EASTER, of a more traditional variety, was celebrated by the Forest of Dean Morris Men on Easter Monday – when they performed their annual Easter tour.

Carrying on a local custom that has been in existence since at least the 1400's, the team started their day at Newnham Clock Tower at 10.30am, before appearing at Beechenhurst Lodge at noon.

Their next stop was their 'home', the Miner's Arms in Whitecroft, before they finished a very long dancing day at The Rising Sun in Mosley Green in the evening.

The 'side', (as a Morris team is called), meet weekly on a Wednesday evening, from late September until the end of April, at the Miner's Arms at 8pm.

During the spring and summer they dance out at pubs and events in the Forest and Wye Valley, but they have also been known to venture much further afield: to Germany, France, Belgium, and widely across the UK.

They have also forged strong links with the picturesque town of Pont Aven in Brittany, where they perform as part of a famous flower festival.

The Forest once sported a Morris side for almost every village, but this gradually declined until, by the late 19th century, only memories of the dancing remained. That changed in 1968 with the arrival of Dave Blick to the area, who successfully recruited dancers and musicians, and so revived Morris dancing here.

•One place where you can be sure to see some spirited Morris dancing is on May Hill at dawn on May Day. Starting from the evening before (April 30), which is the ancient pagan celtic festival of Beltane, revellers on the hilltop wait to celebrate the arrival of the dawn before they return to the village hall for a hearty breakfast.