Saturday 6 December 2008

I am in ignorance of almost everything

Today we can be found locked with a large group of morris dancers in Luton's Stockwood museum transport section. Apparently, it's a Georgian festival. I didn't know that morris dancing had anything to do with England's mad Georges. Anyway. For Georgian festival, read morris dancers, four reenactors, and eight craft stalls in the greenhouse. Not quite rivalling Bath yet.

Well, this probably tells you something about the state of my home educating mentality. It's one that drives me to seek demonstrations and exhibitions of knowledge or culture all over England, no matter how cold the field, nor how bizarre the demonstration.

And I'm not sure the gritlets learned much about the Georgians, except to be disdainful of monarchy. They probably didn't learn much about morris dancing either, apart from the fact that here is another bizarre way of the world.

Today, it's either that, or a comment on the impending Christmas festivities. Here we are in this mad rush towards Christmas when particular social conventions must be followed, but I don't know why.

And here is the following, on a notice board in the cold underpass otherwise known as the local ice skating rink where Tiger has her morning Saturday lesson.


A joyless plastic tablecloth and some torn up crepe paper, stuck on at an angle, perhaps to fill up the noticeboard. It is the worst, saddest, most uninviting and pointless, the most unloveliest signifier of Christmas, that I have ever seen. It is the Alzheimer of a decoration. Here it is, but I do not know what purpose it serves, nor what name it has.


But if you are moved by morris dancing, go here. The troupe we saw in Luton had a proper pig's bladder on a stick.

4 comments:

Irene said...

It is a very sad thing indeed. It makes me want to crawl under the table and weep. Do you want to come and hold hands? Purely platonic, of course.

I always get the idea the the English are rather embarrassed about the Morris dancers. Am I right and why is that so?

Firebird said...

I'm trying to think of a sadder xmas display, even the local Round Table's attempt at Santa and his sleigh (with plywood reindeer) is better, and that's saying something. There are times when simply not bothering is a better option and this is one of those times.

@ The Finely Tuned Woman

Done properly, next to a pub in hopes of a free pint, Morris dancing is a fine old tradition. However there are some people who take themselves far too seriously and don't even get me started on women 'Morris dancers'!

Kate said...

But But she splutters, if you think that's bad, please check out my Last Visible Dog header! Which has been getting more and more tacky as the twelve days of Christmas goes by, and NO-ONE has yet commented upon! Surely it is worse! And getting worser daily! Please be the first to comment with derisive snorts.

Brad said...

Now, now...It's someones treasure. Look, they protected it with a rain bonnet.