1972
Dolphin cut by the BBC for obscenity.
Wocko's Shipstone's Ale song arrives

1972 was a busy year. There was much dancing without the guiding hand of Colin Shaw who had been with the side from the outset! There were also to be two weddings, two engagements and a stag night that only just made it before the New Year bells rang out.

Ian Stewart on 5 Row Hohner and Laurence Platt on concertina.

Both photographs taken at a practice session in early 1972 at Kingston village hall.

11^th February 1972 and NTMC newsletter number 116 carried the advert:

‘Join the Dolphin Morrismen  for health, open-air activities, barked

knuckles, and lumps on the head, no money, hard work, turning out

at least once per week, sweaty shirts, mud stained trousers to

wash. We think it’s great!! See windowsill squad or Roy Dyson’

On Sunday 2^rd April 1972 the ‘Folk on Sunday Ceilidh’ on Radio 2 was to be broadcast. Dolphin Morris Men were approached to take part and agreed to do so, for a fee/expenses of £15. The date for the recording of the show was set for  Monday 13^th March 1972 and eleven Dolphins were taking part and had to attend at 6.00pm for rehearsal. The Pennine Hotel, Macklin Street, Derby was the venue and the side was asked to prepare a dance that would have ‘plenty of appeal for radio’, and one which preferably included a ‘short song’.

NTMC newsletter 121 of 17^th March 1972 is full of praise for how well the recording session went and saw it as the start of a series of such collaborations.

The same newsletter announces the engagement of Mick Couldry (of ‘Owd ‘Oss and Dolphin) to Sue Guest.

A letter dated March 21^st 1972 from the B.B.C.’s Frances Line, producer of Folk on Sunday, was sent to Roy Dyson. The letter indicated that Dolphin’s second dance had been cut from the broadcast. The letter explains that: ‘On listening to the tape I found the song contained the words, “Off with their knickers for starters”, I have found in the past that this sort of lyric tends to give offence to some listeners and this phrase would I am sure draw adverse comment on an Easter Sunday afternoon’.

And so it was that the Dolphin Morris became the first Morris side to have part of their performance cut from a radio programme by the B.B.C. for reasons of obscenity!

There were no such qualms from the Mansfield Ladies Circle who Dolphin had entertained the previous October, they wanted more.   The ladies were holding an area rally at Sutton-in-Ashfield and wanted Dolphin Morris for another performance.

Saturday 25^th March 1972; and Terry Paling married Marge at Nottingham Registry Office, Shakespeare Street.

As NTMC newsletter number 123 dated 31st March 1972 puts it: ‘The Mummers and the Dolphin Men were out in full force and full dress. With typical imperturbability, the good folk milling around in the vicinity of the Registry Office ignored the brightly clad eccentrics in their midst, as if it were quite an everyday occurrence to have St George and Little Devil Doubt hanging around Shakespeare Street at 9.45am on a Saturday morning.’

Dolphin performed the traditional wedding dances and Terry Paling joined in with ‘Getting Upstairs’.   Terry recalls that: 'Dolphin turned up even though we didn’t invite them’.   Jan Whitelaw reflects that: ‘Most of us who attended Marge and Terry’s wedding were there in body only at that unearthly hour. The people going by at the time seemed unsure what was happening because of all the different outfits’.

 It was a year for weddings and on 15^th April 1972 Squire of Dolphin, John Baxter married Toni at St Jude’s Church, Mapperley.

The traditional guard of honour was performed by Ian Stewart, John Whitelaw, Bob Hine, Ted Hutchby, Roy Dyson, Colin Shaw, John Sweeney, Wocko, Laurence Platt and others.

The occasion even made it onto the pages of the Nottingham Evening Post.

NTMC newsletter number 126 dated 21st April 1972 records the event. ‘SECOND NTMC WEDDING OF THE YEAR – JOHN AND TONI…hard on the heels of Terry and Marje’s hitching a few weeks ago came the wedding last Saturday of John and Toni. The Dolphin Morris Men were out in full force to celebrate the wedding of their Squire. During the church service, the Morris men had completely drowned out not only the choir but all the rest of the congregation, with their lusty rendering of hymns, starting half a bar ahead of everyone else’ and, ‘putting in a wealth of folky twiddles’. At the reception, the Morris men discovered that £5 had been put behind the bar for them, and they proceeded to do it justice while ‘boogalarising’ the wedding guests with continuous dancing and singing’.

Weddings couldn’t stop the march of Morris to the masses and the dancing season kicked off with a tour of The White Lion and The Double Top at Bramcote and The Cadland at Chilwell. The date was Thursday 4th May 1972.   We see the recently married John Baxter on the left with Wocko, and Roy Dyson with his back to the camera.   A correspondent informs us that, ‘It was bollock freezing cold and the set had only four men in it’       This photograph appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post the next day.

One week later, on Thursday 11^th May 1972, Dolphin’s were at the Magna Charta at Lowdham. It was another photo opportunity.

  
Laurence Platt played concertina and Bob Hine looked resplendent with fresh flowers.

Saturday 20^th May 1972; and a jointly organised day of dancing saw Dolphin with Colin Shaw’s new team Manchester Morris Men.

Starting at Buxton the men danced at Chapel-en-le-Frith, Castleton, Hathersage, Baslow, Bakewell and finished at Matlock Bath near to the petrifying well. The record shows that the total cost of putting on the day was £93.30p and that collections amounted to £81.50 so each team lost £5.90, good value for an enjoyable day out.

The June 1972 issue of ‘Platform’ carried an article: ‘The Morris’ in which ‘Roy Dyson, Bagman of The Nottingham Dolphin Morris Men, discusses the history and survival of Morris Dancing’. The article contains photographs of Dolphin Morris Men outside The Magna Charta, Lowdham on 11^th May 1972 and a full page photograph of Wocko in his smock and holding the remains of a pint…

Wocko as he appeared in ‘Platform’ in June 1972

June 2nd - 4th 1972; and the annual trip to Thaxted Ring Meeting saw Dolphin on tour B with: Shakespeare Morris, Winchester Morris and Kennet Morris Men. Dance spots included, Radwinter, Ashdon, Linton, Hadstock and R.A.F. Debden. Roy Dyson, in his letter of thanks, makes mention of two ‘outstanding features’ of the meeting: the food and the provision of a coach for the Saturday tour!

On Saturday June 24^th 1972 Dolphin organised a day of dancing at Kingston-on-Soar and Sutton Bonington. The day Started at 10am in Kingston Village Green and finished at a Garden Party at Middleton Crescent, Nottingham. The intervening period filled with dance spots at,  ‘Marl-pit Hill corner’, ‘opposite Park Lane Farm’, ‘opposite bus stop’, ‘Sewage Station’ and some of the more ‘usual’ places, The Anchor, The King’s Head, and The Station Hotel.

Two photographs of Dolphin dancing outside The Playhouse Bar during the Festival.	At the Nottingham Festival, Dolphin did dance displays on 8th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 19th, and 22nd July 1972 and as well as these dates NTMC ran events on 14th, 17th and 21st July!
NTMC newsletter number 138 dated 14th July 1972 reports that ‘In the Trip to Jerusalem last night the Dolphin men performed the Kingston-on-Soar Horn dance, an ‘obscene ritual’ which was performed to great applause. It was a busy but enjoyable time for all things folk.

NTMC newsletter 141 dated 4^th August 1972 announced ‘another noteworthy event’. ‘…this week was John and Jan’s engagement/birthday party at the Crown Hotel, well attended by the NTMC members. Towards the end of the evening there could have been no doubt as to which organisation a large number of the party-goers belonged, with singing, dancing and general merrymaking with the true spontaneous “folk” feel about it. All in all, a grand crack altogether, and no doubt there were some fine hangovers the next day to prove it. Congratulations John and Jan’.

7^th October 1972; and eight Dolphins went to Derby Morris Men’s day of dance and feast. The initial invite was for two representatives of Dolphin to attend. In the event 40 men sat down to the feast, followed by dancing and singing and everyone enjoyed the day to the full. NTMC newsletter number 153 dated 27^th October 1972 records, ‘the Dolphin Morris men went to the Derby Morris sides feast some weeks ago. Derby’s Squire was wearing round his neck, as a “badge of office”, a chrome plated bottle opener. Towards the end of the day he was heard to say, “I’ve had this bottle-opener for a year now, and up till now it’s never been used, but all this afternoon it’s been in use opening bottles of Dolphin Men’s ale’.

In 1972 the Shippo’s Ale Song written by Wocko came on the scene and was ever after associated with the Dolphin Morris Men, at least in the minds of the Dolphin Morris Men anyway. The song in its ‘unrefined’ form was probably written in about 1969, although this cannot be confirmed.

Denny Plowman says: 'I think the event where I first heard Wocko’s song must have been Oct 7^th 1972 Derby Day of dance and Feast Stretton Village Hall (Burton-on-Trent). I don’t recall the dancing at all, though. I guess this must have been around the time I joined the Dolphin’.

When asked if he remembered the Shippo’s Song during his time as Squire Colin Shaw says, ‘No.  He made do with "I don't know who you are, Sir....." in various versions depending on the presence of ladies and vicars’.

The full words, which follow, were supplied by Wocko himself and can be heard on the CD ‘Loaded for Bear’ produced in 2003 by ‘The Original Higglers’ Roadshow’. Andy Padmore remembers the song from the 1970’s when he actually learned the words from the singing of Wocko and can see the folk process in action with many changes of words evident. The words as written now are different to the way they were sung then. In verse one Andy recalls, ‘Instead of Robin Hood, Wocko used to refer to “Alderman Derbyshire”, and in verse four “pickles” preceded “Bag of crisps”. Small changes but a bugger when you’re trying to join in’.

THE SHIPSTONE’S SONG

Written by Lloyd Winston Watkins ©date unknown but circa 1969 to 1972

There’s a little Chinese chipper to the north of Hyson Green

That specialise in curry and chop suey

There’s a little trail of horse-muck that’s seldom ever seen

That leads unto the back of Shippo’s brewery.

There’s a little man who works there and he wears a shabby coat

He’s responsible for mixing of the brew

And he’s got a strap of leather where he ought to have a throat

That’s why Shippo’s tasted just like it do

So come along you local lads and listen to my ditty

I song of what’s peculiar unto our famous city

I don’t mean (Robin Hood) though he’s very strange I hear

I’m talking of our local brew the famous Shipstone’s beer

Chorus:   Rule Brittania and God bless Ivory Thirst

We’ll keep drinking Shipstone’s till we burst

So come on all you boozers, drink up with full intent

The water for this brewery is drawn from the sparkling Trent

It’s taken from Stoke Bardolph just below the sewage farm

Then sterilised with alcohol so it won’t do you much harm

Chorus

Now when you go out boozing and you stop off at a bar

Just stop off at that public house that bears the big red star

It’s not the Jewish Russians escaping to Israel

It’s Mecca for the masochists the sign of Shippo’s ale

Chorus

Just step up to the barman say ‘A pint of Shipstone’s please

And just to take the taste away a plate of soggy peas

Some mint sauce and a bag of crisps will cure my misery

But when the mixture hits your guts just keep away from me

Chorus

Now in the General Hospital there is a special ward

For Shipstone’s alcoholics who never can be cured

They’re seldom ever sober they’re always in their cups

It isn’t that they like it, they just daren’t sober up

Chorus

Onward Shipstone’s drinkers, have another hair of the dog.

Keep your legs and fingers crossed…onward to the bog

Wake up in the morning – raging diarrhoea

That’s what comes of drinking famous Shipstone’s beer

There’ll always be a Shipstone’s, while there are masochists,

And we’ll keep drinking Shipstone’s ale until we all get…drunk

16^th December 1972 was the date of the NTMC Christmas fancy dress ceilidh at which Dolphin performed. No further information has come to light except the date.

The next day, Sunday 17th December 1972 the Dolphin Men performed at the Nottingham Co-operative Folk Club at The Crown Hotel. The man in charge of the Folk Club was Wocko who supplied the illustrated ‘contract’ left.   John Whitelaw in his 30th birthday write up for the Tiger Folk Club had written (in June 1998):   ‘We were performing at the Co-op Folk Club when 'Flowers of Edinburgh' was called, a dance which has a chorus of dropping down onto one knee with the other leg stretched out wide. Although John Baxter was up to it, his trousers weren't and split from waist-band to bells, revealing white underwear. His wife, Toni, was only grateful that she had persuaded him to put some on!   There had, prior to this, ‘been a long meeting to decide on kit. After much discussion we thought that we had covered everything until someone said, "knickers!” "Purple" decreed Squire John Baxter.

The last Dolphin event of 1972 was the stag night which took place on Saturday 30^th December and is recorded in the NTMC newsletter 163 dated 5^th January 1973 thus…

‘Last Saturday…wasn’t an official NTMC function, but it was a memorable evening none the less, because it marked Mick Couldry’s stag night (piss-up, pub-crawl, call it what you will). This crawl takes in some of the seamiest pubs in central Nottingham of a Saturday night, and the circuit which is followed has become virtually traditional for the Morris and Mummers when one of their number succumbs to the marriage bug. Unfortunately I can’t list the pubs concerned in full detail, since after the first three or four I’ve always found it a bit doubtful where we actually are. Controversies rage about whether Mick actually broke the record for endurance on this crawl – as Colin Shaw, whom you’ll remember as past Squire of the Morris, got to the same stage as Mick, namely he got to the Indian restaurant after pub closing before he collapsed. But there are all sorts of technicalities, such as the question of just how many vodka’s got poured into each pint drunk by the bridegroom-to-be on each occasion. So suffice it to say that Mick did at least as well as any before him, if not better.’

John Whitelaw recalls: ‘Re Mick’s stag night – proceeding along Fletcher Gate we came across a red and white plank obstructing the footpath. So as not to disturb this aforesaid plank the prospective groom leapt over the obstacle before landing in an unseen hole on the other side; thus receiving a severe injury to his ankle’.

Dai Lees recalls: ‘Mick’s stag night was the drunkest affair I’ve ever been on, I think. He certainly fell down a hole in the road and emerged wearing a traffic cone like a clown’s hat, but I remember very little apart from that’.

1972 ended with John Baxter two months into his second year as Squire and Roy Dyson into his fifth year as bagman.

Roger Grimes	Lawrence Platt
Caricatures drawn by Mick Scott

Information to hand suggests that new members for 1972 included Ian Ambrose, Peter Hemsley (but Peter may have joined in 1974?), and Denny Plowman.

Mick Scott became a Dolphin around 1972 but although the exact date is not known Mick recalls how it happened, ‘I returned to Nottingham after a brief work spell in Dundee in 1970 and shortly after became a regular NTMC attendee. At the time, if you failed to get to the News House soon enough, the full sign was put on the door…Anyway  on occasions Laurence Platt would dance on a table and Dolphin tours would be announced and I was interested.

I obtained a duet concertina around this time, and via various contacts, Laurence called round to our Sherwood address to give his opinion and advice. At the time I had in stock a powerful home-brewed ale, and not a great deal of concertina work-shopping took place. At the end of the night, I remember (just) pointing Laurence in the general direction of home, and hoping he reached there safely. I had trouble finding the stairs for bed. The event convinced me that Morris Dancing could be for me’.