Morris dancers, film fans and real ale revellers will converge on Skipton to help premiere a new documentary - and christen a special brew.

Eight Morris sides from Airedale and Wharfedale will be prancing the streets and supping a new ale named after the town's Flagcrackers of Craven Morris dancers, tomorrow.

They will later retire to The White Lion at Kildwick to watch the first showing of a film featuring the Flagcrackers, which is part of a new archive collection being produced by the Yorkshire Media Consortium.

The short documentary was shot by Acorn Video, of Bradford, and will become part of the Ripon-based Yorkshire Film Archive, recording life in the county in the years leading up to the millennium.

The new beer, brewed by Orkney Breweries, was named after the Flagcrackers by brewery boss Roger White who saw them dancing at the Orkney Festival.

It will be sold at Skipton's Royal Shepherd and Rose and Crown pubs, as well as The White Lion, and 3p will be donated to Skipton & Craven Association for the Disabled for every pint downed.

Dick Taylor, of Utley, Keighley, who founded the Flagcrackers 11 years ago said: "We have seen the film and we are very pleased with it. It captures the spirit of what it's like to be a Morris dancer."

He said they would be joined on Saturday by Morris sides from Yorkshire to dance throughout Skipton before a mass dance at The White Lion at 3pm.

"Everyone will get a chance to see the film and try the ale. It should be a great occasion,'' added Mr Taylor.

Nicola Thomson, Yorkshire Media Consortium project co-ordinator, said the films were being funded over three years by a £349,000 national lottery grant.

Thirteen films had been completed so far and it was hoped to produce 40.

The collection will be known as the A4E (Arts For Everyone) Contemporary Video Collection.

"The films have themes ranging from celebrations, working lives and changing communities, to the hopes of young people and the reflections of older generations,'' she said.

One of the films, Bradford Interchanges, featured in the Bradford Festival Mela in 1998 and looked at the lives of a group of Bradford women.

A number of films, including the Flagcrackers, will be shown at the Leeds Film Festival in Hyde Park Picture House on Monday, October 18.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.