Aye Me ~ Playford Ball

I cannot make good sense of Sharp's instructions (nor Playford's nor those in The Playford Ball. In B5&B6 (Part 3), Sharp says "1st man with right hand take 4th man (in second place) by left hand, change places, both moving counter-clockwise". I have to have M1 (and W1) dancing backwards to follow this instructions. While this might be what is intended it seems unlikely.

The Playford Ball adds the notation "(as in a gypsy)" but in a gypsy both would use the same hand, so I can't make sense of that either.

Playford's original text is similar to Sharp's (or vice-versa) and is no additional help.

Phillipe Callens has an interpretation which I much prefer where the 4s gate the 1s.

This is one of Cecil Sharp's attempts to understand siding.

Playford writes:

Lead all up a D. forward ad back, back men, back we. turn S. All that again	First and last cu. cast off and fall into the 2. and 3. cu. place, change with your own, go on the outside into the first and last place again, then crossing over go on the outside into the 2. and 3. place, and in doing it, the men take the other men by the hands and turn them abount into first and last place, we. doing the like with the we. the other four as much
Sides all into each others places, back men, back we. turn S. That again	The first cu. open, the 2. close, the 3. open, the 4 close, all at once, the first cu. fall back into the 2. place while the 3. fall back into the 4. the 2 slipping up into the 1. and the 4 into the 3. place, thus back again into your own places; face downward, and all this again
Arms as you sided	First and last cu. meet go through, change places with your own, the 1. man take the 4. by the left with his right, and turning off to the left, change places with him, and stay in the 2. and 3. place, change with your own whilst the wo. do the like The other four as much

The tune was published by Playford with the dance of the same name. The music was synthesized by Colin Hume's software