Nottingham’s Foresters Morris Men are carrying on an ancient tradition of dancing at dawn by the statue of Robin Hood on May Day.
Every year at 5.25am Morris dancers gather at the Nottingham Castle to continue a British custom.
Morris Dancing has been a tradition in Nottingham since the 1530s.
The Nottingham Foresters Morris Men were formed in 1952. Their style of dance consists of mainly dances from the Cotswold villages, performed as a spring ritual.
Fighting and Fertility
The dances symbolise work, fighting and fertility. The men wear white to signify purity, bells to frighten away evil spirits and they use handkerchiefs to pass the magic of dance out to the audience.
Eric Foxley, 78, started when he was thirteen years old and is the Foresters Morris Men’s accordion player. He practices every Monday night at the Queens Walk Community Centre in the Meadows.
Members of the Foresters Morris Men practices before May Day Celebrations
