Morris Dancing - The Knots of May

Not many women get a beer named after them. It is a real accolade, even if it’s a bit of a girly beer. In 1995, to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Knots of May, Harvey’s produced a new brew entitled Knots of May Light Mild – it is lighter in colour and lower in alcohol than most milds, with a ‘delicate hop fragrance’ that is available throughout May every year. The Knots of May are a woman’s Morris team who got together in Brighton in 1974 and have been going strong ever since. The Cotswold Morris is the most popular form of the dance and is usually adopted by male dancers. From the outset the Knots decided to be a bit different and concentrated on the dance traditions of the NW of England, and adapted their costume accordingly. They wear long dresses, aprons and clogs – reminiscent of the Lancashire mill girls of the 1890s. The Knots make all their own costumes, most are made from earthy colours, but increasingly more vibrant colours have been introduced into the group. Each member “has their own colour and makes their own dress, apron and garland” as Stevens explains.

Their repertoire is a fusion of traditional English - clog dances from Lancashire and shoe dances from Cheshire with garlands or sticks - mixed up with dances from France, Flanders and Spain. Stevens notes that “we have around 24 dances in our repertoire, both shoe and clog…. Most of our tunes are traditional, but some have been especially composed for us." KA