TRIGG AND THEIR HISTORY
Thank you for taking the time to stop and watch us, as audiences have done since we gave our first public show in July 1971. We enjoy performing and appreciate the interest you show. We must also thank those who make it all possible, such as Publicans, Local Authorities, The Police, and our supporters.
Our costume reflects our rural background, and you will note that our green baldrics are decorated with Celtic designs that are found on the Ancient Stone Crosses located around the County.
Our name comes from "The Hundred of Trigg", an ancient administrative area of Mid Cornwall, and most of our men live within reasonably easy reach of Bodmin.
We perform dances of the "Cotswold" style: Fieldtown with sticks or handkerchiefs, Bucknell also with sticks or handkerchiefs, but with the hands at shoulder height, and Stanton Harcourt, which nobody else still remembers, but where we have the handkerchiefs on our little fingers and sometimes with both sticks and hankies at the same time! As well as the occasional Lichfield dance with 8 dancers.
We mainly dance on Thursdays, but we have no recollection why we chose that day. But we've been doing it so long it must be a tradition by now.
Morris dancing is a tradition that goes back a long time, but so long that it was never written down, so it's your guess what it looked, or sounded like in Shakespeare's time and before. Some people like to think it's a fertility rite, or linked to John of Gaunt and Moors from Spain, and who are we to disagree. One thing is certain - and that's a close association between Morris dancers and pubs over many years. So we practice in the winter, and then when the evenings are lighter in the summer, we can be found dancing outside pubs across central Cornwall. And just to make sure that others don't miss out, each year we pick out a couple of villages who haven't got a pub and descend on them as well (usually with adequate supplies of beer).
And not to forget - Trigg does consist of dancers of both male and female persuasions.
And a Beast ... Trigger
LIST OF TRIGG MORRIS PERFORMERS 1971-2020
Vic Legg (1971 - )
Steve Danby (1971)
Phil Beaumont (1971 – 73 & 1977 - 78)
Alan Ramsden (1971 - 88)
Peter Marlow (1971 - )
Roger Hancock (1971 - )
Dick Welsby (1971 – 72) deceased
Ron Hayward (1971 - 72)
Brian Goodman (1971)
Maurice Dart (1971, 82, 96, 2003 - )
Ian West (1971 – 74) Musician
Chris Best (1971 - 72)
Dave Williams (1971 - 2001)
Pete Philp (1972 - )
Colin Williams (1972)
Mike Johnson (1972 – 88) deceased
Michael – Musician (1972)
Peter Bunt (1972 - 86)
Chris Penton (1972 – 87) deceased
Dave Rye (1973 -74)
Bob Fallis (1973 -74)
Chris Farr (1973 -74)
Dennis Ackersley (1973)
John Dunkell (1973 - 74)
Rob Elliot (1973)
Peter Cock (1973 – 86) deceased
Rodney (1973)
Chris Ridley – Musician (1973 – 2020) deceased
Keith (1973)
Peter Hicks (1973 – 83 & 2012 - 2018)
Robert Robins (1974 – 93) deceased
Dave Blayney (1974 -81) deceased
Mike O’Connor (1974 – 76, 79, 90, 93 & 94) Musician
John Pearman (1974)
Mike Trevellyan (1975)
Pat Bell (1976 – 79) deceased
Dave Killer (1976 - 81)
John Knight (1976 - 80)
Colin Barker (1976 - 77)
Ernie Keast (1976) deceased
Dicken Keslake (1977 - 78)
Malcolm Harvey (1977 -2021 )
Brian Roberts (1977 – 79) deceased
Andy Jones (1977 - 83)
Lee Ellis (1977- 78)
Reg Ellis (1977 – 85) deceased
John Peters (1979 - 82)
Owain Bell (1979 - 94)
Trevor Johnson (1979 - 81)
Bob Wicks (1980 - 84)
Dennis Cook (1979 – 2000) deceased
Paul Reece (1980 - )
John Sparrow (1981 - 84)
Graham Owen (1981 - 89
Rod Edwards (1983 - 84)
Roger Sexton (1983)
Mick Bull (1984 - )
John Webb (1984 - 94)
Dave Martin (1984 – 94) deceased
Simon Pipe (1984 - 85)
Brian Palmer (1984 - 91)
Ian Chanter (1985 - )
Rob Chisman (1985 - )
John Tremaine (1985 - 95)
Terry Letchford (1985 - )
Christian Norgaard (1988 - 97)
Clive Baker (1990 - 96)
Pat Broderick (1991 - 2015)
Phil Champion (1992 – 2020) deceased
Pete Turner – Mrs Baggit (1993 -94) deceased
John Richards (1994 - 2015)
Dave Marshall (1997 – 98 & 2008 - 2015)
Alan Tringham (1998 - )
Ted Kent (1998 - 2013) deceased
Bob Mann (1998 - 2018)
Ivor Read (1999 – 2013) deceased)
Chris Gill (2000)
Jim Hutchins (2002 - 2013)
Ben Harding (2004 - 07)
Kevin Mckeogh (2005 - 07)
Andy Hill (2006 - 09)
Chris Thomas (2006 - 16)
Andy Payne (2009 – 20) deceased
Trevor Tanner (2009 - )
Darren Marfleet (2010 – 13) deceased
Andy Dabrowski (2011 - )
Neil Hartwell (2011 - )
Kevin Everett - Musician (2013 -2014)
Chris Seamarks (2015)
Ethan Armes (2016 – 18)
Viv Champion (2019 - ) See also below
Elaine Philp (2018 - )
Amy Dyer (2018 - )
Sandie Pinder (2019 - )
Derek Pinder (2019 - )
Sophia Skingley (2021- )
Associate Members for other services
Viv Champion (1990 – ) Musician and player of the J.C.Penton concertina
Sid Richards (1994 – 2015) – Valued supporter
Pauline McKeogh (2005 – 2007) Musician
Lyn Thomas (2007 – 16) Musician
Marion Reece (2016 - ) Musician
Two other lady musicians have also assisted in the past, but are not listed in the minutes by date;
Rosemary Gratton, nee Wills (circa 1972)
Carol McEvoy, nee Watson (1977 - 78)
Historic list of THE SQUIRES OF TRIGG MORRIS MEN in date order.
Soon after starting practices, and before our inaugural tour on June 26, our first Squire had been elected.
1971/2 Peter Marlow
1972 - 1977 Vic Legg
1978/9 Peter Marlow
1980/1 Dave Killer
1982/3 Peter Cock
1984/5 Peter Philp
1986/7 Owain Bell
1988/9 Vic Legg
1990/1 Peter Philp
1992/3 Ian Chanter
1994/5 Dave Williams
1996 - 1998 Mick Bull
1999/2000 Peter Marlow
2001/2 Malcolm Harvey
2003/4 Ian Chanter
2005/6 Peter Philp
2007/8 Ivor Read
2009/10 Ian Chanter
2011/12 Terry Letchford
2013/14 Robert Chisman
2015/16 Bob Mann
2017/18 Phil Champion
2018/20 Paul Reece
2020/ Ian Chanter
The Person who is elected Squire has to spend the year choosing which dances to do, maintaining order and decorum (?)
and he has a special Waistcoat and Bells to wear - and there is inevitably a long tale to tell about the waistcoat.
.
Foremen
1971 and 1972 - Phil Beamont
1973 to 1982 - Chris Penton
1983 to 1991 - Vic Legg
1992 - Pete Philp
1993 to 1995 - Vic Legg & Pete Philp
1996 to 2012 - Pete Philp
2013 to 2018 - Terry Letchford
2018 - Peter Philp
Bagman
1971 onwards - Roger Hancock
Practice Venues
Morris Dancing was talked about late in 1970, Vic & Steve having been inspired by the Exeter Ring Meeting, and enlisting the help of Phil B to get things going. Records start in January 1971, but practices might have begun earlier, the first being held in the old Methodist Chapel on Town Wall recently occupied by The St Johns Ambulance Brigade, but moving quickly to the Methodist Assembly Rooms, Fore St.
Ambulance Hall, Town Wall
1971
Methodist Assembly Rooms, Fore Street 1971
Bodmin Comprehensive School 1971 & 1972
Bodmin Football Club, Old Drill Hall 1972 & 1973
Lanivet Hall 1973 to 1975
Garland Ox 1975 to 1982
St Mary's Hall 1983 to 1985
Bodmin CP School 1986 to 1991
St Lawrence Social Club/Old Carew/Foster Hall 1991 to 199?
Bodmin Community Association Rooms 199* to 2017
Bodmin Boxing Club 2017 to 2018
One For All Community Centre, Lanivet. 2018 to
*Definitely 1997, possibly as early as 1993/4
AGM Venues
Black and Amber Club 1st March 1972 & 7th February 1973
C. Pentons Residence 22nd January 1974 & 23rd January 1975
R. Hancock's Residence 15th January 1976
R. Hancock's Residence (Tolgate, Treningle) 13th January 1977 & 6th October 1977
P. Bell's Residence (Ruthern Valley House) 5th October 1978
No Venue Recorded February 1979
J. Peter's Residence (8 Dawe Road) 27th September 1979
Garland Ox 11th & 18th September 1980
Garland Ox 17th September 1981
Guildhall 23rd September 1982
Shire House 29th September 1983
St Mary's Hall 4th October 1984 & 26th September 1985
Bodmin CP School 23rd October 1986
V. Legg's Residence 19th November 1987
R. Hancock's Residence 6th October 1988
Bodmin Community Association Rooms ever since
5th October 1989. 4th October 1990. 10th October 1991. 1st October 1992. 14th October 1993. 6th October 1994. 19th October 1995. 3rd October 1996. 9th October 1997. 17th September 1998. 21st October 1999. 19th October 2000. 11th October 2001. 26th September 2002. 25th September 2003. 30th September 2004. 6th October 2005.
12th October 2006. 27th September 2007. 25th September 2008. 24th September 2009. 23rd September 2010. 6th October 2011. 6th October 2012. 7th November 2013, 13th October 2014, 29th October 2015 and 20th October 2016.
One For All Community Centre, Lanivet. 2018 to 2019
2020 Our first "Virtual" AGM - by courtesy of the Zoom conferencing program
Above is a shot from the Movie "Bad Education"
The Annual Feast of St Hygenus
What is the Feast of St Hygenus? Not sure if Pope Saint Hyginus had anything to do with Trigg Morris, however, it has traditionally become an annual event to celebrate the Birthday of one of the Founder Members of Trigg Morris, namely Dr Christopher Penton. Although Chris Penton died many years ago, Trigg Morris still traditionally celebrates his birthday. The first Feasts were held at his flat, within the grounds of St Lawrence Hospital, and the later ones were at his house in Wenford Bridge, and it was several years before the team realised that we were attending his birthday party! Chris was born in 1911 and died in November 1987. The first Feast in its current format was held at Blisland (then called The Royal Oak) on the 11th January 1988. I think that we have organised something every year since (though at least one was cancelled because of the weather). and the main venue has been the Old Inn at St Breward. We have also been to The Masons Arms and St Mabyn and back to Blisland.
Who was Dr Penton? Dr Chris Penton worked up country and was offered a posting to the Psychiatric Hospital in Bodmin but wouldn't take it unless there was a Morris team nearby. Fortunately Trigg Morris had formed in February 1971 and Chris arrived at about the same time as Pete Philp in September 1971. Chris took over as Foreman from Phil Beamont who had taught Trigg from day one in February 1973 and held the post until 1982. He introduced the policy of only dancing 3 traditions max, it prevented us from dancing Mush Morris and allowed us to concentrate on the individual styles of the traditions. A very intelligent person, he spoke 16 languages, four of them fluently, including Arabic and Russian. Situated at Berlin University, he returned to the UK in 1938 and during WW2 became an advisor to the British Army on Psychological Warfare!
What happens on the night? We start the evening with a session of dance, 5 or 6 dances before retiring to the bar for an après Morris. A hat resembling a Turkish Fez is passed around and at this point anyone can take possession of the hat, place it upon their head, if they wish and do a party trick, whether singing, reciting, playing an instrument or anything else before passing it on. It is not a requirement that you have to do something but more of an opportunity to do so, if you are feeling brave. During the evening, we toast Dr Penton with a shot of Rum and Shrub, bought from funds. This does depend on it still being in production ....
In 2020 - the Feast had to be a virtual affair - Hats both real and imaginary were worn, and the tradition was upheld
In 2021 the Feast resumed - but in the well ventilated and lateral Flow tested circumstances of our practice hall
A last remnant of Shrub was passed round.
