A WEST Devon Morris dancing side will be hitting television screens early next year after being invited to take part in an advert for a well-known meat company.

Meavy-based Dartmoor Border Morris was asked to take part in the filming of an advert for the Black Farmer Company under the direction of top Hollywood film producer Tony Kaye.

Bagman for the Morris side Mark ‘Treggie’ Tregaskis said he was ‘gob-smacked’ to get the call from the Black Farmer himself Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones.

He said: ‘He phoned us back in August and said he was going to do an advert showing him being involved in different parts of the community. He said he loved Morris dancing and asked if we would like to be involved.

‘We went down on a Sunday afternoon to film and we did two dances over and over and over again — filming is not a straightforward process! Wilfred enjoyed having us there and was filmed dancing with the side. We had a wonderful time. After an intense three hours of filming, we were rewarded with cooked sausages!

‘We haven’t seen the finished product yet, but we think it will be great.’

Treggie said while the side were filming the commercial, the Black Farmer Company offered to sponsor the group.

‘This is an exciting time for the side and we hope that our appearance on the advert will help lift the profile of Morris dancing as a whole,’ said Treggie. ‘With our links to the Black Farmer we won’t allow the fame to go to our heads as we will still be dancing at pubs across Dartmoor and visiting folk festivals, but it may open a few doors to new venues and experiences that in the past were closed.’

Dartmoor Border Morris is a very mixed group with ages ranging from 20 through to 87, with a mix of professions, including doctors, head teachers, hotel chefs, medical scientists and lorry drivers. The side has been going for 14 years and meets every Wednesday in Meavy Village Hall. The side has adopted a new charity for the year — Global Action Nepal — as member Ann Marcer is currently working as a teacher in the earthquake ruins of Nepal.

The advert is due to be shown on screens in January.

For more information visit www.dartmoorborder morris.com