VIDEO and PICTURES: Wartime horn dance honoured a century later

The Fowell brothers, Jack, Arthur, Alfred and David, returned on leave from the Army to join the famous Abbots Bromley Horn Dance whilst wearing their Army uniforms.

The 1915 dance became known as the Khaki Horn Dance and this year, to mark its centenary, the dance was recreated with their own relatives in the ensemble.

The tradition of the Horn Dance dates back 800 years and sees dancers brandish horns to dance through the streets of the village and its surrounding farms and pubs to the music of of a melodeon player.

Jean Needham from the Abbots Bromley Nostalgia Team said: "Our main aim is to get anything we can about the history of the village and the people that have lived here to preserve it for future generations and the Horn Dance is one of the main things in the village.

"The group that I am with had started off looking at the war memorial in commemoration of the anniversary of the deaths of the people who were mentioned on it. We then started to look at the whole history of things.

"Arthur Fowell is mentioned on our war memorial and because it was 100 years we decided this year that we would ask the dancers if they would do this and they agreed to wear the costumes to recreate what happened 100 years ago."

Remarkably at this year's event, two of the brothers were re-enacted by their relatives Carl and Michael Fowell.

Mrs Needham, added: "The two men that carried the horns in the picture were both Fowells and were relations of people who died in the war.

"They were carrying the exact horns that their ancestors would have been carrying."

Dating back centuries, the Horn Dancers are made up of six deer-men, a fool, hobby horse, bowman and Maid Marian.

Starting at 8am, they perform at locations throughout the village and its surrounding farms and pubs, including including The Bagot Arms and The Royal Oak with a total distance of around 10 miles. This year's event took place in the village on September 7.

The horns, which weigh up to 25lbs, are stored at St Nicholas's Church.

The dance is performed on the Monday following the first Sunday after September 4 and there are also exhibitions and craft stalls as part of the event.

Retired librarian Mrs Needham, aged 64, said: "They usually stop at the five pubs and have a drink and they stop and have their tea and that's when people have the opportunity to talk to them and dance with them and look at the horns.

"There are people who will come especially to see the dance. We have had people from America and across the UK.

"We find a lot of people gather in the afternoon in the village."

Of the Fowell brothers, Arthur normally carried the second blue horn, David was the hobby horse and Alfred carried another set of horns, while Jack, an elder brother, was the jester.

However, in 1915, Jack took up the leadership for the dance, carrying the blue horn, Arthur had white while David and Alfred carried other horns.

Just a few weeks later, Arthur was badly injured in battle and died from his wounds on September 28 1915 aged 25 - just 22 days after the Horn Dance. David was killed in action in April 28 1917, also aged 25.

Of the two remaining brothers, due to injuries Jack was deemed unfit to serve for frontline duties and transferred to the Labour Corps but survived the war. Alfred also returned to the village and some years later became an active member of the Abbots Bromley branch of the British Legion.

To commemorate the event this year, four members of the present Horn Dance group wore jackets and hats of the BEF 1914 with Lincolnshire Regiment badges, and danced alongside their fellow members who were wearing their traditional Horn Dance costume.

The nostalgia group funded the rental of the uniforms and also held a display at the back room of the Crown Inn.

Visitors were also able to see both of the death plaques of Arthur and David Fowell.

Mrs Needham added she hoped to see the event continue for years and years to come.

"The event is something we expect will continue as there's always someone to take it on. A lot of people are in it for the long term."