A Brief History of Green Oak Morris Men:

The present side was formed in 1971 out of High Melton Morris, a side resident at High Melton Teacher Training College, midway between Wath and Doncaster. Green Oak came via Doncaster (The Yorkist PH), Bentley (Reform Club), Tickhill (Red Lion Inn) back to Doncaster (St. George's church hall) in 1983. The hall is adjacent to the Minster Church of St. George, whose accounts listed items given to the local Morris dancers in 1557. As with most twentieth century 'Cotswold' Morris sides, Green Oak trace descent from Headington Quarry Morris.

Headington informed the English Folk Dance Society (1911),
whom begat 'the old' Ripley Morris (1924),
whom begat Foresters Morris (1952).
Foresters (Cotswold) and Folk Union One (Sword) begat Green Ginger Morris (1968),
whom begat High Melton Morris (1969).

   

The prime mover behind HMM & Green Oak was Paul D Davenport, stalwart of the seventies and eighties folk research scene. Paul was an ex-Green Ginger man and started a side with some other High Melton students. Present Green Oak musician and HM College alumnus Mick was amongst them.

An offshoot of Green Oak was Cheswold Morris. Cheswold was started in 1977 by a number of disaffected Green Oak men and others. They practised at the Corporation Brewery Taps PH in Doncaster, and danced in the Sam Smiths Brewery colours of black, white and old gold. Cheswold folded circa 1983.

Green Oak continueth...  

    Green Oak 1983                                                            Green Oak 2003

Paul Davenport writes:
The Green Oak concept was something that hatched in our digs when at college (High Melton). Dik Penycate and I were in the same accommodation and had various schemes on the go at all times, some pretty dangerous as I remember. The concept of a Morris team that would wow the Morris Ring was one such. Full Transcript

Paul Slater writes:
Paul Davenport was a student at High Melton Teacher Training College and I think had left before I joined the college in 1972. While he was there he formed (with others) High Melton Morris. I gather this dissolved when many of the team dissipated at the end of their studies, but did get back together occasionally for a dance. Indeed I danced with them (in their red, blue, and white) for the Queen's Jubilee for a one off (no Paul though). Paul then started Green Oak and I found it through the folk club route. We practised at Bentley Reform Club every Wednesday night. Lots of dance outs, trip to Thaxted and eventually Ring membership. Full Transcript

Ian White writes:
 My first contact with the Morris was at school. I was seventeen and my then drama teacher was the Squire of Green Oak Morris, Paul Davenport. As an exercise in teaching dance steps, he took a small group of volunteers to teach 'The Lollipop Man' to. Afterwards three of us remained interested in the Morris to such a degree that, after a while, we were invited to join Green Oak as apprentices. As is often the case the role of Man-Animal was unpopular among the dancers and the task usually went to the most inexperienced. So we three, Neil Bugdol, Steve Allen and I shared the task. After a while we each gravitated to either dancing or, in my case, full time Man-Animal for the next six years. Full Transcript

 

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