Reminiscences of Highland dancing, farmservants, and the mus...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1952.14.B1 (B6)
Original Tape ID
Summary
Reminiscences of Highland dancing, farmservants, and the musicians Francie Markiss and Joseph Sim.
George 'Lordie' Hay used to dance the Highland Fling and the Schottische, often to Francie Markiss on his pipes. He remembers some of the people named along with himself in the bothy ballad 'Wester Badentyre', including foreman George Bremner, John Cowie, second horseman, and Andrew Chiverie the stooker [harvester]. Francie was an old, stout man on oxter [armpit] crutches in Lordie's time. At one time, he ran to all the games and picnics, and climbed and jumped. Lordie thought he was "rough" on the fiddle, but good on the bellows pipes and bass. His companion, known as 'the Wonderful Boy', was Joseph Sim from Byth. They both had a huge capacity for food. He went into a restaurant asking for food, was given soup and ate a whole turkey. When Lordie was at Inverichnie they played at Banff Market. While Lordie and his workmate were having breakfast, Francie and the Boy arrived; they were given huge bowls of food and ate the lot. They were both bellows pipers and played at feeing [hiring] markets and horse markets.
Willie Mathieson speaks about George Davies the road foreman, who took huge strides.
Item Subject/Person
Hay, George 'Lordie'; Markiss, Francie; Sim, Joseph (the Wonderful Boy); Davies, George (road foreman)
Recording Location
County - Aberdeenshire
Parish - Turriff
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good