You too can enjoy the fun of the Nine Days Wonder. There has already been interest expressed in the event by TV, Radio and the Press, and Tim would like to maximise the positive impact by inviting all Morris Dancers to join him on the diffferent legs of the journey, either for a short stretch or a nice long stretch.

If you would like to be kept informed of what is going on, please send your email to either Tim or Woodside's Dave D, and we will strive to keep you up to date with where and when each leg of the journey will be taking place, and when any special events take place to celebrate or promote the event.

Tim FitzHigham's
Nine Days Wonder

28 June to 7 July 2008

Nine Days Wonder Home

The Fourth Wonder - Chelmsford(ish) to Halstead(ish)

A day characterised by the best and less best that the fine county of Essex had to offer. High tea with civic types, followed by another run in with the Rozzers.

The day's onslaught commenced with a cheery greeting from one of the county's finest, excited at being given charge of a shiny Panda car, and moist with anticipation, having been given the opportunity to cleans the Essex streets of their pestulent stand-up problem. Technically, there is nothing in the manual on how to deal with a member of the public dressed in 16C costume, utilising the Queens highway in a manner to which it was not used; so, to her credit, the officer had to improvise the situation.

Thus, our bold Knight upon the road was hailed in a somewhat discourteous manner, and was requested to come off road a bit sharpish if he wouldn't mind. Of course he did mind, and was very keen to convey to the dutiful constabularian that she had indeed biffed up, and not just in small way.

The remoteness of the area in which the WPC found herself remonstrating with Mr FitzHigham, combined with those wild Morris eyes, a posh voice quoting from the rule book, and of course the fact that he wasn't actually doing anything wrong, must have positively affected her natural instinct to make an arrest, and our hero was shortly on his way again.

Once again, Tim was filling in the gaps that didn't really exist in the morning with the odd radio spot and progress report, whilst his mind drifted towards the real pleasantry of the day...

The civic tea time took place with the Mayor and Mayoress of Chelmsford, and proved to be a most delightful experience, and included a little FitzHigham pagentry, as he remained true to Kemps equivalent meeting, by presenting them with a garter purveyed by none other than 'Chelmsford's favourite hosier. Who that hosier was remained something of a mystery, though Tim was able to produce documentary evidence to validate the giving of such a gift, as proof to your intrepid reporter that it was no FitzHigham flight of fancy. Suffice to say that the Mayor and Mayroess also required some similar reassurance that Sir Timothy was posessed of the requisite number of bread based comestibles for that afternoon's outdoor luncheon.

And speaking of consumables for the day, Tim may have been wishing for a little more than a couple of Jammy Dodgers and a Peak Freans fancy at the tea party, as he forged on into the afternoon, with no sign of a lunch on the sun baked horizon. Eventually, the decision was made to break for lunch, and indeed for that particular pre-dog-day afternoon, with the aim of starting up again when things had cooled down a bit.

In such a manner, Tim made it to somwhere near Halstead at the end of Day four, where he met up with a number of friends for ale and reminicence.

See Tim's thoughts on the Day on FitzHigham.com