Hargreaves, John

Clog Dancer from Blackburn, Lancashire.

One of Julian Pilling’s informants. He used about 12 steps for a dance which included single, double and treble shuffles and heel and toe steps which had no shufffles. His favourite tune was the Liverpool Hornpipe, played on the banjo, although he also danced to other instruments.

Bournemouth Graphic 29 Jan 1915.

He told Pilling that he had won many competitions, including one in Bournemouth when he was in the army in 1915. Amazingly this was reported in the local press together with an artist’s impression of the competitors. The initial competition took place on Wednesday 13th January 1915 at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth. John Hargreaves was placed fourth. There was a repeat competition on Wednesday 27th when the accompanying sketch was made. The results are not clear but Hargreaves is described as “one of the winning competitors”. He is number 5 in the accompanying sketch.

He later appeared in a concert at the same venue on Friday 5th February.

Information from Bournemouth Graphic 15/1/1915 ans 29/1/1915 and Pilling, J., “The Lancashire Clog Dance”, Folk Music Journal, 1.3, 158-179.