Rushcart festival proves to be another outstanding success

If you don’t mind hearing about men, many bearded, wearing clogs laced with bells and hats weighed down with freshly-picked flowers, read on . . .

Because we are travelling on the exhilarating opening chapter of the fabled Saddleworth Rushcart, making its joyous annual appearance across Saddleworth villages.

And we are rolling back the years on an ancient tradition which welds the community in an entrancing and hypnotic mosaic of colour, music and dance.

The rushes are cut fresh from the moors and fashioned in a strong conical shape, towering more than 13ft high and placed on a bright red and yellow two wheeled cart.

And there’s more …

Because every year, a new ‘jockey’ sits astride the iconic tower on its merry swaying, jolting, journey towed, pushed and pulled by a vanguard of the  stalwarts of Saddleworth Morris Men over two grueling days around the community.

This year, Jack Williams was jockey on the wobbling, swaying tower towed through the villages accompanied by the  sound of music and the solid tread of a marching army of clogs.

Saddleworth Morris Men were affectionately tagged the Beasts by the famed writer AA Milne.

And no wonder.

The sound of the heart stirring ‘clog army’ scything through the village streets to rapturace applause from crowds of supporters and sightseers in spine-tingling stuff.

And this year they were joined by Saddleworth Ladies Morris and Clog side and a vibrant collection of dancers from across the UK and abroad.

All the way from Dartmoor.

Beltane Border Morris, Ripley Morris, St Albans Morris, Knightlow Morris Men, Whitchurch Morris, East Suffolk Morris Men, Earlsdon Morris, Rose & Castle Morris and Moulton Morris Men were all there, and more.

All gave stunning interpretations of their own distinguished dancing and dancers.

On Saturday they trouped via The Commercial, Uppermill, King William IV, Greenfield, Uppermill (The Park, Hare and Hounds, The Museum), Delph (Cartside St and White Lion), The Swan Inn, Dobcross and The Navigation, Dobcross, before returning  to The Commercial for dancing and singing.

On Sunday, the cart left Uppermill Square for the long, uphill tow for the Rushcart service in St Chads Parish Church, followed in hectic succession by more dancing at  the Church Inn and Cross Keys with the worst singer and gurning contest added for good measure.

Peter Ashworth, John Dunning and Ron Yates, founder members of the Morris dance side of 49 years ago, looked on with quiet satisfaction, safe in the knowledge that the Morris dance tradition was secure for many years to come.

Get ready to tune into the event’s glorious 50th next year and to joint the growing throng… who knows, you may want to join a side?

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