6 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Bay Horse

Dancers: Carl, Claudia, Eleanor, Mickie, Peter, Rebecca, Rose

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, Kelly, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2

Camera: Chris

6 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Hay-on-Wye (triple set)

Dancers: Ann, Carl, Christine, Christopher, Claire, Claudia, Eleanor, Jill,  Kirsten, Luciano, MaryAnn, Mickie, Peter, Rebecca, RichardG, Rose, Tash, Tony

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, Phil, Andy2

Camera: ????

6 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Brimfield (at Corfe Castle)

Dancers: Ann, Christopher, Claudia, Eleanor, Kelly, Luciano, Peter, RichardG, Tash

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2
Camera: Chris

6 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Worcestershire Monkey (at Corfe Castle)

Dancers: Christopher, Claire, Eleanor, Kirsten, Luciano, RichardG, Rose, Tony

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2, Andy2's son

Camera: Chris

7 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Brimfield

Dancers: Ann, Carl, Christopher, Claudia, Eleanor, Peter, Rebecca, Rose, Tony

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2
Camera: Chris

7 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Wildridings

Dancers: Christopher, Claire, Eleanor, Peter, Rebecca, RichardG, Rose, Tony

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2

Camera: Chris

7 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Massed Worcestershire Monkey

Other sides included Alton, Brixton Tatterjacks, Ellington, Enigma, Fox's, Loose Women, Phoenix, Whitethorne, and several old friends

Dancers: Ann, Carl, Christopher, Claire, Claudia, Eleanor, Jill, Kirsten, Mickie, Peter, Rebecca, RichardG, Rose, Tony

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2, andmany others

Camera: Chris

7 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Massed Tide (Just as the tide was a'flowin)

Other sides included Alton, Brixton Tatterjacks, Ellington, Enigma, Fox's, Letchworth, Phoenix, Whitethorne, Wild Moon, and several old friends

Dancers: Ann, Carl, Christopher, Claire, Claudia, Eleanor, Jill, Kirsten, Mickie, Peter, Rebecca, RichardG, Rose, Tony

Musicians: Andy, Clare, Colin, Joe, MaryAnn, Phil, Andy2, and many others

Camera: Chris

7 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Dilwyn (in the sea)

We also said goodbye to Mike who had died earlier this year

Dancers: Ann, Carl, Christopher, Claire, Claudia, Eleanor, Kelly, Kirsten, Peter, Rebecca, RichardG, Rose, Tony

Musicians: Clare, Colin, Joe, Phil

Camera: Chris

7 September 2025
Swanage Folk Festival

Dance: Tide (in the sea)

Dancers: Ann, Christopher, Claire, Claudia, Eleanor, Jill, RichardG, Rose

Musicians: Clare, Colin, Joe, Phil

Camera: Chris

The Seafront Spots on Saturday

We spent a lot of time on the sea front between the amusement arcade and the steps up to the festival field.

Luc and Tash were amongst us for the Saturday and demonstrated how much they had learned in the new months they were with us.

Corfe Castle on the Saturday

We enjoyed our usual trip on the Swanage Railway, to dance at Corfe Castle

Sunday morning on the Sea Front

We gathered for an improvised spot before the official kick-off, and were delighted to find Fox's Morris doing the same, dressed in their new kit.

Our first official spot was at the amusement arcade, where we were just setting up a double Hay-on-Wye when the Waverley paddled off from the peir.  Everything stopped for a while as she departed.

Sunday afternoon at the Banjo Pier

We arrived in time to watch Loose Women dancing on the pier.  They chose Tony as the willing victim in their bra-dance.

Our final scheduled spot were with our good friends Taeppa's Tump at the Banjo Pier. Colin and Christine had learned only a few days before that John and Teresa in Taeppa's have a daughter-in-law who has been best friends with their daughter for years, making us honorary cousins.

Sunday - the final spot

We don't have any still pictures of the massed dancing on the sea front, which had evaded inclusion in the Festival Programme until this year. 

The Festival Programme also included for the first time a line which said "look out for Morris Dancers in the sea. 

It has taken 22 years for the programme to catch up with these traditional end-of-festival dances - but better late than never!

We joined Mike's daughter Kelly to say good-bye to her father Mike, who loved Swanage Folk Festival.

A few happy snaps