How to Make a Beast with Geoff Roberts
Channel: The Morris Federation
Date: 2021-03-04

Geoff Roberts will talk about making a Morris beast – held up by a single pole with the carrier under a fabric body.  He has already made 3 beasts in his morris career, using just a workmate and some basic hand and power tools.

His latest creation is a real-life Giddy horse from the Giddy Up At Whitby book (available at Waterstones).

Geoff will show some of the bits of Giddy in detail and pass on advice about the things he’s done that have worked, and some that haven’t.  He has no workshop, just a workmate and some basic hand and power tools so you should be able to make one just as Geoff has.  There isn’t a rule book or only one way of building a beast that works, but this is one way that has.

Your host
Geoff says “If there is a qualification for making Morris beasts, I don’t have it, but I have made two dragons and a horse.  Originally I offered to make a more portable dragon (see picture) for Woodside Morris Men to take on our visit to Bensheim in Germany as the existing one was a bit unwieldy and heavy for the flight.  Then I made another lightweight one to transport around.  And then I made a real-life Giddy horse from the Giddy Up At Whitby book in order to produce a short film for Whitby@Home 2020.”

Geoff Roberts has danced with Woodside Morris Men and Chiltern Hundreds and most recently with Hexham Morris Men, Black Gate Morris, Rockhopper Morris and Amble Sword.

Recorded from an online event via Zoom on 23rd January 2021.  Featuring Geoff Roberts, Katie Palmer-Heathman and Giddy the horse.