Saddleworth Morris Men

Saddleworth Morris Men are a team of male Morris dancers based in and around the civil parish of Saddleworth in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. They dance a style of Morris known as North West Clog.
They were formed in 1974 and revived a tradition of Morris dancing in the area that dates back centuries. The very first members of the team were; Derek Hill, Dr. John Davies, Peter Ashworth, David Lees, Len Butterworth, Dave Caddick, Ron Yates, John Dunning, & Allan (Fred) Broadbent. The idea to start a Morris Dancing side in Saddleworth was borne out of a conversation with friends in a local pub.
The Saddleworth Morris Men entered the first Saddleworth Beer Walk to raise money for their uniforms, or kit. The kit comprises a pair of Clogs, with irons affixed to the wooden soles, white knee-length socks, black knee-length breeches, white collarless shirt, a red sash over the left shoulder, a blue sash over the right shoulder, a blue cummerbund, a rose shaped badge worn in the centre of the chest, a red, white, and blue chevron-striped waistcoat (introduced around 1977), and a black bowler hat, decorated with fresh flowers, and red, white, and blue tail ribbons. Sometimes a best hat competition is held between the Morris dancers before a dance. A lady is selected from the audience to judge the winning hat.
The Saddleworth Morris Men perform a variety of Morris Dancing called North West Clog, a variety associated with the area around the North West of England. The Saddleworth Morris Men perform six main dances, which are named after the villages that make up the parish of Saddleworth, as follows;
Uppermill,
Greenfield,
Dobcross,
Delph,
Denshaw,
Diggle,
In addition to these dances, the Saddleworth Morris Men also have a Processional Dance, and occasionally perform a dance named The Stang Dance during the annual Rushcart Festival.
Every August since 1975 the Saddleworth Morris Men have built a Rushcart, reviving an old tradition. The cart, the "Longwood Thump" is paraded around the villages of Saddleworth on the second full weekend after August 12 accompanied by Morris dancers from all over England and occasionally from abroad.

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