

Red Hart Inn, Llanvapley 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m

Red Hart Inn

A very friendly pub that has won a number of awards over the last couple of years and which stocks a wide range of Cottage Ales. After the visit in 1998 when Jim, the landlord, put on some excellent Normans Conquest (a fine 7% ale) only for us to drink the lot, other fine real ale have been laid on since, including High Speed Train, Golden Arrow, Southern Ales plus Santa's Steaming Ale last Boxing Day. To accompany this year's ales, Jean laid on a special menu for the dancers.

The dancers moved on from around 2.00 p.m travelling down towards Abergavenny and then on to the A4042 to Mamhilad. En route they passed the historic Mamhilad church of St Illtyds with its 2,500 year old Yew Tree - as old as the morris perhaps? - certainly much older than our nonagenarian and excellent musician Harry de Caux who has provided most of the superb hand drawn illustrations to be found on this website.

The Horseshoe Inn, Mamhilad 2.45 p.m. to 3.15 p.m

Horseshoe Inn

A fine pub just over the canal bridge regularly used by Isca and one which was enjoyed by all. The landlord keeps a wide range of ales served in the Horseshoe bar. After performances from the visiting sides, the dancers moved on to a number of private functions before re-appearing around lunchtime on Sunday 10th in the main square in the village of Magor, a few miles to the South East.

2000 Weekend Tour 2

The 2000 Weekend Tour 2 started off at Penhow Castle where a massed display was given by teams from all three tours from around 10.00 a.m. to 10.40 a.m. A short distance from Newport and alongside the A48, crowning the hill, is Penhow Castle said to have been built by Sir William De St Maur (later Seymour) during the 13th Century and known as Wales' oldest lived-in castle. Embelishments were added in Tudor times and it was later converted into a fortified farmhouse before being lovingly restored by the present owner Stephen Weeks.

The castle is now fully furnished and lived-in and has won a variety of awards including the Europa Nostra Award, The Wales Tourist Board Gold Medal and the Anne De Amodio Prize. The original home of the famous Seymour family and the lovely location was enjoyed before the coach left at around 10.40. After the performances, the tour travelled back along the A48 and up the A449 to the small floral town of Usk where dancing took place at:

The Nags Head, Twyn Square, Usk 11.15 a.m. to 11.45 a.m

Nags Head

An old pub set on the main square which specialises in selling only excellent Welsh ales and food. After our performance here earlier in the year, the dancers had a large welcoming crowd, despite the draw of the Usk show which will took place on the outskirts of this side of town. After a lively dance spot, at around 12 noon the tour moved on to the lunch spot, travelling back to the A449 and then past Raglan to Abergavenny using the A40.

The Crown Inn, Pantygelli 12.30 p.m. to 1.00 p.m

Pantygelli

A lovely scenic old pub with a flower fringed patio at the front and a warm welcome, together with excellent real ale and home cooked food inside. The pub can be reached by turning left off the A465 Abergavenny to Hereford Road about 1/4 ml before the slip road to Llanvihangel Crucorney and then travelling about 2 mls along a quiet lane to find this little gem of an inn. The dancers moved on at around 2.15 p.m travelling down the old Hereford Road into Abergavenny and on to:

Hen and Chickens, Flannel Street, Abergavenny 2.45 p.m. to 3.15 p.m

Hen and Chickens, Flannel Street, Abergavenny

A local institution which was acquired by Brains Brewers a few years ago and which has been tastefully extended and modernised. The pub is just off the main shopping street and has a strong local clientele and one of the largest real ale consumptions in Abergavenny. Luckily the audience was just as enthusiastic about our dancing!

After performances from the visiting sides, the dancers moved on to a number of private functions before re-appearing around lunchtime on Sunday 10th in the main square in the village of Magor, a few miles to the South East.

2000 Weekend Tour 3

The 2000 Weekend Tour 3 started off at Penhow Castle where a massed display was given by teams from all three tours from around 10.00 a.m. to 10.40 a.m. A short distance from Newport and alongside the A48, crowning the hill, is Penhow Castle said to have been built by Sir William De St Maur (later Seymour) during the 13th Century and known as Wales' oldest lived-in castle. Embelishments were added in Tudor times and it was later converted into a fortified farmhouse before being lovingly restored by the present owner Stephen Weeks. The castle has won a number of awards for it's tours which range from the 15th century Great Hall with minstrel's gallery through the Norman Bedchamber and Keep Tower's battlements to the Victorian Housekeeper's Room. An enchanting knight's castle where we were made very welcome before we climbed back on the coach and left at 10.30; travelling through Shirenewton and Itton before turning through Cobblers Plain to:

The Fountain Inn, Trellech Grange 11.15 a.m. to 11.45 a.m

The Fountain Inn, Trellech Grange

An old staging post inn, this delightful pub is situated in the woods to the north of Tintern. An example to all of how to keep good ale, and a very friendly landlord who's assured of a visit from Isca most years. Dancing took place on the lane in front of the pub.

After a chance to relax, the coach headed off up the road to Trellech which was larger than Chepstow in the 13th century. The original town of Trellech was largely destroyed in 1291 as a result of a raid following a dispute over alleged deer poaching. The Black Death in 1340 and again in 1350 and, subsequently, the ravages of Owain Glyndwr and his men early in the 1400’s, further reduced the prosperity and importance of Trellech.

A church was endowed on this site by King Ffernwael and King Meurig, rulers of Gwent in the 7th and 8th centuries. This was probably a wooden structure and the surviving preaching cross in the churchyard and the Saxon font may well date back to this time. The present building is well over 600 years old and records held by the Church go back to the year 1692; a complete list of Vicars and Churchwardens from the year 1359 hangs by the entrance to the south aisle.

The Lion Inn, Trellech 12.30 p.m. to 1.00 p.m

The Lion Inn, Trellech

Taking great care to avoid the local wildlife the tour moved on to, no, not the Black Panther, but to The Lion which is a split level pub with two real fires and a collection of model lions and is located opposite the church. It has been one of our regular performance spots over the last couple of years where we are always guaranteed a warm welcome. Trellech village is also justly famous for three stones, called the Harold Stones, which are in a field on the left of the road to Llanishen, to the south of the village. The date of the stones is much earlier than King Harold and like the ancient Morris Dancing, their real significance is unknown.

As well as the Morris Dancers, the village is also renowned for two other ancient attractions. A Norman mote or tump, some 40 feet high, is situated in a farmyard to the south-west of the church and there is a local superstition that calamity will overtake anyone who attempts to excavate it. There is also a virtuous well, sometimes known as St Anne’s Well, which can be found in a field on the left of the road to Tintern, a little way out of the village to the east. The water is impregnated with iron and has been thought to possess curative properties.

The dancers were on the move from around 2.00 p.m travelling down towards Monmouth and then onto the A449 to Newport where the coach stopped off just above the Celtic Manor Resort at:

The Greyhound Inn, Christchurch 2.45 p.m. to 3.15 p.m

The Greyhound Inn, Christchurch

A popular pub set on the hill next to the war memorial cross and church. Initially added to our touring programme in 1998, the pub provides a very warm welcome and a good range of beers. After displays from the visiting sides, the dancers moved on to a number of private functions before re-appearing around lunchtime on Sunday 10th in the main square in the village of Magor, a few miles to the South East.