There are references to Morris dance in early English court documents (arrests and fines), household accounts (costs for outfitting the 'teams'), and literature (the clowning roles in some of William Shakespeare's work were likely written for his colleague - actor and Morris dancer, William Kemp).

Tiddley Cove Morris is an all-women's Morris side in BC. It was established in 1986 and is based in Vancouver, not Tiddley Cove, but the name was too good to pass up. Our membership has about a dozen active dancers and musicians, and we perform both stick and hanky dances (and dances using both stick and hanky). In the summer months we perform dances drawn from the Cotswold tradition and Betty Lupton's Ladle Laikers; winter months you will see us performing dances from the border of England and Wales in the winter, and known as Border dance and from the northern counties, Longsword dances. Our dance kit depends on the time of year and style we are performing. Summer you’ll see us in our fetching full-skirted red dresses, with white sleeves and black stockings accessorized with a straw hat adorned with flowers; winter kit we go for warmth and wear black pants, white shirt and a red/black/white “rag coat” topped off with a black hat for the Border dances and a black quilted vest in place of the rag coat, for the Longsword dances.

Performing to live, unamplified music is an important part of Morris tradition, and collectively, we play melodeon, concertina, penny whistle, recorder, bodhran, tambourine, triangle, and mandolin. We're also developing a singing repertoire for that other important aspect of the tradition - the pub session.