The Squire, Ian Appleyard tells the story of the origins of the present side. Already attending folk dances, Ian (not being too big a fellow) found himself being swung around vigorously by ample-bosomed country ladies (probably secretly enjoying the experience!) So when he attended a folk festival at Redcar in 1973, along with other members of Richmond Folk Club he went to a Morris dance workshop being run by Hugh Rippon. (Hugh has probably been responsible for the formation of more Morris sides than anyone else anywhere) After that, they used to dance during the beer break at the Folk Club. Later the EFDSS representative in Darlington Tony Foxworthy put them in touch with the a local team from Stockton. So one Saturday in 1973, they all trooped off to meet them and asked for instruction in the art. One of their men was directed to teach them and they were taught 3 dances - to a piano. The dances were Bobbing Around, Constant Billy, and Balance the Straw. One afternoon Ian took a tape recorder into the practice and recorded  the tunes on the piano – probably the first inkling that they would decide to start up a new team. One Saturday afternoon they went into Darlington and found a trendy unisex shop “Just Pants” displaying bell bottom white trousers in the window. They went in and each man bought a pair. Someone got hold of some purple satin for baldricks, and with white shirts and some bells this completed their kit. With this on they turned up at a music festival in Darlington at the same time as other possibly surprised Morris sides. Ian gratefully acknowledges the help they got from the Stockton men without whom the present side would never have existed. So now the team needed a name. They were practising at the home of member Alan Whitby near Manfield on the Roman Road Deere Steet  (During practice, refreshments were provided by beer from Alan’s "brewery" located in his sauna!) They acquired a musician Jed Kelman and a name, “The Streethouse Morris Men”. Jed got married and left so) John Haydock was recruited to learn to play the accordion (apparently John played piano a bit and soon took to the “box”) The name was changed to the “Richmondshire Streethouse Morris Dancers. Alan left the house, so the side moved to practice in a hay-loft above a pighouse. The side got too large for the loft and moved to Richmond to practice, dropping “Streethouse” from the name. Now the side became larger and larger and inevitably opinions differed on policy. So after one AGM, a breakaway group with Ian left and formed the Swaledale Morrismen. A few years later, with people moving (and getting older) it became difficult for both sides to put up a team to dance, and so they came back together as the “Richmond-on-Swale Morrismen"  They carried on practising at Manfield where you can now find us on Thursday nights at 8pm in the winter months. There were many more stories about this period that Ian recounted – too many to include here.  No doubt other members both past and present could, and I hope will pass some gems over to me maybe along with some early photos. My thanks to Ian for an amusing evening sharing his memories with me.  Fred Ward (Website Editor)