Woodside Morris Men - The Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre

The Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre

In the early 1970s, the old Water Board buildings just off Watford's Lower High Street, which had fallen into disrepair following many years of sterling service, became the location of a local centre for arts groups. One particular group, which was particularly influential in the development of the Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre, as it came to be known, was the Watford Folk Club. Woodside's interest in the project, and willingness to become actively involved, created a link not only with the Pump House, where the side still meet today, but also with the Folk Club. What seemed a promising venue for the previously struggling side, also became the source of many new dancers. It had taken a lot of hard work on the part of Lank to negotiate a place at the Pump House, lobbying the committee throughout the preceding year to allow Woodside a home on Wednesday nights, and in the end a place was found - originally in a much smaller venue than the current Colne River Rooms - on the grounds that the side be associated with the folk club.

The new membership brought with it a slightly changed attitude to dance venues, and the frequency of dancing out. Where pub's had never been a deterrent to Woodside Morris Men, they now became the mainstay for performances. This was not a complete change in attitude - the tours, meetings, days of dance and feasts still remained part of the side's schedule - but the pub evenings became an opportunity to dance out more regularly, and to promote Woodside in the local area.