Then before we all knew it, it was Bunfight time again, and once again Tickled Pink were the band, and Nick Walden the caller. Not quite a sell out crowd this time, but a very healthy attendance nonetheless, and great to see so many old friends together with a great turnout of younger attendees, helped by an enthusiastic contingent from Fools Gambit. With a theme of ‘Scotland’, not surprisingly there was a fair amount of tartan on show, but also an excessive amount of ‘Braveheart’ style body painting, some Bay City Rollers, Dr.Who and assistant, a thistle, Robert the Bruce and his spider, the Queen, a 2 person Loch Ness Monster, a single person caber, Rod Stewart, and many more dubious outfits. Interval entertainments included BB’s only Scottish dance, Highland Mary (ahem..), a legendary Irish Bingo (ably run by Mark), and then later on the Men in Black and White who provided some illusory entertainment… As usual, the Bunfight was followed the next day by the Wokingham Winter Carnival – a chilly but dry day, and some good crowds in attendance at the 2 dance locations in town. There were good and appreciative audiences for all the teams throughout the day, and also in the procession around town, held as dusk approaches and followed by the switching on of the Christmas lights. The announcer had notes on all the morris teams to read out to the crowds as they processed past the Town Hall, but he had got them muddled up and Berkshire Bedlam were announced to the world with Fools Gambit’s notes, i.e. as ‘a young, energetic Cotswold Morris team, all under the age of 24’. In our dreams …
