|
|
The Gate normally starts in
Nottingham's City Centre in the Old Market Square.
There is informal dancing by various sides.
The Lord Mayor makes a speech, and hands over the "Southwell
Pence". Bob Hine makes a joke about the Lord Mayor leading the
procession on horse back. All
the dancers (and approximately 75% of Lord Mayors, over the years) laugh.
We then process out of the city, through the historic Lace Market
area, and into Sneinton. |
 |
|
The Sneinton Environmental Society has adopted the Gate as part of its own calendar, and we always get a rousing reception - Tom Huggon making a speech liberally spiced with topical satire. Members of the Sneinton Environmental Society then escort the procession to the bounds of the parish |
|
Thereafter, it all gets a bit
hazy. There is a big dance spot
at Burton Joyce, and there are performances at various pubs on the way.
Some people walk the whole distance; others do it in relays, using
buses or minibuses to get to the next pub that bit quicker.
Eventually, we all rendezvous at Southwell, and process up the main
street to the Minster. The
Southwell Pence are handed over to a bemused but grateful Chapter Clerk, and
we retire to the Bramley Apple where there is free beer for the dancers and
walkers.
|
It's a good day out.
In the sunshine, what could be nicer than a gentle stroll through the
beautiful Trent valley accompanied by fifty Morris dancers in bells?
If it rains, there is a great sense of camaraderie.
If it's foggy, the bells are a useful safety measure, and if it snows,
the various rapper and long sword sides make a tidy profit renting out their
rappers and swords as skis. We have a plan for everything. |
|
The
Southwell Pence
It all started in 1109 when it
was decided to build a "Mother Church" at Southwell - what is now
known as Southwell Minster. Churches don't come cheap, so they hit on a ruse to invite
people from all over the Diocese to walk to Southwell and bring money with
them. The walking made it a nice
day out, and the bus fare thus saved could be given to the church. The perfect plan!
|
The amount given by each parish varied, according to the wealth and generosity
of the parishioners. Nottingham, for
example, gave 13 Shillings and 4 Pence (about 66p), whereas lowly Stanton gave
only 5d (about 2p). The whole lot came to 15 Pounds, 18 Shillings, 7 Pence
and one Farthing. In today's
money, just under 16 quid - the cost of a CD - but in those days, enough to
buy a whole steeple, or a good sized nave, or some other architectural
component of a church. |
|
As part of the modern Gate to
Southwell, each side takes a purse of old (pre decimal) coins representing the
contribution of their local parish. These
are handed over at the end of the procession, and then a cheque for the
equivalent amount in new money is handed over.
We've noticed that the Minster isn't getting any bigger, but the
Chapter Clerk now has a fantastic collection of CDs!
Traditions
of the Gate
The Gate has developed many modern traditions of its own. As mentioned above there is Bob Hine's traditional joke about the Lord Mayor and the horse (considerably less spicy than that makes it sound), and the speech from the Sneinton Environmental society.
Many years ago, the procession happened to be passing as a farmer was planting a sapling. The dancers offered to dance around the tree to bring it luck (as you do) and ever since then, we have danced around the same tree, or one very like it nearby. The soil around the roots is compacted to the consistency of concrete, and we've lost an estimated fourteen dancers in the nearby ditch, but the tradition carries on
Then there's the stream at
Thurgarton: if it's hot, it's
nice to jump in to cool off; if
it's raining, it doesn't matter if you get wet.
Either way, there is a long tradition of individuals deciding to
process along the stream bed. If anyone finds a brass bugle mouthpiece in there, it was
lost by Ted Hutchby in 1984. Perhaps
the most interesting aspect of the developing Gate tradition is the number of
old people along the way who tell us that they remember watching the
procession go past when they were young.
As there was a gap of several hundred years between the 1981 Gate and
the previous Gate, it makes you wonder...
"Southwell"
or "Southwell"?
So, is it the Gate to South
Well, or the Gate to Suth'll? Opinions are divided. Is
it Suth'll Minster, or South Well Minster?
We've asked the locals, and some say Suth'll and some say South Well.
After long investigation and careful consideration, we think there can
only be one answer: "It
really doesn't matter. Let's have
another pint."
|
We do know that "Gate" is from the Old Norse gata meaning "road or way". "South" is from the Old English suth meaning "in a southerly direction". "Well" is a "shaft sunk in the ground to obtain water" from Old English wella. So, the Gate to Southwell is simply, the road or way which travels in a southerly direction to the shaft sunk in the ground to obtain water - clearly a metaphor for walking a long way to a pub with a cellar full of beer! |
 |
Thanks to...
The Gate just wouldn't be the same without the efforts and enthusiasm of many people, including:
-
Springhead Brewery, who provide a very welcome pint of their best ale for the walkers and dancers at the end of a long day.
-
The Landlord of the Bramley Apple.
-
Bleasby Womens' Institute.
-
The Dean and Chapter Clerk at Southwell Minster.
-
Tom Huggon and the Sneinton Environmental Society.
-
Nottingham's Sherriffs and Lord Mayors.
-
Bob Hine, who revived the tradition in 1981 and ran it single-handedly for many years.
-
Chris Gigg, who has organised the Gate in recent years.
-
And all the morris teams and walkers who have taken part in the Gate.