Denis was such a big part of our lovely Morris dancing family, his love and light spread well beyond the boundaries of Westrefelda Morris team and I know that so many in the Morris world who knew him, or even momentarily had the good fortune to dance with him at the many events we went to, will say the same, he was a lovely man, full of fun and energy who only added brightness and positivity to the proceedings.

Denis was part of Westrefleda Morris team for so long that I can hardly recall the year he joined us but it was well over 15 years ago that this gentle giant of a man joined us after coming to our practices as a newbie with his neighbour Helena to see what the fuss was all about. He found the stepping hard at first and would regale us with stories of him dancing on the heath whilst walking his dog! He enjoyed our delight as he told us how the dog was starting to get it while he still struggled! Denis never gave up and became a stalwart member of the team, always there to offer help when needed and a light-hearted comment to jolly along the proceedings.

We know we have lost a dear friend in Denis and we are still coming to terms with the fact we will not see him anymore at our Monday night gatherings but we will try our hardest to practice what he preached, he would say in his soft Irish tones, ‘there’s nothing you can do about it, just be happy and carry on!’ Well, we promise to live up to his optimistic outlook on life and do just that, there will still be a hole that can’t be filled but we will rejoice in being lucky enough to have had the pleasure of his joyful enthusiasm for so many years. 

Thank you Denis & Wira for being such a lovely part of the Westrefelda family.

Liz Whatling
Squire of Westrefelda Morris dancers.