Ailis Sutherland’s 2nd blog.
Maureen gave me a few local songs this week. Amongst them were “Tatties and Herrin'” a great wee song with a catchy chorus that mentions places like “Aiberdeen and Stonehaven” – Stoney – by the way – has a really good chippy/chipper that do the best chips, cheese and curry sauce I’ve ever tasted!
She also gave me “Yellow on the Broom” – a song about the prejudice attitudes the “scaldies” or town folk had towards travellers. There was also a Sheena Wellington song called “Newport Braes” about getting the “Fifies” (the ferries that used to shuttle across the Tay before the bridge was built) and how children found it really exciting waiting in the queue and then playing and eating sandwiches on the other side.
Since the main theme today seems to be food – I might as well mention that Maureen was reminiscing about the old woman who had a stall in Dundee in the 40s. The stall was a big tent with benches round the sides and an open fire in the middle. She cooked mushy peas and chips which was called a “buster” and it cost 4p! My favourite song from this week was “Bonnie Glenshee”. I already knew the first 3 verses and the chorus but wanted to learn the last 2 that I’d heard Maureen sing before. The tune is lovely and I may or may not have stayed up till 6 o’clock one morning last week recording harmonies on a multi-track app…