FISHY hats, jingling trousers and colourful faces were spotted around Worcestershire on Saturday as the Original Welsh Border Morris made their traditional Christmas tour around the county.

Morris dancers from all over the country join together for the annual event, now in its 41st year, for the one and only tour of the side, which is thought to be the biggest in England.

As part of their trip the men travelled from White Ladies Aston, to Pershore, then onto Evesham and Upton before ending the day in Worcester.

In Pershore they held the annual general meeting at the Angel Inn before taking over the High Street to perform, even dancing the Pershore dance.

John Barker, a founding member who plays the Upton fool with a fish strapped to his hat, said the tour began when members of Worcester’s Faithful City Morris Men and the Silurian Morris Men of Ledbury met to preserve the old dances of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

"It's traditional now for us to come back year on year," said Mr Barker. "It's become our own tradition now and all the dances we have collected from various towns.

"We look forward to it every year.

"My outfit is based on the Upton fool of the 1900s. The fool then wore a salmon on his head and he would carry a pig's bladder that he would hit people with to keep them in order.

"In those days the working men would go round the big houses and collect money. That is why they would blackened their faces to avoid recognition, as it was begging and often from their employers."

Now the men dance for fun and throughout the day the side draws crowds eager to watch and enjoy the traditional dances.

Mike Finn, who is the bag man or secretary, has been dancing with the side for about 30 years.

He said: "We were the first side that started the revival of the border dancing 41 years ago.

"We started the day in White Ladies Aston and around 100 people came out to see us and we had mince pies and mulled wine. When we started there was just curtain twitching at us."

For more information visit welshbordermorris.co.uk.