Black Bess Border Morris Entertain With Heather & Gorse Clog Dancers

You really couldn't make this up!   The Star Inn is an attractive old Devon village pub and on any normal July mid-week evening you might have expected a handful of local beer and cider drinkers here in Liverton.  But, on this particular occasion when my wife drove us into the pub car park we found it was full.

All along one side of the car park were old sports cars. On the other side a succession of motorbikes roared up and parked.  And immediately in front of the  entrance to this pretty pub were half a dozen attractive women wearing Dick Turpin highwaymen masks!

We had arrived as part of the Heather & Gorse Clog Dancers side and expected to play our usual accordian tunes for the dancers and perhaps half a dozen bystanders. Instead, the lovely summer's evening passed in a seamless hour and a half of entertaining music and dancing from two good morris dancing sides and appreciated by the members of the Triumph Sports Six Club and assorted bikers. Even the pub's restaurant staff emerged from their kitchen to enjoy the occasion.

As the sun went down and the pub's outside illuminations were switched on it became a very special evening - one to remember!  For me, not just because of the music and dancing, but also a whiff of nostalgia for the 1966 pale blue Triumph Spitfire I owned many many years ago.  It gave me great pleasure to see some of these old cars on display and lovingly cared for by modern owners.