"The Dummer Mummers" Dummer Local Custom Tip by TygerLyn

The Dummer Mummers were a traditional acting and music group that would perform at places like outside the Foundry or The Queen Inn. Old photogrpahs show that they wore "rag strips" as costumes with various head gear (the Doctor wore a stove pipe, Saint or King George a crown etc). The last Dummer Mummer was Frank Bond who lived in kempshitt House when it was flats. This was demolished in 1974 after the M3 was built and to make room for the first of Basingstokes Industrial Estates. Frank had already moved to North Waltham where he tried to reform a group of Mummers although there was no longer the interest in it. Bob Copper produced a song which included Frank Bond and the Dummer Mummers and was called the Dummer Sheep Shearers. This was used at Mumming Plays.

I rewrote a Mumming Play last year and included some references to Dummer. Once I have managed to acquire the music for the song I will produce the play, hopefully at Christmas this year.

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