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01
[JT] Lots o my grew up when ma mam and dad wis in Methlick
I think, aye, and at. And Billy wis jist a little boy at at
time. And eh we really enjoyed it, what a bonny day we had
too, the sun was shinin and the water wis glitterin, you know.
And I aye mine the brigs, there's two brigs, as you go into
Methlick there's one, and there's the other one going by Haddo
House way, you see, and it was that one, wis in the water.
And so, it wis a beautiful day it wis. And in Ellon we used
to go to the water there and beautiful. You ken is it's a
good life, brilliant life, it's a wonderful life. You just
see people now, a lot of people travellin now, it's nae the
same. But at wis our life. But we aye hid wir house, in the
winter time, we aye came back tae oor hoose. And eh, and at.
But we only, we aye liket to go out in the summer, tik the
good o the summer.
02
[TM] So how did your father go about the pearl fishing?
[JT] He aye liket at, he liket pearl fishing
and at, and eh.
[TM] How would he do it?
[JT] Em, he get a jug, he made, he had an old
mebbe a can or something, like a tin, a round tin, and he
put a glass on it, on the bottom of it.
[TM] So he could see down into the water?
[JT] Aye, and then he'd have tongs, a long stick,
some special kind of stick, a branch or something, and you
make it like a pin, a pin for, like a clothes peg, an old
fashioned clothes peg. And eh, you jist put it down and dig
up the pearls you see. I mean that wis lang ago that I'm spikkin
aboot. At's long, long ago when we were younger.
03
[TM] So your mother would be selling things in the village?
[JT] Aye, yes.
[TM] What would she be selling?
[JT] Jist selling athing, I don't know, clothes
pegs, clothes pegs, and eh.
[TM] That you would make?
[JT] Ma dad made them aye. Clothes pegs.
[TM] And besoms?
[JT] Eh?
[TM] Little besoms?
[JT] Made things like at aye. Eh, oh they were
handy, they could make things you know. Really clever folk.
They'd good heids on them, they could turn their haund tae
lots o things, travelling folk, they're very very clever.
I never see a travellin person roon this wey. There's plenty
o my folk here you know, and at. But eh, Billy's dad's, he
wisnae a traveller, no no, he wis a country chap. I have travelled
with mum and dad, I'm a traveller, and I've done lots o things,
selt pins tae ma mum and dad and at, and eh, eh, lots o things
I had to do to get a copper. You know, harder days. But still,
we wis aye happy, the happy life the travellin life. Would
you like to travel?
[TM] I would yes.
[JT] Would you?
[TM] I love to be outdoors.
04
[JT] Well it's a great life. You hae tae get hud of a caravan,
an aul caravan and a horse, and ere's nothing like it, and
the horsie. Oh me. I'm going to let you see ma mam's photograph
when you come back. And eh, and you see the horsie comin runnin
ower till her. Oh, the white horse. Ye ca'd it Donald, and
we aye ca'd it Donnelly. And we ca'd 'Donnelly, Donnelly',
and it come runnin tae ye. What a bonny horse he wis. And
then we hid another horse, eh, oh me, it wis beautiful, it
wis a bonny horse an a, it wis Arabian horse and it, a bonny,
oh it's skin wis like silk. It wis shinin, what a beautiful
and a great long tail down to it's heels, all in waves, what
a bonny horse, what a lovely horse at is. We'd aye different
horses ye ken. We'd wee horses and big horses, dinna like
it just the medium size horse ye see. And we had a kind o
horses, and we had the horse spoiled, just like a dog, we
spilet the horse, I ken. We had a horsie run hame, put it
in the park, it came right home till it's own hame. We put
it, ye see it used to be, it used to come down, we'd a stable
nae far from our house, my father got anither stable anither
bit of grun, and put the horsie up there. My god, the horsie
came hame tae it's ane place. Come home to it's own stable,
it just kent far tae come. We never, the horse, the horse
woulda come home any night, if you left it up there in it's
stable and it could get oot, it come right home, the horse
come hame.
[TM] Well trained.
[JT] Well trained aye. We had the horse fair
spiled. It used tae come to the door nicherin, ken, nicherin
for a piece, aye. Great horse it wis. Come roon tae the door
sichin a piece. Aye, hid the horse spiled. Oh god aye, we'd
a' kind o horses. We hid anither een that run aff. Did I tell
ye at?
[TM] No.
05
[JT] I thocht I did tell ye. We'd a horse, ma father bought
anither horse one time, and it wis a young horse, it wis just
getting trained, trapped or something, ken, trained. So ma
dad bought this horsie. So they went out with it a few times
and it wis quiet, very quiet, and eh, they got on well with
it. So one day they went out with it all day, and it wis a'right
horsie, okay, nothing wrong, very quiet and handy. So they're
coming home ye see, coming hame, and ma sister had been oot
with ma mum and dad that day, good job it wasn't me, I'd a
been scared, oh I micht a been killed! [Laughs.] Well, they
were comin down the brae, called Jack's Brae, at's aside Fetterangus
no? And eh, it wis a float, a cart, nae the four wheeled,
just the two wheeled. And if ye jump off a float the shaft
goes up. So ma sister she thocht it was too much weicht on
the shafts for the horse and she jumpit off, my god, the horse
took scared and it run off. It run off down the brae, mither
and father's lyin in the road, and a their stuff wis scattered
on the road, you'd no idea. I wis gled I didnae go oot that
day. The horse took fear ye see it wis a young horse. Ah well.
You're lyin in the road mum. [Laughs.] Ah well, a their stuff
wis knocket oot o the cairt and a. Horse and cairt wis away.
And they couldn't see it! [Laughs.] Where it gaed till. Down
that brae and round the corner like a shot. God almichty.
[Laughs.] Ah well, efter at my father gets up, ma mither gets
up, and oh my god where's this horse, far is it? Oh me. Oh
well, couldnae see nae sign o it, no sign o it. Oh no, no
no. Came hame tae the hoose, what a state they were in, couldnae
see this horse. Ah weel. There wis somebody come to the door
though, ma father come tae the door, knock at the door, and
the man says 'You Mr Stewart bides here'. 'Aye' ma father
says. 'Is that your shelt?' He says, he says, 'I see your
sheltie's in a cairt'. [Laughs.] And he says 'Doon the fit o
the brae'. He says its, he says 'it's the cairt and a and
the horse', he says 'it's in aside the rucks'. It come aff
the road and gaed intae a slap, ye see took intae a park,
it wis stuck in among the rucks. [Laughs.] Oh ma father said.
But the horse wis a right, and the cairt and a wis aright.
It couldnae move. [Laughs.] Oh ma father wis glaid though it
wis there. So he gaed doon ye see efter the horse and at.
The horse wis aright but it wis feared ye ken, it wis a young
horse, it wis nae lang tracket, getting learnin for tae be
yoket and a, and harness and things like at. The horsie wis
a right, but oh my god, a their stuff wis broken. They sold
dishes in those days, dishes and eh, traded ither dishes and
at. Their dishes wis a broken. Oh my god, I says, I wis glaid
I wisnae awa wi yes. I says, I dae ken far I woulda landed.
I says, oh me. Ma father selt it, he wis feared tae ging oot
wi it again ye see, but the horsie wis aright. It come tae
sell again ye see. It couldnae move it wis in among the rucks,
oh my god. [Laughs.] It's a good job it gaed ere, it micht o
gone on the road and onything comin ken, traffic, cars and
at. But the horsie wis aricht. At wis some o the cairry ons.
Some queer things.
06
I min anither time. Ye're getting a my stories ye ken, terrible
is. I min anither time, I gaed oot wi ma mam and dad ay day.
And ma mither says, you comin oot wi us the day noo, ye're
bidin at hame too much, ye're nae getting nae fresh air. She
aye wanted ye tae get a thingie o fresh air. And I wis aye
stuck in the hoose, aye working till ma mum and dad. Lookin
efter the rest o the kids ye see. And I says oh, I'll come
oot wi ye's then far are ye gan? Well we're gan tae Rora.
Gan tae Rora. Oh, at's nae far away, I'll gang. My god. [Laughs.]
I'm feared at big workin horses, I'm terrified o big workin
horse, their big feet, oh god. I'm terrified o big workin
horse, I werenae feared at little horsie or shelt. Onywey
or ither, we gaed awa tae Rora, aright a da, we'd a different
horse ye see, they'd ither horse now. Ah well. I wis oot a
day, and I enjoyed bein oot wi ma mither and father, and comin
hame now, coming home through the moss, there's a moss far's
there's peats. You know what peats is. Aye. Ah well, there
wis a horse and cairt ere, a big horse and a cowped cart.
And the big horse, the man wis puttin peats in ower this cart.
So he hid the thing loaded now, ready for the road, but we're
awa by him, we passed going on. Next thing I see is is big
horse comin up, followin us ye see, gan up ?? Oh my god. And
every big fit gaed, is like takin us in. Oh me, I'm feared
o at horse, I'm feared o at big horse, oh mam I'm feared,
oh. I'm scared at big horse. And the noise, aye rattlin it's
heid, and ye heard the harness ken, and it scared me and the
big feet comin under, oh me and this big cairt, oh me I wis
terrified. Ye ken fit I did? My god, I dae ken fit wey I did
it, I dae ken fit wey I managed. It wis a narrow road, a narra
roadie. And I looks ower at this park, and I thocht this horse
wis comin too near hand me, I jumped wi'oot crutches, I jumped
oot ower the cairt and I gaed in ower the park. What a ragin
I got fae ma father. My god lassie, you could have been killed.
He says, 'What did you do that for?' I'm feared at that big
horse. My god. He says 'Did ye ken you could have fell in
the road. he says, 'The horse could have tramped on you'.
Well I wis feared ye see o the big workin horses, I wisnae
feared at ither kind o horse, it wis the noise o the cart,
and the horse's harness, aye shakin their heids that workin
horses.
[TM] And the big hooves.
[JT] Eh?
[TM] And the big hooves.
07
[JT] Aye, oh my god. Oh. My god aye. Experienced a lot of
things wi the travellin life. Sometimes scared at bulls and
athing. I could buy a bull at them at the roadside o the horse.
Oh my god. I'll tell you some mair stories some ither time,
it's good tae hear that auld stories is it. The travelling
life ye see. You experience a lot when you're oot, oot aboot.
Ken. I'm more nervous I couldnae go nowhere. I'm asked to
go away and sing and athing, but I winna go. And I could sing
yet. And a cairry on ken. [Laughs.] I love the singin, I love
actin the goat and at, and spikking aboot the olden days.
Nae much folk ye can spik till aboot the olden days, sometimes,
some o them hae no interest in at. I have, I've got a lot
o interest in the olden days.
08
[TM] What did you do in those days for things like hogmanay?
[JT] Hogmanay. Eh. Well, we held the hogmanay
jist like a ither body.
[TM] How was that, what did you do?
[JT] What did we do? Well Hogmanay, hogmanay
and Christmas, we always hold at. And eh, we jist eh. My mither
didnae like us runnin aboot at at night, she aye liked eh,
tae have us all in the house. She didnae like us oot aboot.
[TM] So you never went house to house?
[JT] Ma dad, ma dad. No, my mum never went at,
fae hoose tae hoose. And I dinna dae at.
[TM] Did people ever come to the door?
[JT] Oh yes, uh huh. Oh once at a time you'd
a heard the pipes playin gan down the road, ken on New Year's
nicht, new year comin in and a that, and abody happy. Ye hear
the pipes comin doon and abody 'happy new year, happy new
year'. You don't hear at noo, it's all changed.
[TM] Did you ever have anyone come to the door
saying 'rise up old wife and shak yer feathers'.
[JT] Aye. And dinnae think at we are beggars.
Aye, we're wee bairnies come tae play, rise and give for hogmanay.
At's right aye.
[TM] I heard about that.
09
[JT] We used tae hing wir stockin up, but we didnae get much
in wir stockin. They hidnae, they couldnae gie ye muckle in
the those days, we were happy. We didnae look for nothin,
ken, we wis a happy. At's happy days that's gone by. Really.
We had no tvs, we had no electric, we had no toilets. Nothing.
And we wis happy as a lark. My family. My father aye liked
us tae be in the house at ten o'clock, he didnae like us out
any later an at, we'd tae be home. And then we passed wir
night in the house by haeing wir fun, like ma mum and dad
would maybe have a gamie o the cards, or a sing song, or music
going, my father took doon the pipes and played the pipes
and we were a happy, what a happy life. You dinna hear at
noo.
10
[TM] And your father used to get you to sing for people coming
in?
[JT] Folk coming in, eh, ma dad, I dae ken,
I tell ma sister. My sister kens at an a. My sister's aye
said, 'well ma dad wis proud o ye'. He aye made me sing for
folk, and fen we were gan hame 'come on Jeannie, now give them
a song' He aye wanted me tae sing, and I hid tae sing. And
then if I wisnae singin right, a bittie feared, nervous in
front o folk, nae in the mood for singin maybe, ma father
would gie me a punch, come on, throw oot yer voice, come on
noo, yer nae singin richt. He kent, it wis him at made me
sing. So ma sister says, well ma dad wis proud o ye. Anybody
comin in, I had tae sing tae them. And ma dad noo on a Seturday
nicht, would say, Oh Jeannie, come on. I'll hae a tune on the
fiddle he says, come on play the piana. Oh hae a tune on the
piana, and the fiddle and the piana goin together. What a
marvellous life we had, you don't hear at now, you don't hear
it. That's the life I liket. And eh, well oh my mum would
be happy as onything, a the family's happy. Music in the hoose,
great. Happy as a lark. Wonderful. Now mebbe ither nicht,
he'd say, on a Seturday nicht, noo. Oh Jeannie come awa noo
and sing some o Jimmy Rogers sangs tae me. See. He aye liket
me tae sing them. God what a great nicht we hid. I'll never
forget on at nights, I'll never. Nobody knows how I feel aboot
at times. The enjoyment we had. We were poor but we were happy.
We made wir own music and the home wis happy, nae cairry ons.
Nooadays, there's too much cairry ons. Not happy people. But
we had happy days, because we were aye singing, and the music,
accordian or the piana or the fiddle. Onybody come in the
hoose that could play the fiddle, took doon the fiddle aff
the wa and play the fiddle. And then they got started wi it,
a this jigs and cairry on. Oh beautiful. Come on Jeannie play
the piana, and oh it wis gan an a. Now, I stayed over the
road, when I got married, stayed ower the road in my wee hoosie
in Fishie, a rare hoosie I hid and a. My door wis never hardly
shut. Aye, we used tae hae concerts in the hoose. It wis a
sing song, and oh, is body come in and at body come in, the
hoose wis never empty. What a great life at is. Aye, I miss
at the day. That's what's wrong wi me. I'm missin a this enjoyment
I had. I play and sing now and again, but I've been off the
singin this winter, but I'm comin tae it again. Now I'm thinkin
a the wonderful times we hid and the hoose wis never empty,
and my mother's house either. Aye the music wis going and
it dra'd the people to the house, folk liked to come in and
hear the music going. I miss a that the day.
[TM] Yes, changed days.
[JT] Changed days, do you like the music.
[TM] I like hearing music in the houses and
songs.
[JT] Aye, you dinna hear at noo. It's terrible, it's nae the
same. My dad liked music, and my mother played the pipes.
[TM] Really?
11
[JT] Aye, my ma took doon the pipes and played the pipes.
Ye see her folk wis a pipers, her father wis a piper and her
brithers wis a pipers.
[TM] What was her father's name?
[JT] Robert, Robert Stewart. And they were a
army lads, they were a old soldiers. And my dad wis an old
soldier too, in the First World War, and ma granda wis in
the army and a. And my brother wis in the last war. But eh,
I'm the only een in the family that's tooken to this musical
life. They like to hear singin, they like the music, but they
don't play nothing aye my sisters, I'm the only een. And then
when they're in my company, when they come to me, I start
up the music and then they are all singing. Now I have a tape
and you must hear it some time, o my sisters and in my mother's
house, afore my mother, ken she wis getting on a bittie, she
wis as happy as a lark, and a the family come in at the weekend,
of course some o us wis a married now, but still we a gied
ower tae ma mum and dad, and get the piana going, I used tae
ging ower and started the whole lot singing, the whole house,
you couldnae hear nothin for singin. And I'll let you hear
at tape some time when you come along, and you'll enjoy it.
And ma youngest sister, you'll hear her whistlin and singin.
When I put it on, I listen till it and think oh my god what
happy days we hid.
[TM] Takes you back.
[JT] Just think I'm there, ken, wonderful. Some
folk aye says, Jane, you've got a gift. Well ma hairt's in
ma singin, my heart's in the olden days. And I like tae spik
tae folk at's interested in't. You liked folk…
11b
[JT] … mum and ma dad spikkin and at. The auld tapes,
the auld roon big tapes and at eh.
[TM] Did Davie used to come round once a year
or a couple of times a year ?
[JT] Oh he used to come through in the summer
time to see ma mother, at's his sister ye see. And eh, Davie's
like me, he would sing all night, he would never stop, neither
would I. If you're in that mood for singin, in at mood for
music. God, great night. I just waste my time, well I don't
waste my time lookin at the tv, because sometimes I hinna
it on, some days I hinna it on, I jist canna be bothered wi
it. I'd rather listen tae ma tapes, listen tae ma singin.
And I, laughs, ye hear me saying, 'at's as good as onybody
singin', 'at's nae bad'. I ken fen I'm singin and I ken fen
I'm nae. I'll say 'oh, mebbe I'll go awa and hae a tunie and
sing' and say 'I'll record it. Na, I'm nae singin richt, no
I am not singing right. And then I'll listen till it, and
then I'll say, oh I'm nae singin richt the nicht, and nae
until I'm in the richt mood again, get masel going, I'll say,
I wonder fit like I'm singin the nicht.
12
[TM] Next time you are singing just right, give me a call.
[JT] Aye, if I'm singing right I'll give you
a call for you to come to me. I'd the hale o ma grandbairns
in here I telt ye. Oh, and Clive, I'd him and a. He gings
up and doon the floor makin on his playin the pipes. What
a fine lad he is though, a nice loon. And his mother phoned
me nae long ago. It wis last week she phoned me. And she coming
through tae see me. He tells his mother to phone me ye see,
and then she phones me 'Clive's told me to give you a ring
Jen'. She thinks I learned him a lot. I learned him songs.
[TM] So you have.
[JT] I learned him songs, I learned him to diddle,
I learned him to march. He gets a kick oot o it! [Laughs.] Good
gracious. and I enjoy it. Marchin up and doon wi a brush on
his shoulder, oh me. What a cairry on. Salute! [Laughs.] What
a cairry on. Oh my god, you've no idea. You'll be listening
tae this the night.
[TM] Not toight.
[JT] And fit div ye dae a' day noo? And ye see
me cairryin on, ken I enjoy it. You've enjoyed yoursel onywey,
hiv ye.
[TM] Oh yes.
[JT] And ye'll listen tae at the morn. Is it
aye on yet?
13
[TM] I just put it on again, because I wanted to ask you if
there was ever anything about Fasterneen. Did you ever have
a rhyme about Fasterneen?
[JT] What's that?
[TM] First comes Candlemas, then seen new meen.
[JT] Candlelight?
[TM] Candlemas? Candlemas?
[JT] Nope, I dinna fit yer sayin.
[TM] Did you ever have a rhyme about Candlemas?
[JT] Candler?
[TM] Candlemas?
[JT] Candlemap?
[TM] You never had a rhyme about?
[JT] Na, never heard at. Na. Hiv ye asked people
at like, div they ken?
[TM] Yes, some people know the rhyme and pancake
Tuesday.
[JT] Aye.
[TM] Have you heard of Pancake Tuesday?
[JT] Na.
[TM] Did you use to celebrate Easter at all?
[JT] Easter, well eh. We never bothered wi that
no. No, no Easter time we was aye away, we wis always away
by Eastertime.
14
[TM] Out on the road by that time.
[JT] Aye, we were aye awa wi the horse, jogging
along, enjoyin our life. Great. And to hear the birds whistlin.
And at nicht ye hear the owls, woo hoo. Oh my god, mak ye
creep. Oh my god, aside the wids. [Laughs.] My god aye. I dae
ken if I would gang oot campin now though. I dae ken. I did
enjoy gan oot though with ma mither and father. Somewhere
you got a pail o milk, ye didnae get a bottle o milk in those
days, ye didnae get nae milk at wey in the shops, ye'd tae
go to a farm and got milk. Ye got a penny's worth or a tuppence
worth o milk, ken, things were cheap. You could go to a farm
and get a suppie's worth o milk, a puckle tatties, you know.
And at, and a rabbit for wir supper and potatoes. We lived
on good food. Ken. We niver gaed hungry, we aye hid plenty
meat. Aye, skirlie and tatties. You know what skirlie is.
[TM] Yes.
[JT] You like skirlie.
[TM] Mm hmm.
[JT] Skirlie's good for you. We aye got that
kinda food, or a stew wi a bit o mince, and beef and at, and
eh, used tae hae a stew wi potatoes and ingins and oh, lived
on good meat. And mebbe a big ashet o pudding, creamola or
ground rice and at, and well we nivver gaed hungry, there
wis aye plenty meat. Ma mither aye liket plenty meat for the
kids, for us, ken?
15
[TM] Did they work on farms as they went round. Pu'in neeps
or?
[JT] Well, ma mum and dad. Well when they come
home for winter, and the time they come hame they got intae
the mill, ma mum used tae work at the mill and at, the thrashin
mill. And ma dad, he got a job at hewin, the neeps, pulling
the neeps and things like at. They took a kind a jobbies,
ye ken, in their younger days and at. Aye, ma mither and father
did a kind a work, ken, some o ma sisters and a, they workit,
I'd a sister fee'd at a farm.
[TM] Your sister fee'd?
[JT] Aye, soon as you left the school you got
a job.
[TM] What was your sister doing on the farm,
was she..?
[JT] Well, work on the fairm, well, a kinda
work, I dinna ken what she did, but she worked the fairm.
She fee'd. But she was only fourteen year old. She didnae
get hame a the weekend, stayed a week at the farm. And then
the ither sisters a got a job and a.
[TM] Did they go to the feein markets?
[JT] No, no. No, no, they just mebbe, well,
they seen that mebbe onything, somebody wantin somebody to
work at a farm, well they gaed awa and seen aboot it. And
got a job. We a workit whenever they come and left the school,
they jist got a job and away, working, helped their mother
and father. Now I didna get awa, being disabled I didn't get
away. I just had to stay at home, my mother could depend on
me looking after the family. I brocht them up, I brung up
since they were little kids tae ma mither, I wis jist a disabled
craiter, but I wis the happiest one in the family. I heard
ma dad saying, Jeannie ye've a different nature bar the rest
o them. Well you couldnae blame me ha'in a different nature
when I'd been disabled. And I says, I feel like a housewoman,
I like tae see the hoose clean, and I like tae see the kids
bonny and at tae the school, at wis my wey, I'd interest in
ma sisters and brothers goin away tae school bonny and clean.
I'd see ma mum, getting them ready for the school, mebbe afore
she gaed awa mebbe tae her work and at, and I'd say 'oh ma,
let me dae at, I'll sort em'. I wouldnae let her tidy the
bairns, I'd dae it masel. And ma ma wis gan tae put up a bit
curtain and screen the windae, oh ye canna dee it richt, I'll
dee it. It wis my wey, I'm like at yet. I like tae see things
richt.
16
[TM] Do you think the songs helped you be happy.
[JT] Eh?
[TM] Do you think the songs helped make you
happy?
[JT] Well, when my work wis done a day, and
I'd got ma mither's work done a day, we'd a piana ye se, in
ma mum's hoose. I used tae be, oh I hope I get is done, and
at done', I'll hae a tunie afore I come hame. Ye see. And
I would jist, efter ma work wis a done in ma mither's hoose,
the fireside wis shinin, bonny and clean, and ma mither and
father's supper wis ready, at's fit like I wis. I worked hard
tae ma mother and father. Did a lot of washin and a' for them.
House wis clean, beds made and a thing, an carryin crutches.
Never touched me cause I was young ye see, I could, I could
work. I dae a lot o work yet. But I'm feeling it now ye see.
So ma mam and dad come hame fae their work. My dad would say,
mebbe on a cauld nicht comin home and oot a day workin. Is
the supper ready Jeannie? Ca'd me Jeannie. I says, aye, supper's
a ready for ye's. And the hoose wis a bonny and clean and
a. Everything done. And mother and father's supper wis ready,
waitin on them. They never let me awa tae work. I could have
got an opportunity to do a sitting job, but I never got away,
they never let me awa. Because I wis more help tae them, see.
They would never get awa if they'd tae bide at hame. If my
mam couldn't get awa, she'd hae to look efter the hoose and
mak the quines food and a this, some o them wis oot workin.
Well I had tae dae at.
17
[TM] So when did you leave home?
[JT] Eh.
[TM] How old were you when you finally left
home?
[JT] When I left hame? When I got married.
[TM] How old were you then?
[JT] I was eh, I was thirty when I married.
Thirty. A stranger come in aboot and asked me tae marry him.
My dad got an affa shock. [Laughs.] I want to marry one of our
daughters, this man said ye see. Oh ma father, some o the
?? quines, girls. Oh well ma father says, whit one is it then.
There's a lot o girls in this family. Oh he says, I want Jeannie
he says. [Laughs.] Oh, ma father says, we'll hae tae see aboot
at though. I'd tae wait a gey lang time, my father wouldn't
let me there, for a long time. But I waited, and my boyfriend
he waited. We got mairried and at, athing wis aright. We wis
a happy again.
[TM] Where did you live?
[JT] Just ower the road, fae ma mum and dad.
We aye gaed ower tae see them, aye gaed ower tae play the
piana. It wis me at made the hoose happy, because I wis the
one, I wis the one aye wi the music. Couldn't stop it. What
a cairry on I'd give. Ah, they missed me ye see when I gaed
ower the hoose. My granddaughter's aye up here, that's what
her mother said. I wis oot yesterday and a, I wis doon tae
visit them yesterday, and Leahandrai's mam says, you know
this she says, that lassie would die for ye. Aye the 'granny'
is, and the 'granny' that. Never awa fae ye. She liked tae
hear me telling her auld stories ye see, aboot the olden times,
I tells her and a. Oh she likes it. I say ye hinna come tae
that yet girlie, I says. [Laughs.] I left the school at thirteen
and worked for ma mither and father. I'm just a bairn at at
time. Oh I've left monies a day, left monies a day for a fortnicht.
Never seen them for a fortnight sometimes. Gaed awa for a
different, brighter place. Tae a fresh place for tae sell
their stuff or work. And I dinna ken far they were, left me
wi a the kids when they were little. But the bairns wis a
richt until they came hame. My ma depended on me ken, she
kent fit like I wis. A real housewife. Liked the hoose clean,
liked tae see the kids clean, ma sisters and brothers, I liked
tae see athing richt, and ma mither kent at. And then afternoon,
when ma work wis a done, hae a sing song, singing like a blackbird.m
Love it. I'm like at yet.
[TM] I know.
18
[JT] I love ma singin yet, I put on ma tapes on it, oh my,
I'm beautiful, I says, I'm nae carin fit naebody says, I can
sing as good as onybody else, I'll say things like at, and
mebbe I dinna please abody I dinna ken. But I think it's nae
bad. I like ma singing. I enjoy my life. If I hidnae had no
singin in my life, god help me. I'd a been mournin aboot masel.
Ken. Nae use mournin, try and keep yersel happy. It's a good
job I hiv that in me, at I could play, I could play is organ,
play at een, play piana, get my guitar. Wonderful life. I
aye say it's a wonderful life. Leandra's aye wanted tae learn
tae sing. I says, ye winna sit doon a minute and learn, I
could easy learn ye. Oh, I want tae sing granny like you.
I says, how do you feel when you hear me singin there. Oh
granny she says, I love it. It's a bonny voice, it's a young
voice. She aye says at tae me. I says, well I can learn ye,
ye winna take time tae learn though. Oh my god aye, you enjoyed
my yappin though.
[TM] And the singing, and the singing.
[JT] Did ye like ma singing. What do you think
o my voice.
[TM] Oh it's lovely. Especially songs like ???
, nobody sings that as well as you do.
[JT] Well I wis wantin eh, some o the eh, the
eh, Edinburgh folk tae hear me singin like at at hame, cause
if ye're awa fae hame yer nae singin yer best fen yer awa
fae hame.
[TM] Like your father said, you'd be gripping
..?
[JT] Aye wi fear, nervous to sing in front of
folk. Ye're nae singin, ye're nae all out.
19
[TM] And you're also away from home so it's different.
[JT] Aye, when ye're hame, you know your singin.
And ye ken ye're singin, I ken fen I start singin first of
a. Put it on the tape, listen till't. Oh no, at's nae use,
at's nae use, I'm nae singin. I've tae be right on for ma
singin afore I can put my whole heart in it, and then if I'm
enjoying it I come better and better. I love it. So eh, I
wis singing great yesterday, I was. Noo the day, now. I felt
terrible, oh I says, I winna be able tae sing. Na. I didna
think I could sing. But once I get going, and once I get my
heart back into it I'm aright. And get into the way of it
and that. It's a great life, the singing. Music is a gift,
it's a good thing, makes you happy. I just put on my tapes.
Then I mebbe phone my sister some nicht, or ma sister mebbe
phone me. Fit ye been doin the day. Oh playin ma tapes. Oh
at's fine, ye're happy. I says, aye. Playin ma tapies, oh
I says, I canna be bothered wi that televisions. I'd rather
listen tae masel you know. Andrew Lammy's bonny song, and
the Roads and Miles to Dundee, and The Wee Doggie, at's a
bonny song and a. But I ken more songs, I ken quite a lot
o songs, and I wis jist minin' on some o them last night when
I was singin, and I min fan ma ma used tae sing this song
and sing that song, come back tae me. And started singin,
and oh god, at's great, I enjoy at ye, ken?...
20
[TM] Like what songs were you remembering last night?
[JT]
Well I was born in Boston a place ye a ken well,
Brought up with honest parents the truth to you I'll tell
Brought up with honest parents the truth to you I'll tell
And I became a prisoner at the age of twenty-one.
[JT] That's my mam's song. A good song it is.
[TM] Never heard that one.
[JT] Never heard that een. And then there's
anither een. A sad song like at and a. Eh. it's the same sang.
See my old age father standing in the bar
See my old age mother with her grey locks hung down
The tears came gently to her eyes, the tears they did a fa'
Cryin, son my son, what's this you've done to be sent to Charles
jail
My photograph was taken, and I was sent to jail
My parents tried but all in vain, to get me out on bail
But the jury found me guilty and the clerk he wrote it down
And I became a prisoner at the age of twenty one.
[JT] It's a bonnie sang. See if I can sing it,
a wee bit. I like music tae ma singin and a. Dinna put it
on yet till I see.
[TM] Okay.
21
[JT]
A carriage wis passing, with the lady inside,
Who stared at poor Joe as her own darling child.
Joe followed the carriage with the tears in his eyes,
And though he was singing he wished himself dead.
Down fell the snow, oh down fell the snow,
Nowhere for shelter, and nowhere to go.
No mammy no daddy, in their graves they lie low,
Cast out in this wide world, was poor little Joe
[JT] I'm singin low. I usually sing high.
22
There's nothing left for me in the days that used to be
I just a memory, among my souvenirs.
Some letters tied in blue, a photograph or two
I find a rose from you among my souvenirs.
A few more tokens left within my treasure chest
And so I do my best to bring me consolation
I count them all apart and as the tear drops start
I find a broken heart among my souvenirs
Nothing left for me, in the days that used to
be
But just a memory among my souvenirs
Some letters tied in blue, a photograph or two
I find a rose from you among my souvenirs
A few more tokens left within my treasure chest
And so I do my best to bring me consolation
I count them all apart and as the tear drops start
I find a broken heart among my souvenirs
[JT] You like at.
23
Why should it be so lonely,
Why should I be so blue,
When another is taking to me,
The best life I knew.
She's taken the sunshine with her,
Leaving the clouds for me,
Why should I be so lonely,
When there's nobody lonesome for me.
Oh the violets are blue,
An downhearted too
The roses so sweet make me blue.
An it brings to my mind
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