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NEFA
1994.055.01 Transcription
P: Harry Legg
T: Family background
S: Born
at Backhill o Knaven. Lived and worked there till he went into the
army. He was in France, Belgium and Germany after the invasion.
Drove vehicles, channel crossings and did guard duty. In Purfleet.
Born in 1916. Worked on grandfather's farm before the army. After
the army, he worked on farms round and about. Then married and cottared.
Lists farms on which he worked, including some south of Aberdeen.
He later owned a farm and injured himself, then decided to sell
up. Wife was a nurse at Maud. HL drove for construction companies.
Doctors advised he stop driving.
NEFA
1994.055.02 Transcription
P: Harry Legg
T: More background
S: Then
worked at Bond Helicopters, cleaning. Hated it at first, but did
it for fifteen years.
NEFA
1994.055.03 Transcription
P: Harry Legg
T: Horses, grass sickness and the coming of tractors
S: Drove
a pair o horse for four or five years. He was orra loon, at first.
After the war, the tractors came in. Horses suffered a lot from
grass sickness. Some horses just died suddenly, others lingered
on. Horses were pretty expensive at that time.
NEFA
1994.055.04 Transcription
P: Harry Legg
T: Horseman's word
S: Some
of the older lads used to make out that the young ones did not have
the word.
NEFA
1994.055.05 Transcription
P: Harry Legg
T: First cottar fee
S: First
cottar was £4 a week. Shifted for a 5s. raise. Worked on his
grandfather's farm when he left school. You did not get paid, but
you got pocket money. You are better to go to someone else; you
learn more.
NEFA
1994.055.06 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: Feein markets
S: Describes
farmers arguing about wages. Farm servants' union led to a minimum
wage of sorts. HL had uncle at the largest farm in the area, Balquinichie(?)
at Methlick. They would have had eight or nine horses. Uncle was
the ostler, driving the farmer's gig. Jock Wilson, the grieve, and
HL's uncle were sowing seed and Watson had the tip of his finger
taken off. He continued working. A hardy man.
NEFA
1994.055.07-8 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: More stories about Jock Wilson, Aikey
Fair, Travellers and fishwives
S: Another story about Jock Wilson. Had a brother too.
They always went to Aikey Fair. There were strings of horses there,
but even after the horses stopped, they still went to the Sunday.
Very busy. There would be a lot of stands and games. [Other word
used to elicit:] Travellers used to come to the Moss o Belnagoak.
HL's uncle said they were never any bother, but Saturday nights
might be a bit lively. An old woman, Kirsty, used to come round
all the farms with a heavy pack. The fishwives came out to Auchnagatt
on the train and then walked around the countryside with their very
heavy creels (Massies from Aberdeen).
NEFA
1994.055.09 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: Itinerant sellers
S: This
old woman used to walk to Aberdeen with butter and cheese. Chrissie
Crichton lived in a thatched house, but died in a fire. Describes
where it was. Describes route to Aberdeen taken by the old woman,
with various place names along the way. Talk about Babbie Jeannie.
NEFA
1994.055.10 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: Hogmanay, Candlemas, Easter, school picnics
and bikes
S: They stayed home and maybe had a bit of a sing-song
on Hogmanay. Recites part of Candlemas rhyme. They used to roll
an egg at Easter, possibly. HL remembers the school picnic when
they would go to Stonehaven, or Tarlair, or some other such place.
Some people got a school bicycle from the council. Mentions Jimmie
Crichton, from New Deer, who used to play cornet and teaches fiddle.
He was very keen on bikes. They used to race and tie the bikes one
to the other. They used to belt through New Deer to see how far
they could go up the other side. Describes car accident in New Deer.
NEFA
1994.055.11 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: Dingwall-Fordyce
and George Catto
S: Used to visit the school in his Rolls-Royce and give
the lads rides. George Catto was a croney of HL's. Dingwall-Fordyce
called him his poet. Describes where GC stayed. Hebbie(?) Bruce
was another pal. HL cannot remember any of GC's poems.
NEFA
1994.055.12 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: Local songmakers
S: There
were not too many songmakers. Norman Grieve, Maud, was one, but
he is gone. He could put up a fence, tend the greenhouse, and such
like, though he was completely blind.
NEFA
1994.055.13 Transcription
P: Harry
Legg
T: Local singers
S: Allan
Taylor from Lonmay was one singer, bothy songs especially. Latterly
at Woodland Poultry Farm, Newmachar. There was also a great whistler,
Jock Tawse. Nethermuir Shop was a good gathering place for farm
servants. The cobbler would work away, while the others stood around,
chatted and traded songs. Sultana Jim.
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