This year the jelly is likely to be even more incendiary than

This year, the jelly is likely to be even more incendiary than usual, because it is a hundred years since the most momentous event in morris- dancing history.
Now, before going any further, a note of caution is required. It must be acknowledged that the histories of morris sides, as troupes of dancers are known, are bristling with anniversaries and traditions. The description of any innovation tends to be followed by the contented words, “this has now become an annual fixture”. The Ravensbourne Morris Men, for example, speak of their annual Boxing Day meet as though it has been happening for about 600 years at least.

In fact, their side was founded as recently as 1946, and the Boxing Day event began in 1972, and in strangely post- modern circumstances at that: the American actor Richard Chamberlain was spending Christmas in Kent and wanted to see something “traditionally English”, so the Ravensbourne Men put on a dance just for him.That said, though, what happened in 1899 surely merits the commemoration it will be receiving throughout the next 12 months. It was in that year, on Boxing Day (one of the few winter days on which morrising occurs), that the revival of folk dancing began with the chance meeting in Oxfordshire of a musician/schoolteacher called Cecil Sharp, and William Kimber of the Headington Quarry Morris Side. The Side performed their dances and Sharp, entranced, set about his life’s work of collecting and propagating folk songs and dances.Such dances – whose source most morris dancers put somewhere between “pagan” and “lost in the mists of time” – had been popular at all levels of society under Elizabeth I, and seemingly for a while thereafter. But they had dwindled throughout the 19th century, when there was a great movement of population from the land to the towns. As rural life seemed threatened, so it became increasingly romanticised by people whose views were perhaps coloured by the fact that they had never done a day’s stone-picking on an empty stomach in a sodden field for next to no money.Sharp was searching for a lost British Arcadia that also haunted the likes of Thomas Hardy, Gertrude Jekyll, Ralph Vaughan Williams, William Morris and John Ruskin (famous for writing The Stones of Venice; less well known for relaunching the maypole).

This folk revival had overtones that were both socialistic and nationalistic. Against a background of international tensions, rural traditions were thought of as a common denominator around which the nation could unite.At folk dancing’s HQ, Cecil Sharp House in Camden, there is poignant, flickering footage of Sharp’s associate, the composer George Butterworth, goofily dancing the morris shortly before being killed at the Somme. But the Great War only emphasised the malignity of industrial society. It actually encouraged rural romanticism, as did the Second World War, which was followed by the second big folk revival, and a boom time for morris dancing.This yearning for a rural idyll remains a large part of our culture, and is most particularly at the heart of morris dancing, which is currently neither booming nor on the critical list. When, for instance, I ask David Jex, manager of east Surrey Dial-A-Ride and a former Bagman (or secretary) of the Ravensbourne side, to explain the appeal of the morris, he talks dreamily of “standing looking across the Weald of Kent of a summer’s evening”.There is more to it than that, though. When you see pictures of morris dancers in books, the question presses upon you with great urgency: why do they do it? But when you encounter them in the flesh, the answers are obvious.For a start, they do cut a dash. Cranio-sacral therapy works on realigning the structure through gentle, subtle movements on the skull.

“It’s very good for babies as they can easily be pulled out of joint when coming through the birth canal,” she adds.Where: contact the Upledger Institute UK (01738 444404).How much: from pounds 35 a session.31STOBO CASTLE, PEEBLESHIRE”Industry folklore holds that this is the best spa north of the border,” says Sarah. Water supports the limbs while providing resistance, making swimming suitable for all ages and abilities. It’s great for gentle exercise during pregnancy or recovery from injury, and for disabled people, for whom it can boost confidence as well as muscle tone.Where: contact the Amateur Swimming Association (01509 618700).How much: from pounds 2 a session, around pounds 52 for 10 lessons.30CRANIO-SACRAL THERAPY”If one of the bones in the head is out of alignment, it will impede the flow of blood and affect the rest of the body in terms of energy,” explains Katie. Friendly and informal, “they take you way out into the hills, away from the crowds,” reminisces Rupert “You see herds of deer, Arctic hare, peregrine falcons… You do sweat and curse at times, but you’re out in such beauty that you generally forget you’re getting fit.”Where: Highland Guides, Inverdruie, Aviemore (01479 810729).How much: lessons from pounds 29 per day (Jan-April), weekend courses from pounds 40 (instruction only).29SWIMMINGDuck into your local baths and swim your way to a healthier mind and body “This really tones you up,” says Dave. “Front crawl is a very effective stroke because it works the arms and legs particularly hard.” He suggests taking refresher lessons to improve your technique and help you get the most out of a session.