Nowt so queer as folk.

A wonderful fine warm sunny day for the local Cleckheaton Folk Festival.

This was part of the procession through the town.
( "Nowt" by the way is "nothing" in Yorkshire dialect)

I went along with our two granddaughters . The eldest took her new camera !(greatly admired by many people! )No doubt a photo now on blip!

The procession was made up mainly by several groups of Morris Dancers.

One called "Wayzgoose" from Otley.
This was the name given to the printers festival celebrated on St Bartholomew's Eve on 24th August. The master printer would supply a feast for his printers.
In the 19th century Otley produced one of the most famous printing presses the "Wharfedale Press".
This is why the Otley mixed Border Morris side, founded in 1993 chose this name.

Another group of dancers called themselves "Stubbing Billys".
They are North West Morris dancers, based in Slaithwaite, Nr Huddersfield.
They formed in 1986.
A "Slubbing Billy" is a machine for putting a twist into freshly carded cotton or wool so that it can be spun.

Morris dancing dates back to the English Royal Court of the 16th century.
Border Morris was largely a product of the 1970 folk revival.
Unlike the Cotswold and southern dancers they don't wear flowery straw hats and wave hankies about.

A happy crowd of people young and old were out to watch, all enjoying the good weather. (raining again now!)

Hope you are all having a great weekend.
Good luck to Andy Murray tomorrow!

PS Well Done Jonathan Marray!! A great win for England!!