The Severn Gilders

Our name is taken from the decorators of fine china at the old Coalport china works on the banks of the River Severn close to Ironbridge, and we dance in the North West style which came originally from the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire in the North West of England.

Like the Ironmen, we wear the distinctive colours of red and black which symbolise the coal and fire of the Industrial Revolution which had its roots in the part of Shropshire where we are based. We also add touches of gold as a reminder of our link with the Coalport china gilders.

In common with all North-west teams, we wear clogs, which would have been everyday attire in the cotton mills where many of the original dancers would have worked.

The North-West Morris tradition is rich with recorded dances - most named after the towns in which they originated - and we dance many of these, for example Wigan, Runcorn, Cheadle and Ashton.

In addition to the traditional dances, we also devise our own in the North-West style, which we name after Coalport china patterns. Thus have dances called Paradise and Mandalay.

For most of our dances we hold short sticks, often decorated with ribbons and bells, while for others we may carry woven 'slings' or floral garlands - all of which are traditional in North-West Morris.