Accounts of the history and descriptions of the Bagman's awards can be found in the short history of Thelwall Morris or in more detail in the long history version.
Here are award winners from the period of the Thelwall Morris Men web site
Presented for singular idiocy.
2008: Andrew White for missing weeks following an operation that remains
unspoken about, then missing even more due to a knee operation following an
injury obtained dancing with another team
2007: Kevin Farrell for leading a party of dancers and musicians to a
Wetherspoons pub in Bedford when the team was required to dance at a Beer
Festival - the team had to find another musician to play instead.
2006: Dave Devereux-Pratt, for managing to get himself locked in the Parish Hall
after a practice.
2005: Henry, for almost getting us barred from the Little Manor.
2004: Steve Guest, for his continued pessimism on the future of Thelwall Morris Men
(this one is wearing a bit thin, now!)
2003: Steve Guest, for the appalling state of his hat and refusal to buy a new
one one because of his predicted imminent demise of the side
2002: Steve Guest, for his continued pessimism on the future of Thelwall Morris Men
2001: Bruce, for crying off Moulton weekend to take another booking
2000: Steve Guest, for consistent pessimism over the last 5 years on predicting
the demise of the side (plus a late bid by attempting to reassemble the Mallow
Shield during the award ceremony)
1999: Dave Pratt, for leaving the Squire's Tankard (c.20 years old) in such a position that it could be run over by a van! - Closely contested by Bruce who sat and watched it being run over
1998: Cecil Parkinson/Tim (ex-squire of the Morris Ring) Sircombe
- Jointly received the award for their non-attendance at the 25th
Anniversary Day
1997: Dave Pratt - At Moulton, all Thelwall MM outside while
Prattman was inside waiting for the team to socialise
1996: Gordon Gilmore, for giving up the Morris at a time when
TMM need more men, not less
1995: The Fool, for putting the whole side in jeopardy of
hernias by putting them in the position of having to lift Dolores
from Balyphehane - 20 stone and still counting - at the end of
TMM version of Banbury Bill Bampton.
Two Left Feet Award.
2008: Rob Pracy for a spectacular leap and landing on all fours during a display
dance in Williamson Square, Liverpool
2007: Andrew White for his ability to make so many basic mistakes at EVERY venue
of the Easter Monday Tour (first outing of the year)
2006: Dave Devereux-Pratt for, after 3-years of doing 6-man Lichfield was still
able to go the wrong way in the hey (at our highest fee paying venue, too)
2005: Geoff Bibby, for failing to start a dance properly at the Woolston WI
demonstration lecture, after the audience had been specifically directed to him
for a good example of footwork.
2004:The whole team made some silver shoe faux pas at the Fearnhead WI
night - Foreman accepts award on behalf of the team.
2003: Not awarded because, in the eyes of the bagman, there has been a lack of
instances when the award could be given - if only he turned out more he would
have known [very] different.
2002: Geoff Bibby - Unusual to see the foreman take a tumble during a dance
(Walking Tour 2002)
2001: Dave Pratt for successfully performing a sliding tackle on Ned, mid-dance.
2000: Geoff Bibby, for falling on his rear end mid dance at Lymm Dam
1999: Andrew White, for spectacular fall during a dance at the Ring Meeting whilst being videoed by the Ring Archivist
1998: The entire group of past members who partook in
"Vandals of Hammerwich" at the Shady Oak on the 25th
Anniversary Day - 100 years experience of Morris dancing between
them and nobody got it right
1997: Rob Pracy, for falling over on more than one occasion
during the year when dancing (Norton Priory and Warrington town
tour)
1996: Steve Guest, for failing to make any height and collapsing
on floor during Glorishers (leap-frog) Fieldtown
1995: Dave Pratt, for consistency.
Best/most implausible/ridiculous excuse for not turning up for dancing out.
2008: Kevin Farrell for providing no reasonable excuse for not joining the team
at the Ring Meeting for the evenings dancing
2007: Arthur Ronald for deciding to cruise the canals of England during the
dancing season
2006: Steve Guest, who failed to learn any lessons from last year and AGAIN
double booked himself and pulled out of dancing at the last minute.
2005: Steve Guest for saying he was available for a booking, then nearer the
time pulling out after realising he had booked a holiday for that week.
2004: Geoff Bibby, who took the desperate measure of breaking an ankle to get out
of dancing.
2003: Derek Bradburne, for refusal to travel on the bus during our Bus tour
because he doesn't "do" public transport.
2002: Derek Bradburne, for developing arthritis just to avoid coming to the morris
2001: Jim Berry, for poor attendance - considering he only lives 100yds away.
2000: Rob Pracy for putting his career and livelihood before the morris.
1999: Jim Berry, for missing everything during the year
1998: Ged - Knew the date of the 25th Day well in advance and
still booked a holiday to go away that weekend
1997: Bruce, for failing to pay out 20 quid for a day of dance
to go off and get paid 85 for a 2 hour gig
1996: Bluey, for insisting (at 1995 AGM) that he would turn out
during the year and hasn't been seen since (as at 1996 AGM)
Embarrassing Illness Award for the most embarrassing illness during the year
2008: Norman for something we don't speak about - though the photo may provide
something of a clue
Slippery Gullet for the most impressive display of throwing up
2007: No takers
2006: No takers
2005: No takers
2004: No takers
2003: No takers (if that is the right word!)
2002: No takers
2001: No takers
2000: No takers
1999: Steve Guest - for his performance at Moulton
1998: No takers
1997: Not awarded but retained by Derek who looked the person
most likely to
1996: Derek - The fish in the Bridgewater Canal have yet to
recover
Activities significantly enhancing Thelwall Morris in some way.
2008: Derek Britch for musicianing throughout the year
2007: Andrew White for acting as e-bagman throughout the year and for
maintaining enthusiasm in the maintenance of the TMM website.
2006: Rob Pracy, for regularly (most weeks during the year) driving up from the
midlands (associated with work) to practices and dancing out
2005: Geoff Bibby, for the production of a set of Swords for Thelwall MM to move
on and do some sword dancing.
2004: Andrew White, for almost single handed running the team during the year.
2003: Steve Guest, for organising the Warrington Borough Transport Bus tour.
2002: Geoff Bibby, for his continued optimism over the future of the side.
2001: Ned - without whom there would not have been a team some nights during the
summer
2000: Andrew White, for spreading the history of Thelwall Morris Men across the
World Wide Web
1999: Derek Bradburne, for being indispensable.
Note: There was an unkind proposal that the award should go to the entire team, except Bibby's kids, for putting up with Bibby's kids.
1998: Andrew White, for compiling and printing the 25th
anniversary book, producing anniversary badges and organising the
25th Anniversary day
Geoff Bibby is to receive a special award for his dedication and
contribution to Thelwall Morris Men from day 1
1997: Geoff Bibby, for continued contribution to Thelwall Morris
Men - "Done more for TMM than anybody in the last 25
years"
1996: Andrew White, for fine work as foreman over last two years
1995: Kevin Farrell, for organising the International Festival
of Dance in the face of galloping inertia from the rest of the
side.
Voted at the AGM by those members present.
2008: Not awarded because, as usual we forgot and the award seems to have gone
AWOL
2007: Andrew White (after a re-count)
2006: Del Britch
2005: Geoff Bibby
2004: Andrew White
2003: Geoff Bibby
2002: We forgot to do this!
2001: Kevin Farrell
For the most successful assignation with a member of the opposite sex (to be
polite).
2008: Still not awarded despite Jasper's presence at quite a few of the outings
2007: Not awarded
2006: Kevin Farrell, who, at Moulton managed (to quote the Bagman), "meet,
court, get engaged, consummate, and split up in one evening"
Go to The Bagman's Awards
Go to Thelwall Morris Men Home Page