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• Broadwood Day of Dance

Saturday 12 May 2012
A special dance festival celebrating all things English takes place every year in early May in Horsham Town Centre featuring dance and music around the town, plus a special medieval market with local food, drink and Sussex crafts. 

Based around the well-established Day of Dance (now in its fantastic 19th year) and organised by the local Broadwood Morris Men, the Day of Dance is an invitational event which regularly attracts 20 or more ‘sides’ which display at locations across Horsham Town Centre. The dance teams mostly perform traditional English dances such as Morris (Cotswold, North West and Border), Step Clog and Sword. Also, Scottish and Appalachian dances are often featured. One of the main features of the day is the Carfax Ceilidh (Bandstand Barn dance) from 3pm which enables members of the public to join in the dancing.

The Morris dancers starts at 10am with a procession through the town and perform throughout the town centre until 4.30pm.

Ye Olde Local Produce Market
Some of the produce at Horsham’s town markets is not so far removed from what their medieval ancestors would have peddled. Fresh fish was a staple for those living near water and fisherman Chris and his father make the trip every Saturday to Horsham. Chicken and fowl was only affordable to the Lord and his family – nowadays it’s affordable to us all and another regular at the Local Produce Market.  In fact, pretty much everything you find today on both the Carfax and Bishopric markets was on the menu hundreds of years ago.

Keeping with the traditional English theme Horsham Local Produce Market and Horsham District Council have collaborated to produce a unique Medieval Market Menu. The menu offers an entertaining take on the history and culture around medieval foodstuffs, from meats, fish and olive oils, to baked breads, vegetables, honey, and treats and sweets.  A copy of the Medieval Market Menu can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

Horsham Museum and Art Gallery
Horsham Museum and Art Gallery is the perfect place to visit as part of the English Festival celebrations. Hand carved and crafted from the honest toil of English craftsman in the reign of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I, not only is there the magnificence of the building to admire, from Tudor English oak timbers through to polite pine Georgian columns and Victorian varnishes, but there is a wealth of exhibitions and displays taking place that symbolises the best of England.

And don’t forget to pay a visit to the Visitor Information Centre in the Museum. The Centre provides a wide range of information about local Horsham district attractions as well as places further afield. This year sees the launch of five new guides promoting the best that the district has to offer, from gardens to bluebell walks.

9am - 3.30pm
Ye Olde Local Produce Markets (Carfax and Bishopric)

10am
Broadwood Day of Dance, Morris Dancers procession starts from Shelley Fountain, Bishopric and proceeds through West Street to Bandstand, Carfax, led by the Pentacle Drummers.

10.45am - 2.25pm
Morris dancing displays and Local folk music, locations around the town: Carfax, East Street, Piries Place, Park Place, Market Square, Shelley Fountain - Bishopric, West Street.

2.30pm - 3.30pm
Massed display at Band Stand

3pm - 4.30pm
Carfax Ceilidh (pronounced kaylee) (Barn dance) – Public welcome to join in