DATES IN
HISTORY
24 August
1746
Death of Sir James Stewart of Burray, Orkney, of fever at Southwark, London.
He had been arrested three months previously on suspicion of Jacobitism
although he had taken no part in the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
25 August
1819
Birth of Allan Pinkerton, founder of the American Pinkerton Detective
Agency, in Glasgow.
25
August 1898
Under the Aberdeen Corporation Tramway Act control of the private Aberdeen
Tramway Company passed to the City of Aberdeen Council. The manager of the
tramway company David Moonie continued in the same role with the council and
steps were taken almost immediately to convert the horse-drawn system to
electric traction.
25 August
2006
Sir Sean Connery was presented with a British Academy of Film and Television
(BAFTA) Award for outstanding achievement in film in front of a packed
audience at the Cineworld Cinema, Edinburgh, during the Edinburgh
International Film festival.
27 August
1881
Thousands of people attended the ceremony of cutting the first turf at the
Duthie Park, Aberdeen, including the benefactor Miss Duthie and the
full-town council. Miss Duthie donated the public park to the city in memory
of her uncles and brothers. The park was officially opened in 1883 by
Princess Beatrice.
27
August 2006
Aberdonian golfer Ritchie Ramsay became the first Scot to win the US Amateur
Championship since Finlay Douglas in 1898. He defeated American John Kelly 4
and 2 to win the 106th staging of America’s oldest tournament at
Chaska, Minnesota.
28 August
1400
King Henry IV of England, having failed to capture Edinburgh castle and
suffering from a shortage of supplies for his army, crossed back into
England.
28 August
1884
Birth of Peter Fraser, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1940-1949), at Fearn,
Ross and Cromarty.
30 August
2006
Death of Scottish Conservative grandee Hector Munro, Lord Munro of Langholm
and Westerkirk, in Dumfries. He served as MP for Dumfriesshire from 1964
until his retrial in 1997 and was one of Scotland’s longest serving
Westminster MPs. He was a minister at the Scottish Office from 1971 to 1974
and Minister for Sport from 1979 to 1981.
See Dates in History in our
Features Section
SCOTTISH QUOTATIONS
I like to have quotations ready for every occasions - they
give one's ideas so pat and save one the trouble of finding
expression adequate to one's feeling.
Robert Burns
Statements in prose and verse which reflect
all aspects of Scottish life and outlook from the 1st century to the present day.
New
quotes added every week. The
quotations are not restricted to native Scots but include observations
from abroad which help us, in the words of our National Bard, Robert
Burns, "To see oursels as others see us"
|
Politics in Scotland have certainly been enlivened since the
election of the Scottish National Party minority government in May
2007. At the time of the election outcome we went with a single
quotation from Alex Salmond, Leader of the Scottish National Party
which will surely enter the annals of Scottish quotations – “There
is a wind of change blowing through Scottish politics.” There
certainly was, as the election victory, local government success and
first 100 days of Scottish National Party has proved – promises kept
and sound government provided. Among the promises kept was the
publication of a White Paper on Scottish Independence – the very
first such government paper– on 14 August 2007. This week we feature
for only the second time a single quotation which should prove to be
historic, once again from Alex Salmond but now as First Minister of
Scotland. |
Alexander (Alex) Elliot Anderson Salmond
Today
is the moment when, as First Minister, I ask every Scot to pause and
reflect not on the kind of country we are, but on the kind of country we
could be, we should be. And today is the start of the most wide-ranging,
inclusive, imaginative and direct effort from any Scottish government to
engage with every person in this country and furth of Scotland, who has
a view on the future of our nation.
( Launch of
Scottish Government White Paper on Scottish Independence 14 August 2007)
See
Scottish Quotations in our Features Section
SONGS AND BALLADS
from The Blairgowrie Festival - 1968
Twenty-one Scottish songs, as sung by a variety of traditional singers at
the Blairgowrie Festival in August 1968 and published by The Traditional
Music and Song Association of Scotland, priced 1/- (5p).
THE
OVERGATE
Traditional as sung by Dave Cochrane
As I gaed up the Overgate
A lassie I did spy
She winked tae me wi’ the tail o’ her ee
As I gaed passin’ by
Ricky doo dum day doo dum day
Ricky dicky doo dum day
I asked her what her name was
Says she Jemima Ross
An’ I bide up the toon wi’ Mistress Broon
In a hoose in the Beefcan Close
She taen me tae a lodgin’ hoose
At the tap o’ the Scourin’ Burn
Twas there that Rabbie Burns said
That man was made tae mourn.
As I gaed up the Beefcan Close
The stairs were awfie dark
So I taen ma siller fae ma inside pooch
An’ tied it tae the tail o’ ma sark
She taen me intae the kitchen
An’ she bade me sit doon
An’ she winked tae me wi’ the tail o’ her ee
We’ll haud awa ben the room
She gied me pies an’ porter
An’ she gied me pints o’ beer
An’ I eat an’ drink as muckle that nicht
As would’ve held a guid New Year
Nae sooner had we settled doon
Tae spend a peacefu’ nicht
When at the door cam a loud rat-tat
At the brakin’ o’ daylicht
In stepped twa big policemen
An’ grabbed me by the hair
They gar’d me dance a whirly-ma-jig
An’ ma sark fell doon the stair
But man I had a dream that nicht
I dreamt o’ Jemima Ross
But when I awoke I was lyin’ on ma back
In the middle o’ the Beefcan Close
Now when tae the toon you venture
And if the stairs are dark
An’ ye’re on the spree just be like me
Tie yir siller tae the tail o’ yer sark.
Ricky doo dum day doo dum day
Ricky dicky doo dum day
Flagnote:
One of the many songs, this one is from Dundee, warning men, usually young,
of the dangers in towns and cities from drink and women! The Dundee Overgate
was infamous for the number of its brothels
See the
SONGS AND
BALLADS in our
Features section
SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS
AND CUSTOMS
The Whisky industry is still a major
factor in the Scottish economy but one which tends to be overlooked
nowadays with the emphasis on oil and electronics. Scotch, however, is
perhaps the best known symbol of Scotland, the world over.
"FREEDOM and WHISKY gang
thegither" wrote our National Bard and one man who firmly
believed in the poet's adage was the late Jock Mackie of Kirkcaldy.
Jock, an Ayrshire man, born and bred, was both a great fan of Robert
Burns and of our National Drink. For Jock, an avid Scottish
Nationalist, Whisky and Freedom did indeed "gang thegither".
Not only did he fervently believe in Scottish Independence but in the
belief that every Scot should distil his own Whisky. A baker to trade,
Jock added distilling to his bakery skills! For many years he made his
own Whisky until he fell foul of the authorities in the early 1960s.
An appearance in Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court resulted in a £50 fine and
the confiscation of the still. Unabashed Jock appeared on Scottish
Television that night and much to the consternation of the interviewer
produced a bottle of his own "illegal" hooch!
Unfortunately we cannot give you Jock's
recipe for distilling Whisky but the "water of life" is the
basis of an excellent use of oatmeal - Atholl Brose.
Atholl Brose
Ingredients for one serving : 2-4 rounded
tablespoons medium oatmeal, toasted; 2-4 fl oz ( 50-100 ml ) double
cream, stiffly beaten; 1 glass Malt Whisky; 1-2 tablespoons heather
honey.
Put the oatmeal into a bowl, mix in the
cream and leave to thicken. Pour in the Whisky and add honey to taste.
Divine!
Atholl Brose ( The Duke of Atholl's
recipe )
Ingredients for a house awthegither: 6 oz
( 200 g ) medium oatmeal; 4 dsp heather honey; 1 1/2 pt ( 750 ml )
Whisky; 1/4 pt ( 150 ml ) water.
Put the oatmeal into a small bowl and add
water to make a paste. Leave for one hour, then put into a fine sieve
and press all the liquid through. Add the honey to the sieved liquid
and mix through. Pour into a large bottle and fill up with Whisky.
Shake well and always shake before use.
And always think of independent Scots like
Jock Mackie when you tak aff yir dram!
A KIST
O FERLIES
A Keek
at the Guid Scots Tung
By Peter & Marilyn Wright
(Note: All words
underlined in this section are RealAudio links)
bane: bone
cowp: capsize; tilt; tumble; upset; rubbish dump
kittlin: kitten
kyte: abdomen; stomach
sned: chop off; prune; castrate
snell: cold; biting, of wind; sharp
Cowp the cran: Be ruined
In Poosie Nancy's held the splore,
To drink their orra duddies:
Wi' quaffing and laughing
They ranted and they sang;
Wi' jumping an' thumping
The vera girdle rang.
frae "The Jolly Beggars" - Robert Burns
COMPLETE POEM
A PAIR O' NICKY TAMS
G S Morris
Sung by Peter D Wright
Fan I was only ten year auld, I left the pairish schweel.
My faither he fee'd me tae the Mains tae chaw his milk and meal.
I first pit on my narrow breeks tae hap my spinnel trams,
Syne buckled roon my knappin' knees, a pair o' Nicky Tams.
It's first I gaed on for baillie loon and syne I gaed on for
third,
An' syne, of course, I had tae get the horseman's grippin' wird,
A loaf o' breed tae be my piece, a bottle for drinkin' drams,
Bit ye canna gyang thro' the caffhouse door without yer Nicky
Tams.
The fairmer I am wi' eynoo he's wealthy, bit he's mean,
Though corn's cheap, his horse is thin, his harness fairly deen.
He gars us load oor cairts owre fou, his conscience has nae
qualms,
Bit fan breist-straps brak there's naething like a pair o' Nicky
Tams.
I'm coortin' Bonnie Annie noo, Rob Tamson's kitchie deem,
She is five-an-forty an' I am bit siventeen,
She clorts a muckle piece tae me, wi' different kinds o' jam,
An' tells me ilka nicht that she admires my Nicky Tams.
I startit oot, ae Sunday, tae the kirkie for tae gyang,
My collar it was unco ticht, my breeks were nane owre lang.
I had my Bible in my pooch, likewise my Book o' Psalms,
Fan Annie roared, "Ye muckle gype, tak' aff yer Nicky Tams."
Though unco sweir, I took them aff, the lassie for tae please,
Bit aye my breeks they lirkit up, a' roon aboot my knees.
A wasp gaed crawlin' up my leg, in the middle o' the Psalms,
So niver again will I enter the kirk without my Nicky Tams.
I've often thocht I'd like tae be a bobby on the Force,
Or maybe I'll get on the cars, tae drive a pair o' horse.
Bit fativer it's my lot tae be, the bobbies or the trams,
I'll ne'er forget the happy days I wore my Nicky Tams.
Footnote: Be brave, be very brave, click on to hear my favourite Cornkister by G S Morris and my party piece - it will come as no
surprise that I am not asked for an encore! G S Morris enriched our Bothy Ballad tradition and his songs are still widely enjoyed. Nicky
Tams, as David Toulmin explains in 'Buchan Claik', were leather straps
with buckles worn under the knee by farmworkers. They were fashionable
before the days of the welly-boot and kept the trouser legs out of the
mud. They were also known as Waal-Tams.
Gordon
Wright’s Scottish Photo
Library