The early years (1972-1975)

These two photographs are the earliest pictures of the group that we've found thus far.

The first picture shows one of our early dance outs - here still wearing the morris-kit of the Patchway High School morris side. This was at a church fete in (I think) Southmead. I think that the dancers were (L-R) Paul Chapman, Chris Kettle, Derek Andow, Bob Baldwin, Richard Hooper, ?. I'm afraid that I can't remember who the person on the extreme right was – could it have been Phil Cue ?.

The next picture is a small one and is the only group picture from our first overseas trip to Stuttgart in 1972. This snapshot was taken outside of the Youth Hostel in Stuttgart where we met and danced.

1975 - 1980

The next picture was taken in 1975 at the Bundesvolkstanz-treffen in Hannover. The "usual suspects" then were (according to the signatures on the back anyway) ...

(Back row L-R) Stuart Hibbert, Iain Gray, Peter Sumner, Mark Tranter; (Second row L-R) Mark Harper, Steve Watts, Mike Stutter, Ian Filby, Neil Gray, Bob Baldwin, Robert Quest, Alan Davies, Derek Andow; (Front Row L-R) Lynda Entwhistle, Susan Trotman, Valerie Quest, Judith Witchell, Anne Trotman, Jill Manning, Wendy Hooper, Sally Hinchliffe, Joanne Hall, Diane Sumner.

Here we are dancing in Aarhus in Denmark I seem to recall that we were dancing outside of the council offices having just met the mayor.

The usual suspects (clockwise from the front) were: Jonny King, Judith Sargent, Chris Dewfall, Yvonne Andow, Peter Sumner, Andrea Dyer, Bob King (?), Sue Watts (?), Nick Dash, Anne Thomas, Martin Dash, Gilly Dowsell, Alan Davies and Diane Sumner.

This black-and-white picture would have stemmed from the Christmas of either 1975 or 1976. It shows the members of the Folk Companions taking part in a Mummer's Play - the picture itself was taken in one of the halls at Marlwood School and was "set up" - but we are not sure by whom.

If you know who took the photograph, please let us know.

The cast of the Mummer's Play were ....

(L-R) Stuart Robinson (Beelzebub), Bob Baldwin (St George), Derek Andow (Old Father Christmas), John Robbins (The Turkish Knight) and Martin Russ (Little Devil Doubt ?).

The swords and the shields came courtesy of the school metalwork departments, the metal helmets from (grand-)parental attics - the one worn by Bob being an ex-ARP helmet from the 1939-1945 war and the costumes from the needles of parents or actors.

The 1980's

I remember this engagement very well, it was May Day morning in 1981 - we got up before dawn in order to dance the sun up in a field (in Olveston I think).

But it was very chilly, we were all very hungry and a number of us had to go to work afterwards ... note that I don't say actually work as I suspect yawning and coffee-drinking would have taken up quite a bit of the morning.

This picture shows us dancing "Ring o'Bells" from Litchfield.

This picture shows the rapper sword side from the 1980's - complete with Captain (Rob King) and Betsy (Adrian Dyer). The four dancers (that you can see) were L-R Geoff Poole, Chris Dewfall Martin Dash, Mark (Jacko) Jackson, The musician was Neil Gray.

Morris Dancing in Germany with Horse (Martyn Dash) and Fool (Stuart Hibberd) ... trouserless as they had worn shorts that day due to the heat and left their costume behind !

The Morris side (there were six - honest !) dancing "Highland Mary". The dancer on the right is Iain Gray and in the centre front of the picture is Peter Sumner, but I don't recognise the hats of the others - anyone like to admit to being there ?

Garland Dancing in Thornbury in 1998/9 "season" - this picture is of us dancing Plymouth Reel.

The dancers here are L-R (front row) Denise Cooke, Iain Gray, Gemma Troke, (second row) Hilary Craig, Shirley Holloway, Hazel Gray, (back row) Cynthia Cockwell, Michael Craig, Diane Sumner.

Dancing at Chris and Vanessa's wedding at St Mary's Alveston.