"I am the Dance, and the Dance Lives On." -M.H.
"It is with deep regret that I have to announce the passing of Martin Harris, Hartley Morris Men's Fool, whose jovial spirit left this mortal shore shortly after eight o'clock this morning. Martin was a very colourful character, always cheerful and popular with both audiences and the Morris fraternity. He will be sadly missed."
'Thus would we pass from this earth and its toiling. Only remembered for what we have done'"
- Terry Heaslip, Squire, Hartley Morris Men, October 23, 2012
He spent decades between the United Kingdom and the United States, always returning home to care for his father and family. The funeral service was at Gravesend Methodist Church, followed by private committal at the crematorium, meanwhile there was tea and biscuits in the church hall with an arranged programme of dancing and songs. After this the Morris contingent adjourned to the Three Daws, for informal singing and dancing in the bar. Martin's last performance with Hartley was at the 60th Anniversary Meeting in September 2012. He was quite weak, but he danced Sweet Jenny Jones, Adderbury at Ightham Mote and managed to sing Scowcroft & Gifford's beautiful "When All Men Sing" at the Feast.
A cenotaph exists for Martin's father and family at Camer Park in Gravesend. His tulip tree is adjacent to his father's oak tree, where his mother and a brother who predeceased him also had ashes scattered.
Like many actors, Martin took whatever work came his way. It seems so contrary to the Martin most of us knew, but he started out as a quantity surveyor for McAlpine in London. In his spare time, he sang in folk clubs in Kent. While hosting a folk concert at Rochester Cathedral, he was noticed by BBC Kent and subsequently had his own weekly radio program, "Folk for Folk." Travels eventually took him to the US, where he reported on the Bicentenary celebrations. Much to the dismay and disapproval of his family, he remained in the US, working his way to the West Coast where he reported on the Olympics.
A member of Hartley Morris in Kent, he continued his Morris dancing in the US and was a founding member of Sunset Morris. This led to his role as the Morris Jester in the newly-established Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and subsequent roles with the Dickens Fair and Old Sacramento Rail Fair.
While living in Los Angeles and working as a chauffeur (he was proud to have driven Geraldo Rivera, George Burns, and Jane Fonda), he took a skiing trip to Mammoth Lakes. He fell in love with the mountains, moved to the area and took a job as a ski instructor. While living in Mammoth Lakes he founded the Mammoth Lakes Celtic Festival and played "spoons, bones, and other assorted animal parts" with the Celtic band Wild Mountain Thyme.
Martin met his lovely wife Anna in San Francisco in 1998 while he was passing through on his way back from a visit to see his father (his mother and brother having both passed away). They married in 1999 and moved to Gravesend in 2001 to care for his father after he suffered a debilitating stroke.
Until his death, Martin had a job doing what he did best: talking to people. As a Market Research Surveyor he went door-to-door conducting interviews, mostly for the United Kingdom government, on a wide variety of social and marketing topics. This job had the added advantage of a flexible work schedule which allowed him the freedom to return to California annually to reprise his favourite role of Charles Dicken's Scrooge.
In his last years, Martin became a champion of the fight against prostate cancer, which finally took him at 65 years of age.
"It is with deep regret that I have to announce the passing of Martin Harris, Hartley Morris Men's Fool, whose jovial spirit left this mortal shore shortly after eight o'clock this morning. Martin was a very colourful character, always cheerful and popular with both audiences and the Morris fraternity. He will be sadly missed."
'Thus would we pass from this earth and its toiling. Only remembered for what we have done'"
- Terry Heaslip, Squire, Hartley Morris Men, October 23, 2012
He spent decades between the United Kingdom and the United States, always returning home to care for his father and family. The funeral service was at Gravesend Methodist Church, followed by private committal at the crematorium, meanwhile there was tea and biscuits in the church hall with an arranged programme of dancing and songs. After this the Morris contingent adjourned to the Three Daws, for informal singing and dancing in the bar. Martin's last performance with Hartley was at the 60th Anniversary Meeting in September 2012. He was quite weak, but he danced Sweet Jenny Jones, Adderbury at Ightham Mote and managed to sing Scowcroft & Gifford's beautiful "When All Men Sing" at the Feast.
A cenotaph exists for Martin's father and family at Camer Park in Gravesend. His tulip tree is adjacent to his father's oak tree, where his mother and a brother who predeceased him also had ashes scattered.
Like many actors, Martin took whatever work came his way. It seems so contrary to the Martin most of us knew, but he started out as a quantity surveyor for McAlpine in London. In his spare time, he sang in folk clubs in Kent. While hosting a folk concert at Rochester Cathedral, he was noticed by BBC Kent and subsequently had his own weekly radio program, "Folk for Folk." Travels eventually took him to the US, where he reported on the Bicentenary celebrations. Much to the dismay and disapproval of his family, he remained in the US, working his way to the West Coast where he reported on the Olympics.
A member of Hartley Morris in Kent, he continued his Morris dancing in the US and was a founding member of Sunset Morris. This led to his role as the Morris Jester in the newly-established Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and subsequent roles with the Dickens Fair and Old Sacramento Rail Fair.
While living in Los Angeles and working as a chauffeur (he was proud to have driven Geraldo Rivera, George Burns, and Jane Fonda), he took a skiing trip to Mammoth Lakes. He fell in love with the mountains, moved to the area and took a job as a ski instructor. While living in Mammoth Lakes he founded the Mammoth Lakes Celtic Festival and played "spoons, bones, and other assorted animal parts" with the Celtic band Wild Mountain Thyme.
Martin met his lovely wife Anna in San Francisco in 1998 while he was passing through on his way back from a visit to see his father (his mother and brother having both passed away). They married in 1999 and moved to Gravesend in 2001 to care for his father after he suffered a debilitating stroke.
Until his death, Martin had a job doing what he did best: talking to people. As a Market Research Surveyor he went door-to-door conducting interviews, mostly for the United Kingdom government, on a wide variety of social and marketing topics. This job had the added advantage of a flexible work schedule which allowed him the freedom to return to California annually to reprise his favourite role of Charles Dicken's Scrooge.
In his last years, Martin became a champion of the fight against prostate cancer, which finally took him at 65 years of age.
"I am the Dance, and the Dance Lives On." -M.H.
"It is with deep regret that I have to announce the passing of Martin Harris, Hartley Morris Men's Fool, whose jovial spirit left this mortal shore shortly after eight o'clock this morning. Martin was a very colourful character, always cheerful and popular with both audiences and the Morris fraternity. He will be sadly missed."
'Thus would we pass from this earth and its toiling. Only remembered for what we have done'"
- Terry Heaslip, Squire, Hartley Morris Men, October 23, 2012
He spent decades between the United Kingdom and the United States, always returning home to care for his father and family. The funeral service was at Gravesend Methodist Church, followed by private committal at the crematorium, meanwhile there was tea and biscuits in the church hall with an arranged programme of dancing and songs. After this the Morris contingent adjourned to the Three Daws, for informal singing and dancing in the bar. Martin's last performance with Hartley was at the 60th Anniversary Meeting in September 2012. He was quite weak, but he danced Sweet Jenny Jones, Adderbury at Ightham Mote and managed to sing Scowcroft & Gifford's beautiful "When All Men Sing" at the Feast.
A cenotaph exists for Martin's father and family at Camer Park in Gravesend. His tulip tree is adjacent to his father's oak tree, where his mother and a brother who predeceased him also had ashes scattered.
Like many actors, Martin took whatever work came his way. It seems so contrary to the Martin most of us knew, but he started out as a quantity surveyor for McAlpine in London. In his spare time, he sang in folk clubs in Kent. While hosting a folk concert at Rochester Cathedral, he was noticed by BBC Kent and subsequently had his own weekly radio program, "Folk for Folk." Travels eventually took him to the US, where he reported on the Bicentenary celebrations. Much to the dismay and disapproval of his family, he remained in the US, working his way to the West Coast where he reported on the Olympics.
A member of Hartley Morris in Kent, he continued his Morris dancing in the US and was a founding member of Sunset Morris. This led to his role as the Morris Jester in the newly-established Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and subsequent roles with the Dickens Fair and Old Sacramento Rail Fair.
While living in Los Angeles and working as a chauffeur (he was proud to have driven Geraldo Rivera, George Burns, and Jane Fonda), he took a skiing trip to Mammoth Lakes. He fell in love with the mountains, moved to the area and took a job as a ski instructor. While living in Mammoth Lakes he founded the Mammoth Lakes Celtic Festival and played "spoons, bones, and other assorted animal parts" with the Celtic band Wild Mountain Thyme.
Martin met his lovely wife Anna in San Francisco in 1998 while he was passing through on his way back from a visit to see his father (his mother and brother having both passed away). They married in 1999 and moved to Gravesend in 2001 to care for his father after he suffered a debilitating stroke.
Until his death, Martin had a job doing what he did best: talking to people. As a Market Research Surveyor he went door-to-door conducting interviews, mostly for the United Kingdom government, on a wide variety of social and marketing topics. This job had the added advantage of a flexible work schedule which allowed him the freedom to return to California annually to reprise his favourite role of Charles Dicken's Scrooge.
In his last years, Martin became a champion of the fight against prostate cancer, which finally took him at 65 years of age.
"It is with deep regret that I have to announce the passing of Martin Harris, Hartley Morris Men's Fool, whose jovial spirit left this mortal shore shortly after eight o'clock this morning. Martin was a very colourful character, always cheerful and popular with both audiences and the Morris fraternity. He will be sadly missed."
'Thus would we pass from this earth and its toiling. Only remembered for what we have done'"
- Terry Heaslip, Squire, Hartley Morris Men, October 23, 2012
He spent decades between the United Kingdom and the United States, always returning home to care for his father and family. The funeral service was at Gravesend Methodist Church, followed by private committal at the crematorium, meanwhile there was tea and biscuits in the church hall with an arranged programme of dancing and songs. After this the Morris contingent adjourned to the Three Daws, for informal singing and dancing in the bar. Martin's last performance with Hartley was at the 60th Anniversary Meeting in September 2012. He was quite weak, but he danced Sweet Jenny Jones, Adderbury at Ightham Mote and managed to sing Scowcroft & Gifford's beautiful "When All Men Sing" at the Feast.
A cenotaph exists for Martin's father and family at Camer Park in Gravesend. His tulip tree is adjacent to his father's oak tree, where his mother and a brother who predeceased him also had ashes scattered.
Like many actors, Martin took whatever work came his way. It seems so contrary to the Martin most of us knew, but he started out as a quantity surveyor for McAlpine in London. In his spare time, he sang in folk clubs in Kent. While hosting a folk concert at Rochester Cathedral, he was noticed by BBC Kent and subsequently had his own weekly radio program, "Folk for Folk." Travels eventually took him to the US, where he reported on the Bicentenary celebrations. Much to the dismay and disapproval of his family, he remained in the US, working his way to the West Coast where he reported on the Olympics.
A member of Hartley Morris in Kent, he continued his Morris dancing in the US and was a founding member of Sunset Morris. This led to his role as the Morris Jester in the newly-established Renaissance Pleasure Faire, and subsequent roles with the Dickens Fair and Old Sacramento Rail Fair.
While living in Los Angeles and working as a chauffeur (he was proud to have driven Geraldo Rivera, George Burns, and Jane Fonda), he took a skiing trip to Mammoth Lakes. He fell in love with the mountains, moved to the area and took a job as a ski instructor. While living in Mammoth Lakes he founded the Mammoth Lakes Celtic Festival and played "spoons, bones, and other assorted animal parts" with the Celtic band Wild Mountain Thyme.
Martin met his lovely wife Anna in San Francisco in 1998 while he was passing through on his way back from a visit to see his father (his mother and brother having both passed away). They married in 1999 and moved to Gravesend in 2001 to care for his father after he suffered a debilitating stroke.
Until his death, Martin had a job doing what he did best: talking to people. As a Market Research Surveyor he went door-to-door conducting interviews, mostly for the United Kingdom government, on a wide variety of social and marketing topics. This job had the added advantage of a flexible work schedule which allowed him the freedom to return to California annually to reprise his favourite role of Charles Dicken's Scrooge.
In his last years, Martin became a champion of the fight against prostate cancer, which finally took him at 65 years of age.
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