ATMD diary of 2016
Friday 1st January: New Year’s Day lunchtime at the Cherry Tree, Steventon, with Icknield Way. Dancing outside, then music inside.
Saturday 30th January: danced at Abingdon Wassail at South Abingdon Children’s Centre (Caldecott Meadow).
Friday 4th March: funeral of Bryan Coy, dancer and fiddler for the side in the 70s until he sadly developed MS. We danced and played tunes at his wake in the Brewery Tap.
Saturday 19th March: an enjoyable evening at Armaleggan’s Ale, Cumnor.
Sunday 10th April: danced on Market Place for the Abingdon Cycling Festival.
Thursday 14th April: Mayors’ Challenge at the Brewery Tap – we lost again to the town council.
Sunday 17th April: danced at Oxford Folk Weekend (Gloucester Green, Pitt Rivers Museum and Broad Street with suitable pubs in between).
Saturday 23rd April: lunchtime St George’s Day Pub Tour, and a dance outside the Abbey buildings for Clubs and Societies Day.
Tuesday 3rd May: gave a display and dance class at Kingfisher School, much appreciated by staff and students.
Monday 9th May: danced before the town meeting to install the new town mayor at St Helen’s Church.
Thursday 12th May: pub tour with Old Speckled Hen, Prince of Wales, Shippon.
Saturday 14th May: danced in the morning at St Nicolas Primary School’s May Fair, then later on at a wedding at Cosener’s House.
Monday 30th May: danced in the evening at Bampton. Later on got a nice message from their new squire (“…..As usual ATMD performed to their usual high standards with our followers being treated to what is a unique tradition…….”)
Saturday 4th June: danced at Fun in the Park, Abbey Gardens.
Saturday 11th June: danced before the Bun Throwing to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.
Sunday 12th June: danced at lunchtime for ‘HM the Queen’s 90th Birthday Party’ at Abingdon Rugby Club. It poured with rain just as we finished dancing.
Saturday 18th June: Mayor’s Day. Guests were Old Speckled Hen and Oxford (University and City combined). For the first time in living memory, a former Mayor of Ock Street was re-elected: Harry Knight 107 votes, Duncan Brown 74.
Saturday 25th June: danced at all 4 pubs in Bampton (7pm The Morris Clown, 7.30pm The Talbot, 8pm The Horse Shoe, 8.30pm The Romany Inn) by invitation of the English Country Music Weekend. Afterwards we ran a music session in the Romany.
Saturday 2nd July: danced at Drayton St Leonard Church Fete.
Sunday 10th July: danced at Dunmore School Fete.
Tuesday 19th July: pub tour at the Nag’s Head and Punch Bowl with the Vale Islanders. Hottest night of the year so far and the Nag’s Head was the busiest pub in town. Music session in the Punch Bowl afterwards.
Saturday 30th July: danced at WADStock (one day event at Wootton and Dry Sandford community centre).
Thursday 4th August: pub tour with Icknield Way and Ridgeway Step Clog at the Plum Pudding, Milton.
Thursday 18th August: pub tour at the North Star, Steventon. Usual two shows with the visit of the chip van in between, and a bit of music afterwards.
Thursday 25th August: pub tour, Prince of Wales, Shippon.
Sunday 4th September: danced at Wallingford Bunkfest. 1100-1130 main stage with Summertown, 1230-1300 dance stage with Enigma, 1400-1430 Coachmakers Arms with Cornucopia, and 1600-1630 Market Place with Summertown. After the Coachmakers Arms stand we got to play a bit of music as the warm up act for a lady folk singer who was booked to follow us.
Saturday 10th September: danced for the Heritage Open Weekend, under County Hall as it was raining heavily. Music afterwards in the Punch Bowl.
Saturday 26th November: danced at Abingdon Christmas Extravaganza, starting at 10.30am on the Market Place, then the procession at 12.00 and three spots in Bath Street with visits to the Punch Bowl in between.
Thursday 8th December: the Mummers put on a show for Friends of Abingdon Museum at St Helen’s church hall.
Thursday 15th December: Mummers Town Tour – Punch Bowl, Kings Head & Bell, Broad Face, Crown & Thistle, Old Anchor, Conservative Club, Brewery Tap.
Thursday 22nd December: Mummers Out of Town Tour – Wheatsheaf (Drayton), Plum Pudding (Milton), Cherry Tree (Steventon), Fox (Steventon), North Star (Steventon), Red Lion (Drayton). The Wheatsheaf was unexpectedly shut when we got there, but we did the play on the pavement outside anyway for the two people who had turned up to watch us there.
The Mummers presented a cheque for £581.56 to the Abingdon Breakaway Club in early January.