The first outing of the year was an invitation to Oyster’s Mayday weekend, last visited in 2008, along with this year’s other guests Windsor Morris and Stroud. BB weren’t able to join the weekend until Sunday 6th, thereby missing an extremely cold Saturday in Broadstairs, followed by an even colder ceilidh in an historic and consequently very well ventilated barn in Littlebourne. On Sunday in Canterbury the weather was a little kinder, and we had good dance spots in Rose Square and outside the Marlowe Theatre during the day before gathering at Barham Village Hall for a Dickens themed evening, it being his 200th birthday year. This was a very well organised party evening, with various entertainments throughout including guest spots from all the teams. BB had chosen to resurrect the Cockney dance, pressed into service many times over the years in several different guises since its first creation in 1994. The main features, several heys on the side, the wheel of death and the reel of death, were retained, but a new circle of death was added along with a pocket picking figure – and all done this time to the jolly tune of Consider Yourself, bashed out cockney style by Sue, Bob, and guest musician Emma. To make sense of the spot, Oliver Twist, ably played by Mark, was invited by the Artful Dodger, ably over-played by Will M, to join the gang and consider himself one of us, though quite why he would want to is a difficult question. The evening also featured excellent spots from Stroud and 2 from Oyster, during one of which Jameson, playing Tiny Tim, gave his adopted parents, played by his real parents in law, 2 fine but unexpected kisses. An excellent moment, enjoyed by everyone in the room except for two people.
The next day saw us joined in Whitstable by other local teams for dancing and a now traditional procession featuring Maid Marian, Robin Hood, and a Jack in the Green played by Jameson in the middle of various green foliage. The weather stayed fine for the dance spots and various processions, one of which had us processing somewhat precariously along the harbour wall. The day finished with a final procession to Whitstable Castle, the singing of the May Song, a dance from the guest teams (Fairies for us) and a fish and chip lunch.
