DATES IN
HISTORY
21
September 1722
Birth of Rev John Home, dramatist and author of ‘Douglas’, at Leith.
‘Douglas’ was first produced in Edinburgh in 1756 where it had a successful
run. None of his further work was as successful as ‘Douglas’ which on the
night of its first performance elicited the cry “Whaur’s yer Wullie
Shakespeare noo?”
22
September 1878
Robert Louis Stevenson commenced his walk through the Cevennes from Le
Monastier-sub-Gazelle. He recorded his French journey in ‘Travels with a
Donkey’.
22
September 2006
Virgin Trains created a new train speed record on the Glasgow to London
line. A Virgin train travelled the 401 mile journey in 3 hours and 55
minutes knocking 19 minutes off the record set 25 years before by a British
Rail Advanced Passenger Train.
23
September 1973
Three times F1 World Champion (1969, 1971 and 1973) Jackie Stewart raced in
his last Grand Prix and won the Canadian grand Prix. It was his 99th
Grand Prix race and he announced his retirement in October 1973 following
the death of his Tyrrell team-mate Francois Cevert in practise for the
United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.
24
September 1617
Death of Charles Ferme of Fairholme, minister of Fraserburgh and principal
of the short-lived university of Fraserburgh.
24
September 2006
Europe’s golfing talisman Colin Montgomerie maintained his unbeaten Ryder
Cup singles record (8 appearances) with a one hole victory over American
David Toms to help Europe to an unprecedented third straight Ryder Cup
success. Europe triumphed, with a record-equalling 18 ½ - 9 ½ victory, over
the United States at the K Club, Co Kildare, Ireland.
25
September 2006
Scottish financier Michael Brown, 40, the largest financial backer of the
Liberal democrat Party (£2 million), was jailed for two years at Southwark
Crown Court, London. He pleaded guilty to one count of perjury and another
of passport deception.
27
September 1883
The Duthie Park, Aberdeen, was officially opened by Princess Beatrice. The
public park was donated to the city by Miss Duthie to perpetuate the memory
of her uncles and brothers.
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"
|
One intention of this feature is to include views of Scotland and
the Scots from furth of our borders and this week is devoted to how
others see us. Compare the differing view of Scots by English
writers Sir Walter Besant and Anthony Powell but perhaps the most
interesting is that of ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Elvis himself.
Sergeant Elvis Aaron Presley spent some 90 minutes on Scottish soil
at Prestwick on his way back home after his military service
discharge in Frankfurt, Germany, on 3 March 1960 and spent 20
minutes of that time being interviewed by Daily Mail journalist Ian
Nelson. Sadly ‘The King’ never returned to Scotland, the home-land
of his ancestors (Lonmay, Aberdeenshire – see Scottish Food). |
Sir Walter
Besant (1836-1901)
Wherever the pilgrim turns his feet, he finds Scotsmen in the forefront
of civilization and letters. They are the premiers in every colony,
professors of every university, teachers, editors, lawyers, engineers
and merchants – everything and always at the front.
Edward Burt
(?- 1755)
The air
of the Highlands is pure, and consequently healthy, insomuch that I have
known such cures done by it as might be thought next to miracles – I
mean in distemper of the lungs, as coughs, consumption & c.
(Letters
from A Gentleman in the North of Scotland To His Friend in London –
published 1754)
Charles
Lamb (1775-1834)
The
tediousness of these people [Scots] is certainly provoking. I wonder if
they ever tire of one another.
Anthony
Powell (1905-2000)
What is
this Race whose Pride so rudely burgeons?
Second-rate Engineers and obscure Surgeons,
Pedant-Philosophers and Fleet Street hacks,
With evr’y Quality that Genius lacks:
Such Mediocracy was ne’er on view,
Bolster’d by tireless Scottish Ballyhoo –
Nay! In two Qualities they stand supreme;
Their Self-advertisement and Self-esteem.
(Caledonia)
Elvis Aaron
Presley, ‘The King’ (1935-1977)
Ah kind
of like the idea of Scotland. Ah’m going to do a European tour and it
would be nice to come back here.
(Interview
with Ian Nelson at Prestwick 3 March 1960)
Flagnote:
Elvis never did a European tour or returned to Scotland (land of his
fore-bears) – his only non-US concert was in Vancouver, Canada.)
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
PEAR TREE
Traditional as sung by Dave Marshall
Oh there were twa lads belonged tae this nation
Dundee being their place an’ station
Went oot ae nicht as I were told
Just tae hae a moonlicht stroll
Wi’ a hi tum a toe tum a tum a lack a daisy
Tum a lack a daisy wi’ a tum a lum a lay
For noo on the road they spied a pear tree
There grew pears as many as could be
So for a pear they were inclined
So up the pear tree they did climb
So far up the pear tree they were landed
Far up the pear tree they were stranded
It wisnae the pears that taen my e
Twas a lad an’ lass lyin’ in a-low the tree
So this young man he began tae unlace her
This young man began tae embrace her
He taen aff his coat tae save her goun
When a’ the pears come a-rummilin’ doon
So this young man he looked up in wonder
As we battered doon the pears like thunder
So up he got an’ awa did flee
Leavin’ his coat lyin’ in a-low the tree
So the owner of the coat we did enquire
The owner of the coat wis our desire
The owner of the coat we never found out
So we had a damn guid coat for nowt
So noo a’ ye lads an’ whaur ye may be
Dinna ging coortin’ in a-low a pear tree
For if ye do ye’ll spoil the fun
When a’ the pears come a-rummilin’ doon
Wi’ a hi tum a toe tum a tum a lack a daisy
Tum a lack a daisy wi’ a tum a lum a lay
Flagnote:
This is the Dundee version of an old traditional song which I first heard
sung, more years ago than I wish to remember, by, appropriately a Dundee
folk group, Lomond Folk Four, at the Rothes Folk Club in Glenrothes.
See the
SONGS AND
BALLADS in our
Features section
SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS
AND CUSTOMS
In this week’s Scottish Quotations there is included one by Elvis
Presley from his short stop-over in Prestwick on 3 March 1960 on his way
home from military service in Germany. It was a reminder that ‘The King
of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ had Scottish roots and newer visitors to the Flag
might be unaware of our story of the connection between Elvis and Lonmay
which was featured in a past Flag , so we repeat the tale for any who
missed it first time round. I stayed near Lonmay in the early days of
‘The King’s’ career but didn’t know at that of his local connection.
Since earliest times Scots have roamed - as traders, scholars and soldiers
- they were known all over Europe. The desire to travel and explore
continued as European horizons widened and new continents opened up.
Either voluntarily or through forced emigration many Scots crossed the
Atlantic to find a new home in America and Canada or south to Australia
and New Zealand. Those of Scottish descent, by now, far outnumber the 5
million home-based Scots. In his present American and Canadian travels our
skielie webmaster, Alastair McIntyre, continually comes across folk with
Scottish ancestry.
Among those of Scots descent is 'The King' himself, Elvis Presley. It has
been thought that he was descended from a Paisley blacksmith but recent
research shows that his roots lay in the small Buchan village of Lonmay.
The 300-strong village lies six miles from Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire,
and Lonmay now hopes to become a 'shrine' for Elvis fans.Elvis Presley's
great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Andrew Presley
married Elspeth Leg in Lonmay on 27 April 1713. Their son, also Andrew
Presley, emigrated to North Carolina in 1745. Possibly the same Presley as
described as coming from Paisley. The Presley line then descends directly
to 1933 when Vernon Elvis Presley married Gladys Love Smith. Two years
later their son Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupela, Mississippi, on 8
January 1935. The rest as they would say is history, as Elvis shot to
international stardom. Elvie Presley only paid one visit to the land of
his fathers, a stop-off for one hour at Prestwick in August 1960, during
his service in the US army.
Records show a number of Presleys in Scotland during the 18th and 19th
centuries and with few exceptions, they lived in Lonmay or the nearby
villages of New Deer, Old Deer and Tarves. Lonmay's claim to Elvis Presley
looks very sound - just imagine if the 32 year-old Andrew Presley had
never left Scotland in 1745,thus missing the 45 Jacobite Rising, Elvis
might have been King of the Bothy Ballad singers instead of Rock 'n' Roll.
In honour of Elvis Presley's North-East roots we go to Aberdeenshire for
this week's recipe but how would he have got on with Neep Bree!
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb (3/4 kg) turnips (large yellow turnips - neeps in
Scotland, commonly known as swedes); 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 oz
(50 g) butter;1/2 pint (250 ml) milk; pinch of ginger; salt and pepper
Garnish: chopped chives and 1 tbsp cream per person
Method: Peel and chop the turnip roughly and blanch in boiling water for 2-3
minutes. Pour off water. Melt butter in a large pot and add onions and
turnip. Season with salt and pepper and add ginger. Cover and cook very
gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water, bring
to the boil and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes when the turnip should be
tender. Liquidise till it is a very fine puree or pass twice through a
fine sieve. Adjust consistency with milk and check seasoning. Serve hot,
garnished with chopped chives and cream in each bowl.
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)
Scotland is like a bonnie woman pent
Ahint castle waas. The castle maun be
Forced and she delivered frae her bands.
William
Soutar (1898-1943)
Gordon
Wright’s Scottish Photo
Library