I am honoured to say a few words on this occasion.
Following demob in 1946, David attended Cecil Sharp House morris classes. He then joined Whitchurch Morris, near Aylesbury, started a side of novices ate Hereford and, following a short period with Westbury, he joined Bathampton in 1961.
He was elected Squire at our first "Morris Ale" on 10th November 1966 at the King's Arms in Bath - and he was Bold George in the 1966 Mummers' Play.
The English Folk Dance Society organised a National Folk Week of song and dance in April 1967 and David organised a ceilidh at Bradford-on-Avon. This was followed the next month by a morris tour to Upton-on-Severn, where their "Stick Dance" was performed to a very sparse audience; then on to Ledbury and Hereford.
David and our previous Squire, Dave Duncan, attended as our representatives at Halsway Manor for a "deeper look into morris" - at least that's what they told us!
1967 mumming again found David as St. George and in 1968, on our next "Welsh" tour, he was the Fool, and in that year's mumming David was Sweet Bet, the mother of the other characters.
In 1969 Bathampton learned that they had been elected to association in the Morris Ring, so in March David retired as Squire in order that Dave Duncan should be Squire for the year of our induction. As the latter had been our instructor, the roles were reversed and David took over the mantle of club Foreman. A perhaps unrewarding task!
As the present members of Bathampton Morris know, we have gone from strength to strength, but in times gone by our practise sessions often lacked a musician, and David rose to the occasion - he provided a tape recorder. He was a taskmaster in the mould of our founder, Mrs. Oakey, and woe betide the dancer who missed the timing of the jumps in "Leapfrog": He would be there with a big stick.
David handed Foremanship to Chris Wildridge in 1994, but I should have mentioned that he was the Red Horse for 20 years. He was a gentle man, of a quiet nature, but there was never such a horse: an inspiration to all other morris horses.
Some years ago Martin danced with Bathampton. Martin had a cottage at Llanvihangel Crucorney and an annual Welsh Tour was started, based there. Subsequently the base was moved to Grosmont, and in the last couple of years a morris side - Foxwhelp - has been formed in Grosmont. It can surely be claimed that the Eales message is well spread.
Finally, I would just like to mention that David was the instigator and author of the book "The Bathampton Way" in 1994. Knowing him, there is no picture of him included – but a nice picture of the Red Horse is on page 42.
Thank you, David.
John Helsdon
Fool of Bathampton
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