1975                                        When the side first formed it danced the collected “Black Book” traditions

 

Sunday 3rd July 1983         The first meeting of the group that would develop Ampthill as a                                                                               tradition

 

1984                                        Billy Bones, the first Ampthill dance, added to the list of Redbornstoke                                                                dances

 

18th June 1984                    Nodder Sway added at a dance out at The Three Tuns, Biddenham

 

By 1987                                  Three more Ampthill Dances: Pilgrim, Snuffing the candles, Hunt the                                                                      Bunny

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By 1993                                  XO, Bedfordshire Clanger, One Man’s Morris, Middles’ Revenge,  and                                                                     Alameda Walk added

 

By 1994                                 Motley Cap added

 

1995                                       Finest added

 

18 October 1998                Workshop to develop a winter tradition, Brian Mander comments

The notes I made prior to this details the stepping sequence (replacing the Jump with the Spin), but not the “twist” into the first step of the double, which developed during the workshop. My notes also express the possibility/probability that we would have a ready-made repertoire using Ampthill choruses, but during the workshop we came to the conclusion that most of them really didn’t fit and so we were restricted to three dances: Boney Bill. Cardington Hanger and Marston Thrift

 

May 1999                             Three man Stick dance added to the Ampthill tradition

 

2000/01                                Marston dances Silken Chains, Ms Ashby’s Request, Swaying Nods,                                                                        Meg’s First Kiss and John’s Bunion added.

Ibsen’s Reel added to the Ampthill.

Three new figures added to Marston to give more variety to the dances (until then the figures were based on Ampthill figures)

 

8 July 2001                           Scouthall Workshop – named because it was held in the Harlington                                                                       Scout Hall.

After trying out lots of “Black Book” traditions, the side developed a style of its own, which seemed to work quite well. Two set dances came out of this: Scouting for Boys and Old Slapper. A fairly traditional Shepherd’s Hey was added to encourage public participation.

 

2002/03                                Blue-Eyed Stranger added to the Scouthall tradition

 

12 October 2003                Scouthall Capers workshop

 

2005                                      Month of May – the first Scouthall dance using capers was danced out.

 

2016                                      Forty Years On developed to celebrate our 40th anniversary. 

Devised for the Scouthall tradition, it was also performed as a Marston dance.

 

2017/18                               Various workshops to teach Ampthill dances to other teams.

(notably Hemlock Morris in  Bedford and Deofrith Morris in the New Forest) and to encourage the formation of a new team in Ampthill to continue the tradition ( Golden Hare Morris)

 

12 July 2018                        Final appearance of Redbornstoke Morris (at the Toddington Tour).

The last dance was a special performance of Pilgrim incorporating the Toddington Tour song – originally performed at Chippenham Folk Festival as part of The Singing, Dancing Year