Published on: Friday, 30 August 2013
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Norwich’s famous Morris dancers, the Kemp’s Men are set to finish the year in style with a mammoth dance event along the route of the Bittern Line Railway which runs between Norwich and Cromer / Sheringham. They are also welcoming friends from the Rutland Morris Men side who will be dancing with them to entertain the crowds.
Emulating their namesake, Will Kemp, colleague of William Shakespeare, who danced all the way from Norwich to London in nine days, the Kemp’s Men and Rutland Morris Men will dance at six stations between Cromer and Norwich and nearby pubs, along the way.
The fun event nick-named the ‘Six Stations Wonder’, a nod to Will Kemp’s ‘Nine Daies Wonder’, will kick off on Saturday 14th September at 9.15am outside the Red Lion pub in Cromer, before the sides board the 09.57 train to North Walsham, where they will dance at the station and then at Market Square and the King’s Arms Hotel.
The dancers will then continue their train journey stopping off to dance at Worstead, Hoveton & Wroxham and Salhouse before arriving at Norwich station at 16.44. They will dance at the station and then continue to the Wig & Pen pub, St Martin-At-Palace Plain and the Coach and Horses on Thorpe Road before taking the 18.51 Greater Anglia service back to Cromer.
This will be the Kemp’s Men’s last dance of the summer season, so visitors are encouraged to come and watch and support the dancers along their journey.
Peter Mayne, one of the Kemp’s Men and a Director of Community Rail Norfolk, which promotes the Bittern and Wherry Lines railways in partnership with train operator, Greater Anglia, said “We are really looking forward to dancing from Cromer to Norwich with the help of the Bittern Line railway. I hope people will stop to see what we are doing and enjoy this fun aspect of our cultural heritage in a different setting.”
To find out more about the event and where you can see the Kemp’s Men Morris in action, download the information leaflet from the Bittern Line website at www.bitternline.com to find out about the two Morris men sides visit their websites at Kemp’s Men www.kempsmen.org.uk and Rutland Morris Men www.morrismen.org.uk
The dancers’ itinerary
09:15 Cromer, outside Red Lion
09:57 depart Cromer Station
10:13 North Walsham Station
10:30 North Walsham, Market Square
11:00 North Walsham, King’s Arms Hotel
12:13 depart North Walsham Station
12:18 Worstead Station
12:45 Worstead, White Lady Inn
14:18 depart Worstead Station
14:25 Hoveton and Wroxham Station
14:45 Hoveton, Kings Head Hotel by river
15:24 depart Hoveton and Wroxham Station
15:28 Salhouse Station
15:45 Salhouse, Bell Inn
16:32 depart Salhouse Station
16:44 Norwich Station
17:15 Norwich, Wig & Pen, St Martin-At-Palace Plain
18:00 Norwich, Coach and Horses, Thorpe Road
18:51 depart Norwich Station