British Freak Dancers Fall Silent

“The Joint Morris Organisations, the umbrella group for the hobby, has said it is struggling to cope with a nationwide shortage of ‘irons’ to fit onto the clogs worn by dancers. The dearth has been blamed on a lack of blacksmiths now producing the items, which are fitted to the soles of the wooden footwear, rather like horse shoes, in order to maximise the noise made by the dance routines. Morris dancers say that unless supplies can be restored, some sides — as groups are known — will stop performing, while others will have to switch to more readily-available rubber fittings, which make far less noise.”