The Merrie Men of Morris

I went to the Morris Ring in Thaxted this year, where after touring around Essex dancing at various pubs they congregated at the top of the hills either end of Town Street.
  

The evening's events began with a procession of Morris sides from Cambridge, Westminster, Winchester and several others, dancing down the road lead by drums, fiddles...

 and various beasts - hobby horses, unicorns and even a pig! 

 There was also a clown on a unicycle...

... and the all important Fool with bladder on a stick to hit the dancers he considers aren't putting in enough effort.

They eventually met in the middle in front of the magnificent guildhall at the foot of Stoney Lane, where they did a massed dance, handkerchiefs waving, bells jangling...

... and some with flowers in their hats.  

All made merrie in olde englande for the afternoon.

Morris Minor

Later at 10.15pm all was hushed as Thaxted Morris side did their special Abbots Bromley Horn Dance.

A haunting and measured procession down Stoney Lane led by a lone fiddle player in tattercoat followed by six men holding deer antlers, a man dressed as a woman, an obby oss, an archer and someone ringing a chime on a triangle.

(Shame it's so hard to take photos of it!)