It tells on the photograph where it was taken but I don’t know when do you? Graham Harrison told us: ”The man behind the accordionist is Thomas Jackson of North Skelton, my grandfather”. He has also advised: ”I have just found a newspaper clipping showing the above photograph. It gives the dancers names (left to right): R. Wallis, J Hugill, J.T Hunter, B. Harrison, T. Batterbee, George Hugill, T. Jackson, G. Porte. Kneeling: Robert Evans and George Tremain.” Keith Thompson assists with: “The picture was taken in 1925 when the team won the Cowen Trophy at the seventh North of England Musical Tournament held on the 23rd May in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was a trophy presented by Miss Jane Cowen in memory of her father Frank who was a philanthropic owner of a Brick Works, he formed the first Co-operative Store in the North East based on the Rochdale model. The trophy was normally competed for and won by Rapper Dancing Teams (short sword or Pit Man’s dancing) by teams such as Winlaton or Newbiggin; their winning it caused a lot of upset. So much so that the next year 1926, Long Sword teams competed for a new cup presented by the same lady, The Cecil Sharp Memorial Trophy, which they duly won on 28th May 1926.The Cowen Trophy disappeared and resurfaced in 1998 the whereabouts of the Cecil Sharp Trophy isn’t known. Reports of the victory in 1925 were reported in The North Mail & Newcastle Daily Chronicle 25th May 1925 & similarly in the same papers there next triumph featured on page 2 on the 31st May 1926.” Peter Appleton advises: ”Based of the facial features and the date, the R Evans kneeling on the left side of the photo will be one of my great-uncles: Robert Evans. He was born in 1900, married Melinda Muriel Thomas in 1927, had at least three children, and died in 1966.”
Image (from The Key magazine) courtesy of Eric Johnson and thanks to Graham Harrison, Keith Thompson, Peter Appleton and Geoff Porte for the updates.
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