Sompting Village Morris – May Day 2024 in Shoreham-by-sea

The first day of summer graced us with delightful weather for the May Day celebrations. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the residents of Shoreham-by-Sea for turning out in droves to witness our dances, the procession, and to partake in the festivities. A special appreciation to the Crabtree for serving up a splendid breakfast, and to the Old Star for hosting dances, lively jigs, and a memorable sing-along session.

As one of this year’s apprentices, I am immensely proud to be a part of SVM and eagerly anticipate more joyous moments throughout the upcoming summer season. A sincere shoutout to Neil and Jane, the side’s foreman and forewoman, for their invaluable guidance in helping us master our double-stepping and capers.

Of course, I must extend my gratitude to our steadfast squires Marcus and Helen for their unwavering support in keeping us organized and ensuring everyone was in their rightful place for the dances. And a huge thanks to Barbara for tirelessly crafting tatty coats to keep us warm and stylish, and to Susie for her impeccable tailoring of the men’s apprentice shirts.

None of this would have been possible without the enchanting music led by Maureen and the remarkable organizational skills of Lyn the ‘bag’ for orchestrating practically everything! Much love and appreciation to all SVM members, whose support and encouragement during our winter practices has been invaluable.

I hope you enjoy the video I’ve compiled below—it may run a tad long, but there was just so much to capture! There is another video that the local newspaper have made which shows some bits I didn’t film like the procession.