'The records of memory': the first research trip to Whitby, by Anna FC Smith

On Thursday 12 January, we travelled through the snow to begin the initial research trip to Whitby. I was nervous but also excited: as with all my research interests, this is my ideal project, and I was heading to meet the ultimate man of living folk custom, Doc Rowe, or 'the myth and legend' (an impromptu epithet given to him by a member of the Goathland Plough Stots).

We arrived late to a wind whipped Whitby and met the project team, most for the first time. Stephanie, the project curator; Natalie Reid and Bryony Bainbridge, my fellow artists; and Sophie, marketing. Stephanie has brought together a wonderful team, who through their work, pastimes and backgrounds, are all engaged with folk dance, ritual and custom. We discussed ideas for the project, rapper dancing and much more – I was in my element and it was a real privilege to meet them all.

On Friday morning, we went to a local pub on the harbour for breakfast and to meet with Doc for the first time, before visiting the Pannett Art Gallery and then the archive. Doc is brimming with fascinating stories and tales of customs, which flow out of him continually. Though I had brought my recorder with me, I didn’t use it in our initial chats at the pub – a mistake I hopefully won’t make again. I realised that Doc's interaction with and experience of the customs is very much a part of the archive and that every conversation reveals aspects of what he has seen. It also became clear that Doc himself and his knowledge has become a part of the many events that he attends; he is documenter, repository and spring from which new traditions have come.  

Held in a business centre unit, the archive is an unassuming treasure trove. The life and movement is trapped: hidden inside tapes and behind labels, inside the books and boxes under boxes under boxes. Doc took us through parts of his collection, each piece triggering further tales. It was incredible but also overwhelming for me. Having worked on custom for a long time, I felt like I was suddenly in the epicentre of all of my interests and at a loss with where to start or what part of the archive to focus upon. We spent hours happily rooting and listening to Doc, longer than we all realised. When we left, it was dark and the sea had flooded into the harbour, meaning we had to find an alternative route back to where we were staying.

On Saturday, we had the honour of accompanying Doc on one of his documenting trips at the annual Goathland Plough Stots' day of dance. The day was sunny and crisp and we followed the teams around the village as they danced for inhabitants and were ‘paid’ in donations of money and drink. We were treated to hot cider, many varieties of whisky and a Polish plum wine that transformed my breath, a powerful defroster. I even knocked on a lady’s door and took a donation – a small action but it was exciting for me to be a minute part of the custom. The day ended at Beck Hole in a homely and warm traditional pub, where the younger Plough Stots danced a lethal rapper dance in the cramped room and I was thrilled to have a chance to talk with their chairman and official Fool.

On Sunday, we all met together again at a lovely café and spent the day discussing the project and our interests with Doc. Each of the artists is taking a different approach in working with the archives, but each of us has recognised the significance of Doc and the archive as a phenomenon in itself and are using this as our starting point.

I keep coming back to the ideas around these being living and changing customs and the question asked by Jeanette A Bastian in her article ‘The records of memory, the archives of identity: celebrations, texts and archival sensibilities’: “How can the traces and signifiers of culture and tradition fit within the archival structure?"

Full of the buzz from this illuminating and enjoyable weekend, I am mulling over my thoughts and looking forward to meeting with Doc and the rest of the group again.

All photos courtesy of Michael Orrell.

Supporting the archive in 2017 – and beyond

One of the key aims of this project is to raise the profile of the archive and demonstrate how vital a resource it is for our understanding of our cultural heritage and identity.

But this project will not bring in the significant financial support that Doc needs to continue to house the archive.

In previous years, Doc has stored his archive in his home, but when his collection became too large, it moved to a space at the Burton Street Project in Sheffield. When planned building work meant that the space was no longer suitable, Doc relocated the archive to Whitby where it has been ever since.

Although the facility in Whitby is ideal, with electronic shutters plus perfect temperature and humidity for storage, because of the vast amount of material there is not much room for manoeuvre – and it comes with a high rent. Members of The Doc Rowe Collection Support Group have contributed towards the cost of housing the archive for a number of years, but this does not cover the full annual amount and Doc finds the remainder from his state pension.

You may have seen a recent JustGiving campaign to support the Doc Rowe Archive and Collection: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/docrowearchive If you’re interested in this project, and the archive itself, then we would be grateful if you would consider supporting this campaign by contributing whatever you can afford.

If you’re one of the many donors, then thank you – your support is greatly received.

We hope that this exhibition will generate further interest in Doc Rowe’s life and work, securing the archive’s future.

The push and pull of changing times: a weekend in Whitby, by Natalie Reid

On Friday 13, January 2017, the first of our research journeys had us delving into the treasures of Doc Rowe’s archive, housed in the mythopoeic coastal town of Whitby.

Like children in a sweet shop, we gazed into the room with marvel and delight as Doc began to tell us stories behind his remarkable collection. The snug storeroom is a place of intrigue, full to the brim with footage, documentation and folkloric ephemera: towering film reels in their metal containers, bulging shelves of open reel tape, vintage cameras, long rows of video cassettes, books and boxes, carefully labelled with curious words such as Padstow Obby Oss and Haxey Hood, not to mention a doll-sized replica of the formidable Burryman of South Queensferry, decorated from head to toe in sticky burdock burrs and topped with a crown of flowers.

Encased within each box are photographs, old and new, of strange creatures dancing, people singing and musicians playing; captured moments of folk art performance, seasonal rituals and stories of celebration. Doc’s collection is diverse, exciting and I consider his work to be valuable in documenting the breadth of our cultural heritage in the British Isles. He shows passion and dedication towards the customs he records, not purely as a photographer, film maker and archivist, but Doc himself, has become an important part of the events he records. He is a storyteller, a trusted friend to those communities and in some cases, an integral character!

The Plough Stots' Day of Dance brought a crisp winter morning and a beautiful blue sky over the North York Moors. We joined Doc on his annual documentation of the festivities. From morning 'til evening, the long sword dancers of Goathland meander their way through the village, dancing for each and every household. In return, there are hot mugs of spiced cider, malt whisky and warmed mince pies, as well as a good few coins in the collection tin towards the building of a new community centre. Their custom not only has a deep-rooted connection to the people that belong to Goathland, but also to the land on which they live, for historically, the dance is believed to bring fertility to the land and plentiful crops come harvest time. The community may not depend quite so heavily on the yields of their land nowadays, but it is clear to see that today, there is much more to it than that. For me, the most memorable moments of the day were experiencing the warm generosity of people in the village, observing gratification in the dancers and musicians, the gesture of social outreach and celebration of life itself. In contemporary society, perhaps seasonal customs have developed new significances for people and their communities.

However, some customs still seem to be motivated by the influence of superstition. The planting of the Penny Hedge, for example, takes place in Whitby Harbour every Ascension Eve. According to 12th Century legend, by request of a fatally wounded hermit, a penance hedge, woven from hazel wood, should be planted into the low tide silt and it must withstand three tides, or the builders will forfeit their lands. We drifted past the seemingly delicate Penny Hedge on Sunday morning, eight months after its construction. It still stands, resisting the push and pull of the tides, as the tradition itself resists the push and pull of changing times.

The weekend left my thoughts in murmeration, captivated by curious characters conjured up by tradition bearers, the power of superstition and the commitment that helps to preserve our countries’ traditional heritage. From the flamboyant processions, to the discreet, almost secretive, ceremonies that Doc observes today, it is clear to see that his collection is not an archive of bygone customs, but a unique glimpse into our thriving present day culture.