Quicksbottom Morris, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)

Year founded: err, see history Gender: Mixed, include the occasional youth or wee one if they keep up Organization(s): Dance type(s): Border Morris, Mumming Tradition(s) / style(s): Vancouver Island Welsh Border Kit/Livery: Classic Border kit: black footwear and trousers, no bells, red hankies secured at waist, tatter/rag shirt - red, black on white, black face, top hat, various adornment (feathers, rosette, etc.) plus sticks & beer mug

Primary contact: Alan Wilson (Tel.: 250.656.2920 ; Email: ajgwilson@operamail.com) Networking Dogsbody & rabble rouser: JD Erskine (Tel.: 250.812.0481 ; Email: jd.lists05@telus.net) Practice Day, Time, & Location: Private hall, and a park in summers, Wednesdays 7:30-9:00 p.m. Contact us for location any time of year, summer locations (park & pub) may make it to the web site.

Web site: http://quicksbottommorris.ca/ Web site maintainer: Trevor Hancock (info@quicksbottommorris.ca)

History/Miscellany: Morris dance in Victoria, the City of Gardens, commenced about 1973 with the Victoria Morris Men, which in brief became Hollytree Morris, a mixed side. As interest grew that begat Island Thyme Morris, which started as a women's side. IT then attracted men and became mixed. When enough men were deemed be active they formed a men's side making Island Thyme Morris one of a handful of known Joint Sides. IT Morris Men danced out frequently as IT Not-for-joes (NFJ).

For the 2005 season we opened our annual Yule Mummers Play to members of other sides, incidentally and eventually acquiring a few new members. However, hitting a numbers slump that winter we made a “deal” with one gal to dance with us and several years later allowed as to how we were now a defacto mixed side. In reality we don't care about the gender of the dancers as the energy hasn't appeared to wax or wane based on it. We don't seem to attract folks who don't want participate in a lively manner so we don't seem to think of ourselves as a mixed side, or formerly a men's side, mostly as a Border side with a enlivened, mildly threatening and rambunctious presence - in our quaint Island way. Certainly not aggressive.

In the fullness of time it appeared “going it alone” was the path and “NFJs” left IT in winter 2006 leaving the name to continue with the women's side. Dancing as the wholly unsatisfying “Victoria Border Morris” for a season, in January 2007 we took the name Quicksbottom from a local, now, natural area near to our practise hall. We celebrated firstly by creating our first new dance, Speed Bums. This was choreographed jointly in one night by all the then members to a tune by our lead muso, Rod Newman, “The Quicksbottom Hornpipe”, later also called “Rod's Reel”, and by first dancing out under our new name on St. George's Day of that year.

The rest, as they say, is the future.

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