In the Les Tuffley Photo Collection there is a picture of Mike Burns with the caption Mr. Mike Burns at the Baptist Chapel Cinderford for the Wedding of his grandson Tony Burns. Living for many years on Plump Hill, Mitcheldean, he was a retired coalminer and in his younger days a Morris Dancer."

Does anyone have any more information on his (or anyone else's) local Morris Dancing details?

I am particularly interested being a member of the current Forest of Dean Morris Men. A number of years ago one of the members of the FoDMM was approached by someone who said that there were a number of old photos of local Morris dancers but, unfortunately he was unable to pick them up. Anyone know of these?

Thanks
Ian Riddell

It was my fathers collection that the Mike Burns photo came from. Mike was a worker in the Cement Works and was also a coal miner. He lived up on the Plump Hill, near Mitcheldean and as a teenager I would often see him very slowly walking through Mitcheldean on his way to the White Horse Pub. One of Mitcheldean's characters. I guess he died in the late 1960's to early 1970's

Thanks for the reply Dave. He sounds like quite a character!

I think Mike burns was my Great grandad

Having re-read this post, I can remember there being some more recent pictures of Morris dancers at Mitcheldean, in the yard of the George Hotel, I think (1990's ??). You will have to go to the Gloucestershire Archive to see the 24 volumes of my fathers photo collection of Mitcheldean, And No, I dont know which volume those photos are in. Dave Tuffley