Description
Bruce Wilson singing the songs from his book of the same name. Recorded by Pete and Les Ord in the room at the back of Bruce’s garage.
Bruce was a founder member of both Furness Morris in 1963 and also Furness Clog Dancers.
Born in 1924 he danced regularly with Furness Morris until the early years of the 21st century. He was also a regular supporter of local shepherds meets and for a number of years held a senior position in the Herdwick Sheep Society.
He was a long-time member of the Cumberland Dialect Society & performed a number of monologues & local songs in dialect.
Bruce also learned local Clog Dancing steps from Norman Robinson, the well-known local dancer. He taught these steps to a group of local women, many of them wives of the Morris Men, who eventually danced publicly as the original Furness Clog Dancers.
After dance practise Furness Morris would go to The Beehive at Three Bridges for a little refreshment and a singaround. Bruce was a mainstay of these sessions, entertaining everyone with his extensive range of local songs. He was also very active in encouraging others to sing.
The songs are:
- A Furness Song
- Furness Hunting Song
- The Black Bottle
- Tarry Woo
- A Country Coortin’
- Tatie Pot
- Jobby Teasdale’s Tip
- Broughton Mills Hunt
- Egremont Crab Fair
- Walney Cockfighting Song
- Lal Dinah Grayson
- Sally Grey
