Primrose Sword Dancers
000021
A photograph of Lingdale Primrose Sword Dance team, taken outside George Myers farmhouse (Stanghow) 1935/6.
They were trying to make a bit of pocket money by going round dancing and collecting as they were invited to dance in Germany the year of the Olympics 1936.
The man playing the melodion was Dick Hogarth (Frank Holmes' Uncle) the one with the collection box was Bill Hill , the little one on the right is Sid Ellwood.
A little bit of local history.
Picture kindly sent in by Frank Holmes.
Lingdale Primrose Sword Dancers
000055
Back Row, far right: Wilf Hopper,
Kindly contributed by Winsome Kirby
Lingdale Team in Royal Show
000556
Seen at the Albert Hall, London, before their appearance before Princess Margaret in English Folk Dance and Song Society folk festival are the Lingdale Primrose Sword dancers. In the team is accordionist Mr. Dick Hoggarth, and dancers Wilf Hopper, Alan Moody, captain, Douglas Murral, William Husband, Charles Brindlow, Harry Dockeray, Terry Boyes and Frank Holmes.
Kindly contributed by Frank Holmes.
Lingdale Sword dancers
000563
taken at Lawrence Jackson School, Guisborough
kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall
Sword Dancers
000555
Dick Hoggarth, Terry Boyes, Bill Husband, ?, Wilf Hopper, Charlie Bringloe.
Kneeling: Dougie Morrell, Alan Moody, Harry Dockeray.
Kindly contributed by Frank Holmes.
Lingdale Sword dancers
000562
Any names welcome
kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall
.
Lingdale Sword Dancers group photo 000561
kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall
Bill Hill
000557
Bill Hill c1959. Bill was a keen member of the Sword dancers
Photograph & information kindly contributed by Mike Smith
Sword Dancers
000574
Any names welcome
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix)
Lingdale Sword Dancers 1960's
000569
kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall.
Gentleman front centre with dickie bow is William Knight, information kindly contributed by Dave Fell.
Early 1960's
000564
kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall
Hall of Swords
000579
North East miners inside the Royal Albert Hall ... the English fold Dance and Song Society are holding their annual festival at the hall this weekend. Among many dance teams taking part are the Lingdale Primrose Sword Dancers. The team, all miners, show one form of the English Sword Dance as danced in Yorkshire. Originally this was part of a plan re-enacting the age old drama of death and reincarnation; and it is performed by the men captained by A. Moody of Saltburn. The team includes; D. Murrell, B. Husband, C. Bringlow, F. Holmes, H, Dockerary, W. Hopper (reserve) T, Boyes, with music supplied by W. Hoggarth.
Whitby
000582
Taken in Whitby near the Lifeboat station at the bottom on Kyber Pass
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix) June 2008
Cleveland Sword Dancers took the honours
000580
'Finest Teams in the Country' says adjudicator.
Two famous sword teams - Loftus and Lingdale Primrose - who were described by the adjudicator as the finest in the country. So good were their performances that they each received 99 marks.
Photograph & information kindly contributed
by Paula Miller (nee Rix).
Lingdale success in Whitby Folk Dance Festival
000581
Traditional long-sword dance teams won high praise at Whitby Folk Dance Festival, held at the Spa Theatre on Saturday. The Lingdale Primrose team retained the Charlotte Yeoman Cup with an honours certificate of 95 marks. This was the fourth time in five years that Lingdale had won the trophy.
Adjudicating on the sword dancing, in which Goathland Plough Stots, Loftus Sword Dancers and Ugthorpe Church of England Sword Dancers had also participated. Miss Olive McNamara of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, said the traditional dances had been the most thrilling of all classes.
A new trophy this year was a tapestry banner made by Mrs. Jose Kirby, of Whitby, and this was won by West Hestlerton School in the country dance class.
Results;
Singing Games:
1. Mount St Mary's, Pickering, 92; 2. Brotton C of E School, 90; 3. Larpool Hall, Whitby, 88.
Country Dances:
Junior Schools; 1. Brotton C of E School, 88; equal 2. Mount St Mary's, Pickering and Norton Girls School, Malton, 86; 3. Brunswick Sunday School, Whitby, 75.
Senior Schools; 1. Mount St Mary's, B team, 90; equal 2. James Mackinlay School, Redcar B team and West Cliff School, Whitby B team, 88; 3. Norton Girls Senior School A team, 85;
Village Schools; 1. West Heslerton, 88; 2. Egton C of E School A team, 85; 3. Grosmont, 84;
Open; 1. Mount St Marys, 80;
Novice; 1. Rillington Evening Institute, 82; 2. Castleton Evening Institute, 82.
Country Dances:
Intermediate; 1. Congregational Church, Whitby, 86; equal 2. Eglin Country Dance Club and Whitby Evening Institute, 85; 3. Ruswarp Evening Institute, 84.
Village Clubs; 1. Seamer and Irton, 92; 2. Rillington, 88; 3. Castleton, 85.
Open, over 18; 1. Seamer and Irton, 88.
Sword Dancing - Men, open, 1. Lingdale primrose, 95; 2. Loftus, 90; Ugthorpe and Goathland Plough Stots, 88.
(March 1961)
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix)
Keep in step with the dance tradition 000565
Dances have come and gone, but the tradition of the Yorkshire Long Sword Dance is maintained by the Lingdale Primrose team, which travels to London on February 19th and will dance exhibitions at the international festival arranged by the English Folk Dance and song society.
The only original member remaining is Dick Hogarth, the melodeon player who accompanies the dancers.
He recalls: "This team was formed in 1926 and this will be my third visit to the Royal Albert Hall. Although I have been twice before this is a great thrill."
The primrose dancers have won a trophy 11 times out of 12 visits to the Whitby festival, said Mr Hogarth. He is the Licensee of the Ship Inn, Brotton, where the dancers now practice.
The tradition of the dance goes back to early times.
Another member Mr Wilf Hopper, joined the Lingdale Progressive dancers in 1924, later coming into the Primrose team.
The party traveling to London will comprise Messrs. A. Moody, captain; D. Murrell, H. Dockeray, T. Boyes, W. Husband, F. Holmes, W. Hopper, C. Bringloe and R. Hogarth.
Photograph and information kindly contributed by Kevin Hall and Les Bringloe.
Newspaper cutting
000571
While fortunes for the folk song clubs have been erratic over recent years - one side of the folk scene is blossoming and bloomig. Folk dance clubs and sword dance and morris teams are springing up all over the place. The revival has been building up slowly over the last two decades and today the dance side of the folk world is probably stronger than the music and song half.
So it is a good time to bring out a book on one of the most attrative and interesting forms of folk dance in England - Yorkshire based longsword dancing.
And that is exactly what Trevor Stone has done 'Rattle up my Boys' price 90p. Many will know Trevor from his long association with Whitby Fold Festival. He organises the dance and the publicity. His book is well produced and written in a popular style - almost journalese if I may say so.
Trevor has traced the origins of this style of sword dancing back to as far as records fo - which is a couple of hundred years ago - and shown hoe in recent years there has been a revival in the number of teams and popularity of longsword dancing. Trevor first got he idea of publishing a book on longsword dancing about five years ago. "A friend asked me to teach longsword dancing to a group of scouts going to a an international jamboree in Canada, they wanted to do something from Yorkshire, I wrote somethings down for them on a couple of sheets of A4 and then started adding things until I had enough for a rough version of the book. "A lot of people were interested so I had 500 copies run off. They sold like hotcakes" said trevor. He decided to publish a second version after receiving a mountain of material from people who wanted to help his research.
This second version, now available from 6 Piroy Road, Sale, Cheshire with 30p extra for postage includes many more photographs of longsword teams from the early part of the century, some from East Cleveland, which even today boasts of many of the best dance teams including of course the Loftus team and the Goathland Plough Stots.
Trevor's book tells us the future of longsword is being assured by a number of youngsters interested to get involved. For example, a 1980 competitive dance festival in the heart of longsword country at Whitby attracted 12 junior longsword teams, substantially outnumbering other types of dance' writes trevor inthe book. Trevor who wasborn in Yorkshire says longsword dancing is very much a distinctive part of Yorkshire heritage as the famous pudding. It is very much a regional dance based in Cleveland nad East Yorkshire and sometimes confusingly called morris dance. The second edition of Trevors book is already selling well and Trevor has plans for a third edition to include the mass of new information.
Sword Dancers win Praise
000806
Cleveland sword dancing teams gained the highest marks at the annual Whitby Competitive Folk Dance Festival, which ended on Saturday night.
Loftus County Modern School "A" team, winners of the junior sword dance cup and Lingdale Primrose sword Dancers, who won the Yeoman trophy in the open competition, both had 94 marks. The adjudicator, Mr. William Caine of Carlisle said both teams were carrying on the traditional dances in good style. There was little to choose between them, but the Lingdale dancers were slightly better. They danced with light and shade and were more experienced.
The festival ended with a barn dance in the Spa Floral Pavillion. Music was by the Yorkshire Square Dance Band.
Festival results were:
Country dancing, country schools:
Kirby Banner and 1, West Heslerton C of E "A" 90pts; 2, West Heslerton "B" 88; 3, Grosmont, 87.
Country dancing, 15 - 18 years;
1, Egton & Egton Bridge Youth Club, 88.
Country dancing, novice, over 18;
Foster Shield and 1 Castleton Evening Institute, 88; 2, Ruswarp EI 86; 3, Swainby WI Folk Dance Group, 84.
Country Dancing, intermediate, over 18;
Walker Cup and 1, Egton Country Dance Club, 80; 2, Rillington EI, 78.
Country Dancing Village Clubs, open; Forster Shield and 1, Seamer and Irton, 88; 2, (tie) Egton Country Dance Club and Rillington EI, 84; 3, Castleton EI, 83.
Country Dancing open, over 18;
Kirby Cup and 1, Whitby Congregational Church Social Guild, 89; w, Seamer and Irton, 87.
Sword dancing, open, men;
Yeoman Trophy and 1, Lingdale Primrose Sword Dancers, 94; 2. Loftus Sword Dancers, 90.
Sword Dancing, boys 15 - 18; 1, Loftus Sword Dancers, 90.
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix). June 2008
Sword Dancers in Berlin
Does Anyone seem to recollect stories of Lingdale sword dancers performing in front of Hitler at the Berlin Olympics 1936?
There is a mention of them raising funds to go to the 1936 Olympics
could anyone confirm this please?
please email eastclevelandhistory@gmail.com
Skelton White Rose Sword Dancers
HELP!
Looking for any pictures of Skelton White Rose sword dancers.
Thank you
replies:
Wilf Hopper was part of the team that went to Germany and met Hitler in 1936.
William Knight was a member of the team who danced in front of Hitler in the 1936 olympics.
Collection of Certificates and letters
000560
certificate for Lingdale Sword Dancers 4th March 1950
Kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall.
000567
Kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall.
000576
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix)
000566
Kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall.
000568
Kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall.
000577
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix).
000578
Kindly contributed by Paula Miller (nee Rix)
000570
kindly contributed by Les Bringloe and Kevin Hall.
English Folk Dance and Song Society 000572
Letter reads: dated 1st August 1958
Dear Mr Hill,
Thank you for your letter, and I now have pleasure in enclosing herewith a cheque for £11. 15. 11. being a third share of the bet proceeds from the Whit Monday display of dancing.
I also enclose a true statement of accounts which show you the exact position, and trust this will be satisfactory to your team. Perhaps you will acknowledge receipt of the same at your convenience.
I am so sorry you are unable to get a team to come over on Monday evening, but perhaps you would make an effort to get over some other evening we are holding a Barn Dance in the open air, as it would be an added attraction.
The remaining dates are:
Wed. 20th Aug.
Mon. 1st Sept.
and Tues. 16th Sept.
We commence at 7.45 p.m. and would require a display for about 8.45 or 9. p.m.
Kind regards and best wishes for your team
Yours Sincerely
C. Swales.
Hon. Secretary.
Letter Reads: dated 27th July 1964
Dear Mr Knight
Mr. Earnest Clark who is our producer of the Society's Festival at the Royal Albert Hall next year, has asked me to write and invite the Lingdale Primrose Sword Dance team to take part. The festival is being held on Friday and Saturday 19th and 20th February 1965.
This year there will be four performances, one on the Friday evening and three on the Saturday, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. We very much hope that the Lingdale team will be prepared to dance in all four performances, but as we realise that this will mean that your men will not see anything of London, we shall understand if you prefer to dance only during the evening performances on the Friday and Saturday. There will be an opportunity for the team to have a run through on Friday afternoon at he Royal Albert Hall and we hope that you will be able to arrange to be there about 3 p.m.
On Sunday afternoon, 21st February we are holding a Festival at Home from 2.30 to 5 p.m. here at Cecil Sharp House and we should be very pleased if the Lingdale team could come and share their sword dance and join in the general dancing. This however may be difficult for you.
We will of course pay all travelling expenses and arrange accommodation for you. We are also prepared to send any possible loss of working hours. I do hope that you will be able to accept this invitation and shall look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Sincerely
Rosemary Webb
Festival Secretary.
Invitation 000573
Reply 000575
Reads: dated 24th August 1964
Dear Mr Hill
Thank you for your letter dated 8th August. I very much regret that owing to holidays you have not heard from us before now. We are delighted that the Lingdale Primrose Sword Dancers will be able to dance at the Albert Hall on 19th and 20th February 1965, and also to dance here again during the At Home on Sunday 21st.
We note that you are asking for £49. 00s. for loss of work and we agree to this sum. In addition of course we will pay for travelling expenses and arrange accommodation for you while you are here in London. I will write to you again about this nearer the time and send you all the necessary details and information etc. It will be so nice seeing the Lingdale Primrose Sword Dancers at the Albert Hall and we are looking forward to this very much.
Your Sincerely
Rosemary Webb
Festival Secretary