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01
[HL] Efter he got married
he went there fur ???, or whatever.
[TM] This is Norrie?
[HL] An he's still there yet but he would jist
live in the house, I widna think he would work, maybe he works
but part-time in harvest ???, bit I widna like tae say, but
he'd be an interesting lad tae get in touch wi.
[TM] What's his first name again?
[HL] Gordon, Gordon Norrie, eh, he's a brither,
well he's two brithers in New Deer there, a good big family
o them. There's two brithers in New Deer and two an one sister
at least maybe two. I think that the other sister ??? I'm
nae jist quite sure there's quite a big family o them. They
were brocht up in a, well their father wis a miller,…a
meal miller, I canna min where, but then they come up tae
a croft at Belnagoak. An eh, I think there wis a family o
Crichtons up ere and I think their mither would hae been a
Crichton, one o them, I think, must hae got one o the crofts
or something an come tae live there.
[TM] So there were quite a few people who used
to sing or whistle or whatever.
[HL] Aye there wis a few aye. Christ I couldna
tell ye off hand, but…for one, an it includes some stories
an a' ye see? Oh there wis [laughs] jist some awfa stories
[laughs]. But now Jock ??? played the whistle, eh there wis
a boy used tae come fae somewey, I canna min where he come
fae, he played the mouth organ. I canna min who he wis, I
jist canna min. But he wis some local boy that came aroun
ken an they'd wid hae gotten him up tae hae a blast on the
mooth organ.
02
[TM] What about yourself,
when did you start to play?
[HL] Well I didna…really play at that time,
eh I bocht an aul melodeon fae somebody before I went tae
the army, but then when I went tae the army it wis kinna forgotten
about, but one time I wis home on leave an I says I'm taking
ma melodeon back wi me so I took it back when I went back
and I was stationed [pause] a wis stationed at [pause], it
wis on the border between Scotland and England.
[TM] Was that…the Otterburn camp?
[HL] Well, oh I canna min the name o that place,
it wis jist almost on the border of Scotland and England….
Then there wis that rumour bwe were gan abroad, we were gan
awa tae Africa. Oh, I says, I'll sell is thing, so I selt
it fur a fiver [laughs]. So it wis a lot o money, so I niver
got anither een till o, lang, lang efter at ???…. Maybe
when I come up tae Knaven second time. When I come back maybe
I'll try oot. I niver hid much time, ere wis aye ower much
work tae dee maybe on a Saturday nicht we'd hae a bit tunie
an but I niver hid much time, didna go oot aboot playing,
ye ken?
[TM] How did you learn?
[HL] Oh jist I dinna ken, I jist
[TM] Jist teaching yourself?
[HL] Teached masel, aye, oh aye, yes didna
[TM] Where would you pick up tunes?
[HL] Well you'd hear them on records, ye see,
and try an follow them, ken? We used tae buy quite a lot o
records. At with a' thing we bought in at Nethermuir shop,
they sold records an needles, gramophone needles, ye ken?…
He wis a lad fur the trade, ye see, he kent whit he wis aboot.
He said eh, by jees there's a richt new record come oot, I'll
pit it on and let ye hear it. So efter ye heard it, somebody's
sure tae buy it [laughs]. Oh aye, oh aye he wis a great lad
at; I wis jist speaking aboot him tae the aul cronies the
ither day and I said what a money he must hae made in that
shop, but he workit hard. He wis a shoemaker ye see, but he
sat and drove in tackits intae boots an repaired boots, but
he wis takin in bmoney a' the time ye ken, an he dealed wi
bikes, aye, I bocht a bike fae him an he hid…a richt
funny way when he wis selling ye a bike, he wid pit he's hand
on the back o his heid an he'd hae scraped his heid like is.
I'll pit it in tae you at sic-an-sic seeing its you [laugh].
It widna hae maittered wha it wis, it'd hae been still the
same story [laughs].
[TM] Yes.
[HL] Aye but see you could buy a bike at that
time for aboot a couple o poun or something. Oh aye, oh well
that aul days is a' gone. That shop is mair or less closed
noo aye, so I think.
[TM] Mm.
[HL] The petrol pumps, an a' thing, [I] used
tae run across the road and pit in petrol an intae cars but
I think it's a' [deen]. I hinna been up there fur goodness
knows the time. I think it's mair or less closed, is it?
03
[TM] Yeah…. So did you
ever play out and about with the accordion?
[HL] Aye well, some little functionies, ye ken,
maybe somebody asked ye, will ye come doon the nicht and tak
the box wi ye and hae a tunie. Eh as I say Norman Grieves,
noo he wis a lad fur that he would a said…whit aboot
coming up wi the box and we'll hae a tune. He played an a',
ye see, he played the mouth organ as well, aye some fine evenings
like, gies a tunie or twa and hae blethered awhile an hid
a laugh aboot it [laughs]. Ye ken, aye it wis great, but as
I say I niver really gaed oot, it's jist mair or less since
I come intae this area that started gaan oot I gaed oot wi
Arthur Campbell, ye ken, an Billy ??? ken him?
[TM] No I don't, I've no met him, no.
[HL] Hiv ye nae?… He's sometimes at the
club, but eh maybe he hisna been for awhile, maybe jist nae
happened tae be when you were there, ye ken?
[HL] What were those other two names you mentioned?
Box players in Longside here. You mentioned two others.
[HL] Oh aye, that's eh Ewan Rogue[?], he's the
mechanic at Cairngall farm. Oh he's away; he's a good player,
aye he plays in a three row box, aye. He's a good player that
Jimmy Hislop; he started playing the big ??? box. Then there
[are] a few lads that I know in Peterhead: Alan Morrison,…the
best player there is aroon, aye, the button accordion, aye,
the big button accordion, he plays. Well he plays piano accordion
as well but the button accordion, he's expert on it, jis difficult
tae get tae come oot like ye ken. Then it wis Ali Greg, but…he
disna play much noo. He's nae young either, ye see. They're
heavy at boxes, ye see. I mean, ye can rest em on yir knee,
richt enough, but they're heavy. Aye if ye wis playing a haill
evening it'd be lang enough. They used tae a' play in dance
bands, ye see, at boys. Oh aye aye, I wouldna say for Ewan
Rogue like, but Ewan, aye, he could gie ye a good tune. It's
a wonder ye've niver heard o him doon here.
[TM] I have to look him up.
[HL] Aye he's an awfa nice lad, awfa nice lad.
Ken when yer gan ootta Peterhead, pass the opening o the garage,
ken, the Cairngall garage, gaan oot towards Peterhead, oot
o here, and there's this bungalow jist facing ye on the corner.
He lives there, but is I say he works an awfa lot o overtime.
I think especially he keeps the tractor going. Ye see they
hiv a lot o, well, they've moss an athing, ye see, the tractor
fur the moss. He's a' that tae keep going, ye see, so he really's
fairly busy, like, but see his van, well I wis doon nicht
afore last I think I wis doon at Ali Greg and… [his]
van wis at the door that nicht, ye ken, and probably hame
tae his tea.
[TM] I'll have to look him up.
[HL] aye oh aye I coulda say if he's on the
phone or no but eh you if you go up and see him he's an awfa
fine lad he awfa ??? fine lad.
[TM] What sort of age is he?…
[HL] Well I would say he'd be thirty maybe,
aye aye, a young chap. He disnae belong tae this area; he
belongs like Fife or somewhere, work likely. Disna belong
up here, but I think he wis at Haddo House Estate before he
come here, so he's maybe been ower there fur awhile. No I
didna ken him till I met him at the folk club, ye see.
[TM] Do ye fancy giving the box a try?
[HL] Oh dae ye want ma tae play a tunie?
[TM] Yes if you want, that'd be great.
[accordion music]
[TM] What was that first one of bthose?…
[HL] Stornoway, the ither wis Rowan Tree. This
is Leavin o Lismore.
[accordion music]
[TM] You can try that one again.
[HL] Eh?
[TM] You can do that one again, Kirkwall Bay.
[HL] Kirkwall Bay, aye.
[accordion music]
[HL] Oh at's jist nae very good is't?
[TM] It's a nice tune though.
[HL] I aye forget, inclined tae fa ahin….
[accordion music]
[HL] Well did ye ken at een?
[TM] Yes, mhm.
[HL] Aye there's jist, I canna jist guarantee
that its affa perfect [laughs].
[accordion music]
[HL] That's Granny's Hielan Hame.
[TM] Mhm, it's very good.
[accordion music]
[New interview]
[TM] OK, on you go.
[moothie music]
[TM] Right, take two.
[moothie music]
[GM] Mhm.
[Mrs. M.] Puffin a bit, aren't ye?…
[GM] That wisna jist affa good.
[TM] What's the second one, second tune?…
[GM] Oh now I dinna ken. Well it's Willie McGuire,
again.
[TM] What were the first two again, the first
set you played…the waltz an
[Mrs. M.] Well, whit were the names o them?
[GM] Oh, em, the waltz wis the [Hielan Cradle
Song] and the ither een wis Willie McGuire's Compliments tae
Jimmy and John Milne.
[TM] Right.
[GM] That's a waltz and Strathspey. Come a'
Ye Tramps and Hawkers, I dinna ken if that's the richt name
o it or no.
[TM] Oh I think so.
[Mrs. M.] I think so, aye.
[GM] There's maybe anither name for't. The Banjo
Breakdown now, OK? That's it, OK?
[moothie music]
[GM] The first een be a march, probably a 6/8
march, eh, Kenny Gillies, Kenny Gillies o Portnalong, start
again.
[Mrs. M.] I think ye should jist tell em tae
Tom.
[TM] Mhm, or write them first and then tell
me what they are afterwards because if you don't know what's
going to happen yet
[GM] That wis like Auchtermuchty, min, I played
in this concert; I started, I telt them whit I wis going tae
play and then started somethin else.
[plays Jew's harp]
[GM] Now that wis Kenny Gillies o Portnalong
an I'll Aye Cry in by Yon Toon.
[TM] Mhm, very good.
[GM] I'll gie ye
[plays Jew's harp]
[GM] An eh that wis The Campbells are Coming
and Miss Forbes Farewell tae Banff….
20
[Gordon Easton: moothie music]
[GM] That's a' that I can dee….
[TM] Eh now where did you get that second version
of The Dying Ploughboy.
[GE] There's aye twa versions o it there wis
aye the twa eh take yer pick some hae ae tune some the ither
[TM] Mhm, haven't heard that one,
[GE] Ye've niver heard it?
[TM] I've never heard anybody singing it anyway.
[GE] Oh no, but eh that wis een o the recognised
tunes…. It's just completely different tempos, ye ken?
[TM] Do you know anything about the history
of that song?
[GE] Aye, but I would affa sweir tae, I'll tell
ye history but for God's sake I dinna think we should ging
furrer.
[GE] There wis a ??? hoose ye ken doon in the
den o ???.
[TM] Mhm
[GE] The big estate hoose, the ??? hoose and
there wis this eh, they hid a' their servants an athing and
this wis a lassie worked there kitchen maid or house maid
or something, I dinna ken, laandry maid maybe, bI don't know
but she wis an employee o the Ogilvy-Forbes at ???. And there
wis a chappie fae Aberdour courted her, ye ken, naturally,
fae Bonnyton Hill ferm, jist aboot a mile at this side o Aberdour….
There wisna mony bikes, that's a lang time ago [laughs]….
We a' used tae walk, I dinna ken whit it would hae been maybe
two and half mile, three mile maybe at the very maist and
he'd been seeing her a' nicht and he wis coming up. This hoose
wis in the middle o the den o Boyndie, ye see, if ye understand,
an…och the north avenue that he'd tae ging oot could
hae been three quarters o a mile, maybe, leading oot tae the
Boyndie side. The west side could hae been half a mile and
there wis een oot tae, ye ken, [it] comes oot ontae the road
doon by the school at Tyrie. There's three avenues intae the
hoose…. Twas the north avenue that he wis going oot,
could hae bin almost three quarters o a mile throu trees,
ye ken, he wis walking hame and there wis somebody jumped
oot on him wi a sheet ower their heid, scart him and possibly
made a soun, I dinna ken aboot at. An he got a helluva scare
and he took off, ye see, and he run a' the wey hame tae Bonnyton
Hill. Well he'd overreached himsel and he niver courted at
aat's true and he wis bedded…and well, obviously, intae
his hairt and possibly blood vessels, I dinna ken. That's
whit he says in the sang, ye see? No no, it's absolutely true
an is is a lad that hid a grudge at this loon. In fact there
micht hae been jealousy so at's as far as I'm going tae go
wi it [snorts].
[TM] So who, who made the song. Oh it wis the
Reverend Calder fae Glenlivet that composed it. Was he around
here?
[GE] He must hae been a native afore he kent
so much aboot it or he hid relations doon this airt.
[TM] Do know when it would have been, like 1870
or something like that?
[GE] Well Ord's book would tell ye, I imagine,
but I dinna ken noo. No I winna say oh no it's since at time.
Mhm. I dinna ken, start o the century sometime. 120 year ago,
it would be aboot the start o the century possibly….
At's a guess but could be aboot it uh huh…. The man died
here wi the son o the man that wis supposed tae and he wis
eighty-six, eighty-seven , his father, ye see thirty years
ontae that, at least 80-110 well that's jist roon aboot it
.
[TM] Mhm. So what was his name, the son's name?
[GE] The son o this man, I'm nae going tae tell
ye that, no, ye ken? Mr Burnie, we wis at a, oh I dinna ken
whaur the divil we wis, we wis amon aul folk onywey, aye good
company. [Someone] there wis singing The Dying Ploughboy.
We wis jist discussing't going up in the car and I said. Well,
he said, aye tell them the story, certainly if you wish,…but
ye shouldnae mention names, ye see, because there wis still
some, at that time there wis aye some o the relations alive,
ye see, and there still is yet of course. A disgrace at, ye
see? Oh well, no, I suppose no, but eh it's just something
I dinna think this man wis niver.
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