In another incarnation - a concurrent one, I play drum for border morris dancing. The drum is perched in a corner, on the back of the settee in the front room when not out morrissing or just on a general roisterdoister.

The first outing of the year will be this coming Saturday when we will travel to the nearby town of Wimborne Minster, which will be en fete all weekend with morris men of all kinds - there are kinds, it is a very local sort of a thing.

We set up a rendezvous using the internet these days, and appear in costume, perform the ritual and then disperse again.

There are several people who I have known for years only as a person in a mask and tatter coat and who I would not recognise in civvies. There are many people who know me as 'the drummer with Herbaceous Border' - whilst it is easy to take off and pack away a costume a bright red side drum takes some effort to conceil/camoflage.

Kilts are becoming more common amongst the folk festival crowds as well as those performing, if I don't have to find some cool place due to the heat of the day I shall wander around and count the kilts. There will be dozens of drums, accordions, guitars and other assorted instruments around the town, though few bagpipes of any ilk or kazoos, however a crumhorn is a possibility, or even a serpent. There will also be cases of heat exhaustion and being naughtily drunk, if previous years are anything to go by. Should be fun.