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CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November
1926)
"Promoting all that is best in Scottish
Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland."
Content of the Flag in the Wind Web Site is the copyright of the Scots
Independent Newspaper.
[
Issue 448 - 2nd January 2009] |
Compiled by Peter D Wright |
Lots of great information to
read and enjoy under our
Features Section:
Scots
Language | Scottish Food |
Dates in History |
Scot Wit and lots more
DATES IN
HISTORY
2 January
1746
Alexander Maclean, a pedlar and straggler from the Jacobite army, was
sentenced to death at York Castle, England. The sentence was subsequently
commuted to transportation. He had been captured in the Ship Inn, Winkle, by
the landlord Joseph Cunliffe who seized his musket and held him at gunpoint
until the arrival of the local magistrate Sir Peter Davenport. Maclean was
imprisoned under harsh conditions, firstly at Chester and then York Castle.
‘Confesseth and Sayeth that he was Born in the Highlands of Scotland and
was in with the Rebells at Athol in Scotland aforesaid and marched with
until he was apprehended.’
-
from
deposition signed with his mark
 2
January 1939
An all-time record of 118,730 attended a derby game between Rangers and
Celtic at Ibrox which the home team won 1-0.
2 January
2008
Novelist AL Kennedy added the Costa Book Award for best novel to the Saltire
Society’s Scottish Book of the Year award for her book ‘Day’.
3 January
1603
Death of Captain Thomas Crawford, aged 73, who had captured Dumbarton Castle
for Mary, Queen of Scots. He was buried at Kilbirnie, Ayrshire.
3 January
1888
Birth of James Bridie (born Osborne Henry Mavor), leading dramatist,
screenwriter and surgeon, in Glasgow. He was the main founder of the
Citizens Theatre in Glasgow.
3 January
2007
Christine Toner, 76, from Dundee was among three killed when a
London-to-Aberdeen National Express coach overturned as it left London. The
coach driver Philip Rooney, 48, from Lanarkshire was charged with causing
death by dangerous driving.
 4
January 2008
550 mourners attended the funeral of 35-year-old Motherwell captain Phil
O’Donnell at St Mary’s Church, Hamilton. The Scottish foot-balling world
gathered at the church to remember a man described by Father O’Brien as ‘a
sportsman of great integrity’. He had collapsed during a home game versus
Dundee United and a post-mortem revealed that he had died from heart
failure.
5 January
2008
Andrew Murray won the fourth title of his tennis career with a 6-4 4-6 6-2
victory over Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in the final of the Quatar
Open in Doha.
6 January
1990
The first Scottish Cup tie to be settled by penalty-kicks resulted in a 4-3
win for Stranraer against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park after a 0-0 result after
120 minutes. The first game at Stranraer finished 1-1.
7 January
2008
A large boring machine, called ‘Eliza Jane’, completed its five-mile tunnel
at Glendoe, near Loch Ness, as Scotland’s largest hydro-electric scheme in
50 years took a major step towards completion. The £140 million project was
commenced in February 2006.
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"
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The
first week of the year sees the 120th anniversary of the
outstanding 20th century Scottish playwright James Bridie
(see History Dates) and he is included in a selection of quotations
from some of Scotland’s greatest writers including our National
Bard, Robert Burns. Burns will be to the fore again this year as the
250th anniversary of his birth is on 25 January and forms
the start of Homecoming Scotland 2009. A programme of over 300
events, including the largest ever Clan gathering in Edinburgh, will
remind Scots, at home, what it means to be Scottish, and hopefully
will boost our tourist industry as those of Scots descent,
world-wide, are attracted to visit Scotland [see Alex Salmond
quotation]. In the present uncertain economic times this could well
prove to be a major boost to the Scottish economy. Robert Burns, 250
years since his birth, remains as important as ever and is the most
quoted person in this feature. Without the work and influence of our
National Bard, Scotland could well have disappeared as a mere
province of England, but he gives us the hope that a new and better
Scotland will, eventually, take its place amongst the nations of the
world.
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James
Bridie (born Osbourne Henry Mavor) (1888-1951)
Boredom
is a sign of satisfied ignorance, blunted apprehension, crass
sympathies, dull understanding, feeble powers of attention, and
irreclaimable weakness of character.
Robert
Burns (1759-1796)
Ramsay an’ famous Ferguson
Gied Forth an’ Tay a lift aboon;
Yarrow an’ Tweed, to monie a tune,
Owre Scotland rings,
While Irwin, Lugar, Aire an’ Doon,
Naebody sings.
Th’
Illissus, Tiber, Thames an’ Seine,
Glide sweet in monie a tunefu’ line;
But Willie set your fit to mine,
An’ cock your crest,
We’ll gar our streams an’ burnies shine
Up wi’ the best.
(To William
Simpson May 1785)
Lewis
Grassic Gibbon (born James Leslie Mitchell) (1901-1935)
Scotland lived, she could never die, the land would outlast them all….
(Sunset
Song 1932)
Alexander
(Alex) Elliot Anderson Salmond
Homecoming [2009] is a chance for Scotland’s international family, and
all who feel an affinity for our nation, to come back and reconnect with
our heritage while also learning what being a citizen in Scotland in the
21st century actually means. I believe there is a spirit of
optimism abroad that will pull us through the hard times, that will see
Scotland take her rightful place in the world, and right now will
encourage people to return to Scotland for our Year of Homecoming.
(29
December 2008)
Sir Walter
Scott (1771-1832)
But
till Ben Nevis be level with Norfolkshire, though the natural wants of
the two nations [Scotland and England] may be the same, the extent of
these wants, natural or commercial, and the mode of supplying them, must
be widely different, let the rule of uniformity be as absolute as it
will.
(Letters of
Malachi Malagrowther, First Letter, 1826)
Robert
Louis Balfour Stevenson (1850-18940
No man
is useless while he has a friend.
See Scottish Quotations in
our Features Section
SONGS
OF ROBERT BURNS
A collection of some of the best known songs by Scotland's greatest
songwriter and National Bard, Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
MY AIN KIND
DEARIE
(Tune : The Lea-Rig)
When o'er the hill the eastern star
Tells bughtin time is near, my jo,
And owsen frae the furrow'd field
Return sae dowf and weary O;
Down by the burn, where birken buds
Wi' dew are hangin clear, my jo,
I'll meet thee on the lea-rig,
My ain kind Dearie O.
At midnight hour, in mirkest glen,
I'd rove, and ne'er be eerie, O,
If thro' that glen I gaed to thee,
My ain kind Dearie O;
Altho' the night were ne'er sae wild,
And I were ne'er sae weary O,
I'll meet thee on the lea-rig,
My ain kind Dearie O.
The hunter lo'es the morning sun;
To rouse the mountain deer, my jo;
At noon the fisher seeks the glen
Adown the burn to steer, my jo:
Gie me the hour o' gloamin' grey,
It maks my heart sae cheery O,
To meet thee on the lea-rig,
My ain kind Dearie O.
Flagnote:
Popularly known as the ‘Lea-Rig’, this song had the distinction of being the
first contributed by Robert Burns to George Thomson’s collection in 1792.
See the SONGS OF ROBERT
BURNS in our features section
SING
A SANG AT LEAST
(compiled by Peter D Wright)
"That I for poor auld
Scotland's sake
Some useful plan or book could make
Or sing a sang at least ........"
- Robert Burns
GUID NICHT,
AN JOY BE WI' YOU A'
John Imlah
Guid nicht, an joy be wi' you a',
Since it is sae that I maun gang;
Short seem'd the gate to come - but ah!
To gang again is weary lang.
Sic joyous nichts come nae sae thrang
That I sae soon sou'd haste awa,
But since it's sae that I maun gae,
Guid nicht,
an' joy be wi' you a'.
This nicht I ween we've had the heart
To gar auld time tak' to his feet;
That mak's us a' fu laith to part,
And aye mair fain again to meet.
To dree the winter's drift an' weet,
For sic a nicht is nocht ava,
For hours the minutes o' the sweet -
Guid nicht, an' joy be wi' you a'.
Our bald-pow'd daddies here we've seen
In younkers' revels fidging fain;
Our gray-hair'd grannies here hae been
Like daffin' hizzies young again.
To mony a merry, auld Scots strain,
We've deftly passed the time awa,
We met in mirth, we part in pain,
Guid nicht, an' joy be wi' you a'.
My nimble steed neighs at the yett;
My shoulders roun' the the plaid I throw;
I've clapt the spur upon my buit,
The guid braid bonnet on my brow;
The nicht is wearin' late I trow -
My hame lies mony a mile awa;
The mair's the need to mount and go,
Guid nicht, an' joy be wi' you a'.
Bring me the deoch an doruis gill,
'Twill licht a bouat in my e'e;
Tho' mirk nae fear that I gang will
Drink doubly an' I'll doubly see.
Young lads an' lasses, tent ye me,
As hame ye daunder twa an' twa,
Love guide your gait - blin' tho' he be -
Guid nicht, an' joy be wi' you a'.
Footnote : This song of parting after
a night of revelry seems appropriate for Hogmany. The well known
19th century Aberdeen songwriter John Imlah was a fore-bear of one
of the most popular singers and entertainers in the Scottish Folk
Revival, the late Hamish Imlach.
SCOTTISH FOOD, TRADITIONS
AND CUSTOMS
 This should
be a great year to be a Scot, or of Scottish descent, as Homecoming Scotland
2009 commences with celebrations of the birth of our National Bard, Robert
Burns, on 25 January. Some 300 events are in place to celebrate all aspects
of being Scottish which should prove popular with Scots at home and visiting
from abroad, including the largest ever Clan gathering in Edinburgh.
Unfortunately the new museum at Burns’ birthplace in Alloway, under the
auspices of the National Trust for Scotland, will not be finished until
2010. But the National Trust has recently launched a website which will
prove attractive to all those with an interest in Robert Burns.
Until the
£21 million museum opens in 2010, the Trust will publish online some 90
letters written by Robert Burns - letters to friends, colleagues, literary
magazines and other companions which will give readers an insight into
Burns’ ‘colourful life’.
Visit
www.burnsletters.wordplace.com for the display of this material – the
letters will appear online on the dates they were originally written.
Several letters, including some to Clarinda, have already been published on
the site. As a bonus visitors to the website will be able to leave their
thoughts and comments underneath each newly added letter. The move by the
National Trust is to be welcomed as it acts as a reminder that Burns is for
everyday and not just a once a year celebration.
As we come
to the end of The Daft days, this week’s recipe is a reminder of Scots
all-time favourite dish at New Year – Steak Pie. Like Robert Burns, steak
pie can be enjoyed all-year round!
Filling
Ingredients: 1lb 8oz Stewing Steak; 1 onion
Method: Put a little oil in a frying pan and gently brown the steak and soften the onion.
Place in a pan with 8 - 12 fl.oz. of gravy. Stew for 1hr 30minutes to 2 hours.
Flaky Pastry
Ingredients:
8oz Plain Flour; 4oz Margarine; 2oz Lard; cold water
Method:
Sieve flour into mixing bowl, add margarine and chop into small pieces. Add
water. Roll in a long strip and spread lard over evenly but not thickly. Fold
in three; roll out again and spread lard repeating the process three times.
Put steak and gravy in pie dish, putting a pie funnel (if you have one) in the
centre to release the steam. Roll out the pastry 1inch larger than the pie
dish and cut a half inch wide strip from edge. Lay this strip around the edge
of the pie dish first wetting the rim, press it to make it stick. Lay
pastry over the pie and poke a hole in the centre for the funnel. Press around
edge to make pattern. Any remaining pastry can be cut in leaves etc. to
decorate the top, and a cuff around the funnel. Brush with beaten egg. Cook
for 30 minutes approx at Gas 7-8; Electricity 450 - 475 deg. F.
See
our
Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs
in our Features section
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)
You canna gang to a Burns Supper even
Wi'oot some wizened scrunt o' a knock-knee
Chinee turns roon to say, 'Him Haggis-velly goot!'
And ten to wan the piper is a Cockney.
COMPLETE POEM
The Auld Farmer's New-Year-Morning Salutation
To His Auld Mare, Maggie
by Robert Burns
Click here to listen
to this in Real Audio read by Peter D Wright On giving her the accustomed ripp of corn to hansel
in the New Year.
A Guid New-year I wish
thee, Maggie!
Hae, there's a ripp to thy auld baggie:
Tho' thou's howe-backit now, an' knaggie,
I've seen the day
Thou could hae gaen like ony staggie,
Out-owre the lay.
Tho' now thou's dowie,
stiff, an' crazy,
An' thy auld hide as white's a daisie,
I've seen thee dappl't, sleek an' glaizie,
A bonie gray:
He should been tight that daur't to raize thee,
Ance in a day.
Thou ance was i' the
foremost rank,
A filly buirdly, steeve, an' swank;
An' set weel down a shapely shank,
As e'er tread yird;
An' could hae flown out-owre a stank,
Like ony bird.
It's now some
nine-an'-twenty year,
Sin' thou was my guid-father's mear;
He gied me thee, o' tocher clear,
An' fifty mark;
Tho' it was sma', 'twas weel-won gear,
An' thou was stark.
When first I gaed to woo
my Jenny,
Ye then was trotting wi' your minnie:
Tho' ye was trickie, slee, an' funnie,
Ye ne'er was donsie;
But hamely, tawie, quiet, an' cannie,
An' unco sonsie.
That day, ye pranc'd wi'
muckle pride,
When ye bure hame my bonie bride:
An' sweet an' gracefu' she did ride,
Wi' maiden air!
Kyle-Stewart I could bragged wide
For sic a pair.
Tho' now ye dow but hoyte
and hobble,
An' wintle like a saumont coble,
That day, ye was a jinker noble,
For heels an' win'!
An' ran them till they a' did wauble,
Far, far, behin'!
When thou an' I were young
an' skeigh,
An' stable-meals at fairs were dreigh,
How thou wad prance, and snore, an' skreigh
An' tak the road!
Town's-bodies ran, an' stood abeigh,
An' ca't thee mad.
When thou was corn't, an'
I was mellow,
We took the road aye like a swallow:
At brooses thou had ne'er a fellow,
For pith an' speed;
But ev'ry tail thou pay't them hollowm
Whare'er thou gaed.
The sma', droop-rumpl't,
hunter cattle
Might aiblins waur't thee for a brattle;
But sax Scotch mile, thou try't their mettle,
An' gar't them whaizle:
Nae whip nor spur, but just a wattle
O' saugh or hazel.
Thou was a noble
fittie-lan',
As e'er in tug or tow was drawn!
Aft thee an' I, in aught hours' gaun,
In guid March-weather,
Hae turn'd sax rood beside our han',
For days thegither.
Thou never braing't, an'
fetch't, an' fliskit;
But thy auld tail thou wad hae whiskit,
An' spread abreed thy weel-fill'd brisket,
Wi' pith an' power;
Till sprittie knowes wad rair't an' riskit
An' slypet owre.
When frosts lay lang, an'
snaws were deep,
An' threaten'd labour back to keep,
I gied thy cog a wee bit heap
Aboon the timmer:
I ken'd my Maggie wad na sleep,
For that, or simmer.
In cart or car thou never
reestit;
The steyest brae thou wad hae fac't it;
Thou never lap, an' sten't, and breastit,
Then stood to blaw;
But just thy step a wee thing hastit,
Thou snoov't awa.
My pleugh is now thy bairn-time
a',
Four gallant brutes as e'er did draw;
Forbye sax mae I've sell't awa,
That thou hast nurst:
They drew me thretteen pund an' twa,
The vera warst.
Mony a sair daurk we twa
hae wrought,
An' wi' the weary warl' fought!
An' mony an anxious day, I thought
We wad be beat!
Yet here to crazy age we're brought,
Wi' something yet.
An' think na', my auld
trusty servan',
That now perhaps thou's less deservin,
An' thy auld days may end in starvin;
For my last fow,
A heapit stimpart, I'll reserve ane
Laid by for you.
We've worn to crazy years
thegither;
We'll toyte about wi' ane anither;
Wi' tentie care I'll flit thy tether
To some hain'd rig,
Whare ye may nobly rax your leather,
Wi' sma' fatigue.
See Scots Language in
our Features Section
for other poems, stories, songs, sayings, jokes and words in the Scots language
SCOT WIT
Enjoy a Scottish Joke every week and
listen to it as well
Identified
Mrs MacKay, in all her city finery, had returned
to the village after some years absence to visit her husband's grave. She was,
however, having difficulty in tracing the actual position in the cemetery and
with an assumed "lone-widow" air had approached Erchie, the new gravedigger,
for some assistance. In reply to Erchie's preliminary enquiries she informed
him that the name was MacKay.
"A'll neid mair pairticlars" returned Erchie.
"Losh wumman, thare are dizzens o MacKays liggan here."
"He was a Thomas MacKay" went on the widow.
"Poor Thomas, he was a worthy man, but very, very strict. He always said that
if I was unfaithful to his memory he waould turn in his grave."
"A hae ye nou" cried Erchie. "A hae got ye,
ye'll mean 'Birlin Tam'."
Click here to listen to this joke Read and listen to Jokes in our
Scot Wit section
RL Stevenson's Treasure
Island
In Scots
by Iain W D Forde
Newly published by Fons
Scotiae
£14.99 + £1.60 pp from Causwayend
Main Street
Scotlandwell
Kinross-shire
KY13 9JA
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