The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup

The Nutters perform at the Saddleworth Rushcart Weekend,23 August 2009,outside St Chads Church in Uppermill.

[@tipptoggy]

Terrific tradition, hope its shines on the lads this Easter. I remember the Nutters practicing in the Dog and Partridge in 1963, no black faces then, just grime from the mills. But when they turned up in the full Monty at Easter it was, and still is magical . I once tried to find out the name of the tune and walked with the brass band, one fella said all he had to play was oompah oompah, I saw his dots on the page and there wasn't a melody there, no name either. So I walked on furher with them stopped at every pub , I had a pint of mild in each and when they reached the end point, (the garage at entrance to the Glen) I couldn't read anything.

[@daveberry9922]

perhaps they could wear grey and black, is that ok

[@elainerichardson2109]

As a Bacup lass I remeber the nutters fondly. Any special occasion they were there and growing up in the 60s and 70s it made my day to see them. Keep going lads god bless you all xxx👍🤗👏👏👏👏👏

[@rosie12mydarling]

Eccentric british,we can laugh at our selves,only racists would find it offensive,well done!

[@TheRamblingRoseMedia]

Happy memories of watching theses fine dancers. I was a very small child then. Long may morris continue ❤

[@orangeedo]

The little girl on the left is loving it!!! Bless.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

Hopefully, now that she is probably 16 or 17 she is still loving it.

[@orangeedo]

@@Wotsitorlabart Since leaving this comment over 4 years ago, I've now got a little girl of my own 😂

[@joline2730]

An old video, so I do hope the Coco-Nut Dancers are still going strong ❓❓ Saw them several years ago at Sidmuff FolkFest 👍💯💯💯✔✔✔

[@vermilliongecko]

Utterly charming. Long may the Coco-Nutters continue!

[@Seanoakwolf]

Excellent video. Lancashire dances are amongst the best.

[@weswolever7477]

long may the coconutters dance. as long as they do the world hasn"t gone completely mad

[@cartimandua_]

Supposedly something to do with mining - a demonstration on keeping each other safe in mines in long days gone by. So they once explained to a journalist on camera.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

It's a version of a 19th century theatrical coconut dance - the mining origins story is spurious nonesense.

[@folksinger2100]

@@Wotsitorlabart yes there is a female writer putting that explanation about.

[@Wotsitorlabart]

@@folksinger2100 This piece, which can be found online, was written for the English Folk Dance and Song Society and gives full historical background to the dance and its surprising links to Mallorca; Peter Bearon - 'Coconut Dances in Lancashire, Mallorca, Provence and on the Nineteenth-century Stage'. The article builds on information collected by Professor of Dance History and Ethnography Theresa Buckland and renowned folklorist Roy Judge. Perhaps Professor Buckland is your 'female writer'.

[@folksinger2100]

@@Wotsitorlabart Yet the Morris Federation say something totally different, Professor Buckland expertise is Victorian and Edwardian dance, nothing to do with earlier times then

[@Wotsitorlabart]

@@folksinger2100 Read Bearon's piece. And if Buckland's expertise is in Victorian and Edwardian dance then the coconut dances of the Rossendale Valley are well within that time frame. The very first dance team was the Tunstead Mill Nutters in 1857 - it was they who taught the Britannia team their steps in 1920. There were no 'earlier times'. And the Britannia Nutters may have been members of the Morris Ring but they aren't morris dancers - quite different origins.

[@mistral55]

The dances they perform are actually Folk Dances and the custom of blackened faces may reflect a pagan or medieval background which was done to disguise the dancers from being recognised by evil spirits afterwards, it may also reflect mining connections. The picture is by no means clear and tales have been related by word of mouth, however, the dances are supposed to have originated with Moorish pirates (hence the costume). Some of these sailors are said to have settled in Cornwall and become employed in local mining. As mines and quarries opened in Lancashire in the 18th & 19th century a few Cornishmen came North bringing with them mining expertise. It is with these people that the dances were reputedly brought to this area. In particular two Cornishmen who came to work in Whitworth (this was related by a former team member many years ago).

[@davidhoward2487]

+mistral55 Yes, Morris is a corruption of Moorish, & they were the black Moors from Africa, through Spain, I believe. then ended up here...Great isn't it?

[@andrewwigglesworth3030]

@@davidhoward2487 You've both been had :-D Moors indeed :-D

[@folksinger2100]

@@andrewwigglesworth3030 Actually Moorish Pirates raided the whole of the South Coast of England capturing people and taking the back to be sold as slaves. There could be a chance that several Moorish ships could have been shipwrecked over time and those sailors being put to work mining and becoming proficient at it. Hence the possibility of moving north to find work.

[@jonty7750]

quarrymen in full flight upholding our ancestors tradition, keep gooin lads theers plenty cheer for thi !

[@jonty7750]

amazin proper tradition at its best, the costume along with the black face disguise sets the scene for intrigue and mystery keep goin chaps luv it !

[@Liozeris]

If only the Nigerians and other darks could be trained Coco-Nuts.

[@laurasommerville3304]

you are fabulous , never stop dancing !! hope to see you in 2016 when on the NZ morris tour to Yorkshire . Best wishes to all from Janet , kiwi morris dancer who met you all in Abingdon in 2010

[@class87srule]

Saw these at the Royal Albert Hall in the 1970's.....they brought the house down there as well, even though the majority of the audience probably didn't have a clue what was going on! Magic!

[@hannahhudson9011]

Ei33 3333

[@covkid52]

Always amazing to watch! The tune will be in my head for the rest of the day!!

[@MorrisManDanceMan]

brilliant video

[@Daikenboy]

Absolutely bloody marvellous. Music, dancing real enjoyable. Some of them are not young either.

[@overduhhill]

appreciate the visual & audio clarity of the vid. (& would also appreciate some enlightenment as to the title of the tune that supports the Nutters' precision drill so well? Not a tune we know on the far side of the Atlantic...)

[@jonty7750]

brilliant lads !

[@drychaf]

That was fun - their number one fan is obviously the little person in pink trousers on the far left - she loved it!

[@coltal1]

Brilliant!

[@weswolever7477]

coltal1 No .. not brilliant..... bloody brilliant!!!

[@Lytton333]

"Did yer liyke that..?!"

[@mannism]

Brilliant. These guys always make me laugh.

[@transporttimeagain3632]

Nice

[@IrwellPete]

@radioianj Channel 4 didn't show the Britannia(Bacup) Coconutters because they said their blackened faces might be thought of as racist,

[@pugwashsecond]

Fabulous, great to see a bunch of guys really enjoying themselves, as well as providing such wonderful entertainment. Just the looks on their faces. Hope to get there this year :-)

[@spundam]

overduhhill - the tune is called 'The nut dance' (really!)

[@linananai1896]

can someone please tell meh the name of this song please i need it

[@cnc1204]

The Tip Top Polka

[@jonty7750]

easter satidi beckons they are geting the kit ready fer the day bring it on chaps ! bacup and the world expects !

[@hannahhudson9011]

Oh

[@hannahhudson9011]

Hannah Hudson

[@jeffsmith50001]

Do yer wantiton a burrmcake?

[@mikesaunders5226]

brilliant!

[@boer0011]

Don’t tell rhe Dutch than that Black piet is racist. This tradition of yours is at the same level.

[@folksinger2100]

Blacking up by the english morris was recorded in 1450's

[@Katmando376]

Highly offensive and racist😢

[@EstelleLarsen-g8d]

Learn English culture

[@folksinger2100]

How do you mean?

[@Katmando376]

@@folksinger2100 It's a Hate Crime

[@folksinger2100]

@@Katmando376 considering that the first documented report of people blacking up was in 1540, if you care to read about it you will find that the practice was done to disguise those supplementing their income by performing dance, mummers and other performances not approved of by their employers, the landed gentry, from effectively making the performers destitute. I dread to think what spin you will put on people trying to put food on their table?

[@Wotsitorlabart]

​​​​​​​​@@folksinger2100 Thre is little evidence of blacking up in morris dancing before 1800 - the practice coincides with the popularity of the minstrel troupes in the early 19th century. Theories of disguise, miners or Moors etc have no supporting evidence - and blacking up is really only a Border Morris tradition. Morris dance teams in 1540 would be sponsored by the Town and City Guilds - they would perform on feast days and in parades and be richly dressed. The dancing for money by village teams would come later when the dance moved out into the country. And they would perform for the 'landed gentry' and those in the big houses as that's where the money was. The Bacup Britannia Coconut Dancers aren't morris dancers - earliest reference to such a dance team is 1857.