The silent auction again proved to be fun and we raised $486.75 for the Tartan Day celebration fund. Thank you to everyone who participated in some way.

Remember that the election of officers is coming up at our March meeting. Rosemary Wareham is chairing the nominations committee. If you would like to run for an office, please let her know immediately. The slate of officers must be finalized by early January. Serving on the Board is a wonderful way to benefit the Society and to get to know your fellow members.

Larry McCauley is making arrangements for the Society to participate in the Norfolk St. Patrick’s Day Parade. We’ll have more information as the date gets closer.

Also mark May 18-20, 2001 on your calendars for the Celtic Festival sponsored by the Saint Andrews Society of Richmond. The festival will be held in the Ashland area. John Wallace will have additional information as this event draws near.

1. The correct plural of haggis is haggii, although under certain grammatical circumstances it can be haggises or even "wee yins". The name Haggii comes from the Latin for "harried ones".



2. The Haggis Hunting season runs from when they hatch (30 November) until 25 January. The 31st of December is particularly anticipated by Haggis hunters as it is when great herds of Haggii migrate north for winter. The correct term for stalking a haggis is "havering".



3. Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem "The Hunting of the Snark" was originally called "The Hunting of the Haggis" until he found out the Scottish beast actually existed.



4. Seeing a live haggis is supposed to be a sign of imminent good fortune. Earl Nyaff of Uirsegeul reputedly encountered one on his way to Ayr races in 1817 and subsequently won £50. True, he was badly trampled by the winner and flogged for race fixing after being falsely accused by his own brother, but at least he made a tidy profit.








5. An alcoholic drink derived from the haggis has yet to be invented, despite many centuries of intensive research.



6. The haggis is unusual in that it is neither consistently nocturnal nor diurnal, but instead is active at dawn and dusk, with occasional forays during the day and night.



7. Haggis eggs are inedible, and can be easily confused with deer droppings. On the whole they are best avoided.



8. Some myths say the spider watched by Robert the Bruce was trying to escape from a haggis foraging for food.



9. Haggis fur is waterproof, but not showerproof.



10. No-one has ever succeeded in breeding haggii in captivity.

From www.haggishunt.com

Back

...married on 23 December, member Sandie Robinson to Stuart McCausland after a whirlwind romance that started with their meeting in the library!

...recovering from a Christmas stay in the hospital: Jim Bolles

...in Bon Secours Nursing Center: Bill Austin

...condolences to Russell Darden on the death of his mother

Jack Quinn’s is not some shamrock and shillelagh wanna-be Irish pub - it is the real McCoy. Believe me, I have spent plenty of time and money in pubs in Ireland, and this one is a beauty, fit to compare to the nicest of Dublin pubs. In fact, all of the gorgeous interior is authentically Irish. The beautiful woodwork was actually made in Dublin, shipped over, and then reassembled in Quinn’s by Irish workers. Irish workers also painted, washed and hand stenciled the walls. The walls are covered with framed photographs, posters, paintings, and memorabilia from Ireland, and there are glass display cases filled with antiques and other collectibles from the Emerald Isle. A lot of love and attention to detail went into the design and construction of this pub. Proprietor Geoff Fout has done the local Irish ex-pat and Irish-American community proud by building Quinn’s. Indeed, he has done much to contribute to the revitalization of downtown Norfolk by adding such a showpiece to Granby Street, the new hot spot in Tidewater.

Quinn’s is open for lunch and dinner, and there is a large banquet room upstairs with its own bar that is available for private functions any time, as well as dining and drinking on Friday and Saturday nights. Quinn’s is beginning happy hours from 4-7 during the week soon, and there are drink specials during brunch hours on the weekend as well. There is also a "lunch bunch" card available where after 5 lunches you get your 6th lunch free - makes me wish I worked in downtown Norfolk! There is a take out menu so you can order your Quinn’s favorites and pick them up on the way home if you don’t have time for a sit down meal. Call 274-0024 to place your order. The kitchen is open until 10:30 during the week and until 11:30 on Friday and Saturday nights.

The food is delicious at Quinn’s, and there are many authentic Irish dishes on the menu. There is a complete list of appetizers, including the Guinness Beef Crostini. A sample of the entrée list includes: Shepherd’s Pie, Irish Breakfast (just like in Ireland!), Boxty, Corned Beef & Cabbage, Potato Encrusted Salmon, and Dingle Bay Seafood Pasta. There are also a variety of salads (the Basil Vinaigrette dressing is good enough to drink!!), many sandwiches, potato soup, sides including colcannon potatoes, and a selection of desserts, including homemade bread pudding. And the soda bread is lovely.

For those of you who enjoy the adult bevies, there is a beautiful old style wooden bar that runs most of the length of the ground floor. The bartenders pull a great pint of Guinness, shamrock and all, and some of the other liquid refreshments on tap are Caffrey’s Irish Cream Ale, Tennent’s Lager, Newcastle Brown, Ale, Bass, Harp, and Woodpecker Cider, all served in pint or half ping glasses, as they should be. They also stock other excellent imports such as Murphy’s Irish Stout and Boddington’s Honey Ale. [They do have domestics if you feel like slumming!] There is a great selection of Irish whiskey as well as Scottish single malt whisky available, including Bushmills, Jameson, Tullamore Dew, and Lagavulin And anyone inclined to Irish coffee can indulge. Also for sale at the bar are cool Quinn’s T-shirts and Guinness hats and ties.

Tom Porter, President of the Tidewater Irish American Society was a VIP at the grand opening. Along with other Irish American Society members, Scottish Society members, Manny and Robin Willis, Bo and Carolyn Barkley, and Charlie Austin and Sue Byers have been in to enjoy the food and drink.

Finally, in case all of that is not enough, there is entertainment. Traditional Irish music is played all during the day and evening dining hours. On Thursdays and Saturdays there is live music, with Thursday tending toward a traditional line up, such as Martin Marron, and Saturday toward bands. Once a month there is a trad session with local musicians such as Andy Cleveland getting together to provide outstanding traditional Irish music all night. A few singers may do party pieces for the crowd and dancers from the Reel Thing School of Traditional Irish Dance may join in with some lively ceili dances.

From Lynnette Fitch

A haggis is just a sheep’s stomach stuffed with meat and oatmeal. The most common mistaken belief about the haggis is that it is some kind of pudding made from sheep innards. This somewhat macabre belief dates back many centuries. Its origins lie in a Pictish fertility ceremony which featured a parade of creatures known to produce large numbers of offspring. The haggis was one such animal. However, as hunting techniques were not as sophisticated as they were then and haggis numbers were low, the Pictish priests often had to make do with a model for these ceremonies. Said model haggis was made from an inflated sheep bladder, hence the myth.

They have one leg shorter than another. This misconception originated with a respected English commentator. However, the haggis’s legs are all the same size. Any apparent difference in length could be due to the haggis’s habit of standing in a bog to confuse predators. Quite why this would confuse a predator is unclear as the haggis would be unable to run away, being as it is stuck in a bog.

Its hurdies are like a distant hill. A haggis is rarely larger than a foot long. It has a gentle rounded shape and a soft consistency. How it is like a geological feature quite escapes us. Suilven is a distant hill. It is 2,3999 feet high and made from unforgiving glacier-scarred rock. Pretty unhaggislike, you would agree. We suspect that this one is down to poetic license.

The Saint Andrew’s Society of Tidewater is organized to provide assistance to those of Scottish heritage in the community; to encourage and promote the study of the history, traditions and culture of Scotland, and of the influence of immigrant Scots in the development of the United State; to promote, foster, undertake and encourage research, education and the dissemination of information concerning the history of Scots and their tradition and culture; to perpetuate Scottish traditions and culture, and to promote activities among its members.

To further these goals, the Society has established a Scholarship Fund. Scholarships are awarded periodically to those individuals of Scottish birth or descent seeking to further their knowledge in those areas related to Scottish traditions and culture. Emphasis given to young people as a means of encouraging their studies.

Applications for 2001 grants must be postmarked by 30 April 2001. A grant of $500 will be made in May to a suitable applicant. Determination of the winner will be made by a board of judges comprised of St. Andrew’s Society members. The award must be used within six months. The winner will agree to address a meeting of the Society upon completion of the grant work to provide details of how the money was used and how the community will benefit.

For a scholarship application, please contact the St. Andrew’s Society of Tidewater by mail at P. O. Box 3062, Virginia Beach, VA 23454.

Back

I

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
     Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy of a grace
     As lang’s my arm.

II

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
     In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
     Like amber bead.

III

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’cut ye up wi’ ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
     Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight
     Warm-reekin, rich!

IV

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive;
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
     Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
     "Bethankit!" hums.

V

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
     Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
     On sic a dinner?

VI

Poor devil! See him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
     His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,
     O how unfit!

VII

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
     He’ll make it whissle;
An’ legs, an’ arms, an’ heads will sned
     Like taps o’ thrissle.

VIII

Ye Pow’ers, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware,
     That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
     Gie her a Haggis!

Jimmy Shand, accordionist and bandleader, born January 28, 1908, died December 23, 2000.

Jimmy Shand, who has died at the age of 92, was the musical icon of Scotland’s tartan sub-culture. Over more than half a century, his name was synonymous with a certain style of Scottish music and with a nostalgic image of Scotland which has proved eminently marketable around the world.

His recordings sold by the million and, from the 1940s to the 1970s, the name of Jimmy Shand and his Band would fill halls throughout the United Kingdom as well as in any centre of the Scottish diaspora, New York’s Carnegie Hall included. In 1955 his Bluebell Polka was one of the most unlikely top 20 entrants of even that eclectic musical era.

Shand remained a most unlikely figure of show business celebrity. While the band, led by his own button-key accordion, produced music to set even the most reluctant toes tapping, their stage appearance often bordered on the funereal. Shand would allow himself little more than a shy grin and a few words. His was really a band for dancing to, and it was his strict sense of timing, as well as his technical skill, that set him apart. Phil Cunningham, one of the most innovative of present-day Scottish accordion players, described him as a "human metronome".

Shand’s contribution to popularising Scottish music was immense, although it also did much to channel perceptions of it into a particular style. There is a contradiction between the free-flowing ceilidh tradition and strict tempo dance music. Shand had thousands of superb imitators - tartan jackets and all - but few, until recently, broke out of the limiting format of two accordions, piano, fiddle, double-bass and drums; the stereotype was reinforced by BBD television's White Heather club series of the 1960s, built around him.

Like many talented and successful Scots, Shand came from a mining background. He was born in East Weymss, in Fife, left school at 14 and went straight into the local pit. Conditions were terrible, and the 1926 general strike brought his career as a miner to an end. He spoke movingly in later life of his decision not to go back down the pit, though his bond with the mining communities of Fife remained extremely strong.

Since childhood, he had been picking up tunes on his father’s melodeon, a close relative of the button-key accordion. When he visited a music shop in Dundee, the owner gave him a job as a salesman. He thus got to know which of the better-off families bought sheet music, and sought out their houses so that he could listen to them playing and add to his knowledge.

In 1933, he made his first record, and the following year was broadcasting for the BBC Scottish Home Service. His reputation grew steadily, but it was only after the war that he put together the Jimmy Shand Band.

The former Labour MP, Willie MacKelvey, recalls that his father was the "second box" player. The MacKelveys lived in a spacious new council house in Dundee, which, because it accommodated a piano, became the practiced place as the band prepared for an increasingly hectic schedule of one-night stands, television appearances and overseas tours. The neighbours would hang out of their windows to listen.

Whenever possible, Shand would head back home to Auchtermuchty, in Fife, after gigs - sometimes from as far away as the south of England. He had been a motorcycle racer in his youth and retained a love of fast vehicles and white-knuckle driving. Otherwise, his life style was modest. Whatever international hotel they might be in, he would famously order for the band: "Sausage, egg and chips for six."

In retirement, honours were showered upon him, culminating in a knighthood last year. There was never any sign of this affecting Shand. He was a shrewd, dignified, Scottish gentleman whose greatest ambition was to be at home in Auchtermuchty among his own people.

He is survived by his wife Anne, whom he married in 1936, and their two sons.

Hector, William. Selections from the Judicial Records of Renfrewshire illustrative of the administration of the laws of the county, and manners and condition of the inhabitants in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.. Bowie, Md., Heritage Books, 1999. A facsimile reprint of Paisley: J. &. J. Cook, 1876.

This book is part of a series of "old and curious documents" and worth reading for the stories it contains even if your ancestors might not hail from Renfrewshire. It offers a unique, first hand insight into life in the 1600 and 1700’s. Just a sample of table of contents listings intrigues the reader: Concealing Rebel Arms, 1686; Paisley Merchants Punished for Wife-Beating in 1684 and 1694; Drinking Ye Devil’s Health, 1692; Food Tumult in Port-Glasgow, 1707; The Origin of Sterling Money; the Maxwell's of Brediland; Renfrewshire Slaveholders; and more.

In the case of the Jacobite song, it starts out with the following stanzas:

He is o’er the hill and far awa’
Ayont the seas and dread o’law,
And tho’ his back be at the wa’,
Here’s a health to him that’s far awa’.

A great read for the researcher and for the lover of the stories that the records preserve for us - a picture of a long passed world.

This book is available from Heritage Books, Inc., www.heritagebooks.com for $12800 plus $4.00 s & h, or by calling 1-800-398-7709.

Back