The side adopted the name 'Wadard Morris' (since changed to 'Wadard Morris Men'), which is both distinctive but also slightly embarrassing, since we are always being asked where Wadard is to be found on the map. Wadard is one of the knights mentioned by name in the Bayeux Tapestry and was the first lord of the manor of Farningham. Our badge is based on the design of the weather-vane on the village hall at Farningham which is in turn based on the tapestry representation. Wadard and his land-holdings in Kent are also mentioned in the domesday survey.
In 1985 one of our performances was in Chatham Dockyard on the weekend in July prior to the start of the Tall Ships Race.
May 1987 (?) was the first occasion that the side was invited to take part in the May Queen's procession in the village of Offham in Kent. This has become a 'traditional' booking. With one or two exceptions we have led the procession every year since.
In 1988 the side was admitted to the Morris Ring, sponsored by Boar's Head Morris Men and Green Oak Morris Men. We danced in at the Thaxted Ring-Meeting in June with 'Highland Mary' from Ascot-under-Wychwood accompanied on the melodeon by Adrian Thorogood, then 13 years old.
In March 1995 WMM hosted the ARM (Annual Ring Meeting) in Meopham, Kent.
Over the years the WMM have travelled to Belgium on four or five occasions for visits to Lendelede and Bornem, and also to Normandy. In 1991 and again in 1997 we hosted the De Speleman folkdance group from Bornem in Belgium.
The side has appeared three times on television (not including repeats). The first was in 1983 (?) in a program "The Pilgrim's Way in June" part of a series "Country Ways" made for TV South and recorded at the "Chequers" at Heaverham. The second, unscheduled, was a clip of amateur video shown in "You've been Framed" in which one of our members slipped dramatically and inelegantly during a display on loose gravel at a local school fete. The third was an appearance in "Surprise, surprise!" with Cilla Black.
Although it is some years since the club has been represented at the Sidmouth Festival by sufficient numbers to make up a dancing side, there has usually been some presence there, as at the Saddleworth Rushcart Festival in August. We did field a full dancing side at Saddleworth in 1992 and again in 2001.
In the summer of 1998 we attended the Ring Ale in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. This was a memorable event of good company, excellent food served to some 400-odd dancers, good drinking and good dancing. Especially enjoyable was the dancing of Chipping Campden, the host side, dancing their own tradition and the Minnesota side dancing a Jazz version of a well-known tradition.
Wadard Morris Men celebrated its 21st Anniversary during the autumn of 1998 with a Winter's Ale in our practice hall in Hartley. It was pleasant see a number of 'old' faces there.
In the summer of 1999, we visited Ledbury in Herefordshire for the Silurian Ring Meeting. Another good do. The weather that year was very kind to us and we had fairly good audiences at our Wednesday night stands for most of the season; a rarity. Many of us were also present at that phenomenon of the year: Saddleworth Rushcart, without rain!
The year 2000 began with a performance of the Mummers' play at The Plough, Trottiscliffe. Numbers were low and we persuaded the publican to play Johnny Jack! (See the picture gallery). The weather for the year was less than good but we had a good season with our numbers still healthy despite the fact that the average age has gone up a year. The Chalice Ring Meeting in Bridgwater was one of the highlights of the year, together with a visit to Belgium. Hopes of dancing at the Dome were dashed by the early chaos in administration and the final limited time allowance for Morris.
The 2000-1 season welcomed back Pete Hicks, a founder member of the side and, following amendments to the constitution, we have elected John Mahony and Don Caterall as Life Members. Early in the season we held a successful "Conker Competition and Winter Ale" and an ARM with an Oddington Tradition Instructional given by Gloucester MM. An innovation has been the holding of the Christmas Carols by torchlight in the open-air by Eynsford Ford followed by Mumming, stories, more carols and songs, roast-chestnuts and beer in Horton Kirby Village Hall. This was instead of our usual pub session. In that year we were able to field a full side at the Saddleworth Rushcart when the phenomenon of dry, sunny weather was repeated. Saddleworth is losing its damp reputation.
We held no Winter Ale in 2001 but the repeat of the Eynsford Carols and Conviviality was very successful with the Eynsford Village Hall as the later indoor venue. Our summer dancing-out season for 2002 is now over. Prior to its beginning we hosted our Belgian friends, De Speleman Klein Brabant, again and took them with us to the Rochester Sweeps Festival and to the Offham Village Fair. The highlight of our year was our 25th Anniversay celebration during which we visited a number of East London riverside pubs. A minimal side attended the Bristol Ring Meeting in July and we were represented at the Hartley Ring Meeting and as usual at the Saddleworth Rushcart Festival.
We have continued to lead the Offham Village Fair procession and to
'stage' the 'Eynsford Carols and
Conviviality' in 2002, 3 and 4 and 2005 is in the calender.
The Ring Meeting in Eastbourne in 2005 was 'graced' by our
presence as was the Saddleworth Rushcart Festival again. In
February 2004 we recorded our first CD of which the first 100 copies are now (Sept
2005) almost sold out.
