Singleton Cloggers
Old Lancashire customs are disappearing thick and fast. However Singleton Cloggers are countering that trend with their traditional music and dance. Officially classed as a North West Clog Morris team, essentially a group of men and women keeping tradition alive and having fun, whilst entertaining people. The team are members of the Morris Federation, an organization which brings together dancers and musicians from the many varieties of English folk dance.
Singleton Cloggers were formed in 1949, leading the gala procession at Singleton village once a year. All local residents, they performed in uniforms not too dissimilar to those worn today. This continued until the team disbanded in the mid sixties.
Reformed in the early seventies and led by local resident Marjorie Ward, the team again led the annual gala and started to dance at other local fetes and galas. New dances (some named after local landmarks) were added, all created by the team. Since this time the group has had many variations of uniform but clogs have remained a constant. They now have over sixteen dancers and seven musicians. While travelling much further afield within the UK, performing with other teams in colourful dance and music extravaganzas, they maintain their support for their roots in the galas of Singleton, Weeton and Poulton-le-Fylde.
Shake-a-Leg are an English Country Dance Band based in Lancashire. Their music is not typical of what one normally expects from a Ceilidh Band. The ‘Shakers’ have become renowned for delivering a strong jazzy, stompy feel to their material.
Often in demand at a whole range of gigs from social dances to festivals, delivering fun, invariably raucous nights of dynamic dance music with plenty of improvisation. The band are:- Phil Brown (Whistles, Concertina, Melodeon, Harmonica, Cornet, Trumpet); Martin Stimson (Drums & Mandola); Tony Cooke (Electric & Acoustic Guitar); Frank Bateman (Trombone, Electric Bass & Bodhran).
