People and Songs of the Sea – a homecoming Shona McMillan continues her story. he brightly coloured painting by acclaimed artist John Bellany CBE, RA shows fishing boats at anchor in Port Seton. His mother from Eyemouth, in 1942, John was born in Port Seton and worked from there as a fisherman before going to Edinburgh College of Art in the sixties. East Lothian’s first Freeman, his work hangs throughout the county, in UK National Galleries, the Tate Britain, New York’s Metropolitan Museum and Museum of Modern Art. Influential on his work have been his connections to fishing and the Eyemouth disaster, when 189 fishermen died. Today, with houses around the world, John has never forgotten his Port Seton home.
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‘Home’ – a position on a map or an intangible place held deep in the heart? Descended from the Thorburn fishing family of Fisherrow, I worked here and abroad before moving to Inverness to set up the cultural initiative Highland 2007. In a house with stunning views of the Moray Firth and Inverness, in my heart I missed the East Lothian coastline I had seen from my Edinburgh home. Then, on a journey back to see my mum, I had an overpowering urge to return. Fisherrow seemed too great a pull for objective thought so, I drove to Port Seton. From the area in Bellany’s painting I watched the boats, like a rainbow of colour.
As I had known before I left, my next trip to the harbour was a local one. Chatting to some fishermen I told them, on my mum’s 80th birthday, I’d given a promise to do a project to celebrate the fishing and – they could be my first models! Amidst great banter, I took their photos. A year later, how much had changed. Again by the harbour, my thoughts were interrupted – ‘Suranne, come back!’ Running towards me a toddler gushed out a stream of questions: ‘Who are you? Why are you here? Are you sad’? Catching up, grandfather ‘Bobo’, retired skipper Robert Johnston, recognised me as ‘the lass who took the photos’. He had seen East Lothian Life, Port Seton on the cover and read my ‘People of the Sea’ article on the 1881 Eyemouth disaster and my mum’s fishing family. Sparked by my cover photo, I told him how I’d heard of my parents’ first date to see the boats and watch the sunset at the harbour. A relationship of over 50 years but my mumhaving just lost a fight against cancer. Taking a moment, Suranne asked ‘If your mummy’s gone to heaven, could we be friends?’. Before I left, I promised I’d be back and take her photo. Hundreds of fishing photos later, at the invitation of the local library, my first exhibition was launched, 60 displays to coincide with the 60th Gala of Port Seton and Cockenzie. But, as Suranne pointed out there was no photo of her and Shona! The next day my Exhibition, became 61!
Local fishermen attended my launch but Port Seton is a tidal harbour so, they had to leave for sea before the night ended – with songs, pipes, guitar and fiddle tunes. 800 visited over the next three weeks and so many talked of the photos and music. My idea for People and Songs of the Sea grew. With fishing in decline, at my age, I wanted Suranne to be able to say ‘my community was part of this album, there are our photos and the booklet tells the story of Scotland’s fishing’. I wanted to create an archive of music and songs to reflect many aspects of the culture: fishermen, fishwives, herring, whaling, trawling and the fisher folk community.
Left to right: Port Seton harbour at sunset, Bobo and Drifter the Reaper, Postcard showing Fisherrow fishwives, Tern enters Port Seton, Picking prawns on the Janreen. EAST LOTHIAN LIFE 32
Port Seton by John Bellany.
So it began, my one-woman goal to take photos and present 14 exhibitions along the coast. And, together, with Greentrax Recordings, I wanted to produce a compilation album. A demanding schedule for a May 2009 launch but, the date driven by the birthday promise I had given to my mum that I would ‘do something to celebrate the fishing’. In Cockenzie and Port Seton, Church of Scotland hall, the launch was a most memorable evening. Fishermen’s group the Podlies joined us from Eyemouth and I played the fiddle. Harbour Lights sang the Boattie Rows. Boys of the Lough Cathal McConnell played flute, Davy Robertson and Deirdre McManahon sang and Ronnie Browne of the Corries delighted everyone with a tremendously funny song. And, entering into that community spirit of it all, Greentrax gave a free CD to every fisher person involved. For all my work and costs, I had no grant. Over 5 council boundaries, my exhibitions did not meet funding criteria.
A compilation CD financed by Greentrax, sales revenue is not mine. In addition, inviting 100 fisher folk to sing Will Your Anchor Hold, these royalties return to fishing charities. The costs I have incurred and the work I have produced I did for free. From generations of fisher folk, I felt driven to create a lasting legacy project. In October 2009, when I put up my exhibition in Eyemouth (coinciding with the fishing disaster, the one my great-grandfather had survived) it was an emotional moment to learn that over 10,000 had visited my exhibitions. Then, winning 2010 Album of the Year, hearing ‘my’ fisher folk in Cockenzie singing from Chicago over Liveireland radio, these are my rewards! Heritage from our fishing communities, now celebrated so very far from our shores. And, from all that world wide publicity, unforeseen events for myself. Contacted by Eileen Ailman, who had emigrated to Canada, discovering we are cousins. Meeting more Thorburns,’ seeing our huge Fisherrow family Bible with many generations of names written in it. Most amazing of all, scholar Bob Walser sending me recordings from Washington Library of Congress.
Hearing my great-grandfather singing at home in Fisherrow in 1928 to an American folklorist visiting Scotland. A small country, our influence on maritime history has been enormous. The 189 who perished at Eyemouth – how would they and their children have shaped the world? But for my great-grandfather surviving that terrible storm, my grandfather, my mother and myself would never have been born. Across the years, miles and world wide web today – the fishing community is still embracing the people and children of the sea. A Chicago newspaper wrote: ‘People and Songs of the Sea’ not ‘just’ a Scottish album but an album of the world’s seas and the brave men and women who live by it and on it, a masterpiece.’ Like Bellany’s painting, inspired by his home, People and Songs of the Sea is a homecoming. Not to geographical places identified with a name but it is an inward homecoming journey that is made to the intangible places in the heart, mind and soul. Those places that we visit when we think of home and reflect on memories and cherished connections between family, friends and community.
Eileen Ailman’s grandmother Marion Craig (nee Hamilton) second from the left.
All photographs ©Shona McMillan. EAST LOTHIAN LIFE 33
Looking over Portobello to East Lothian’s coast. ©Shona McMillan.
The first 11 of the album’s 21 tracks: Farewell Tae The Haven – written by local man and family friend Davy Steele, performed by him with Ceolbeg. My granda’ often walking to Morrison’s Haven to watch the sunset behind Fisherrow. The harbour eventually silting up with muddy water from local pits. Coal fields mined by my granda’ when forced to find employment other than fishing (fishing stock problems exacerbated by coal pit pollution?) Fisherman’s Wife – Heather Heywood reflecting the woman’s worry for the safety of those out at sea. Keepers - The McCalmans sing of the men in the incredible works of engineering constructed by the father of Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote:
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Shona’s great-grandfather Watson, RNLI collecting. ©Shona McMillan.
“When lights come out at sundown, along the shores of Scotland, I am proud to think they burn more brightly for the genius of my father. Song For Cove – written and performed by The Cast, marking the 125 anniversary of a hurricane hitting Scotland’s east coast. The rocky coast at Cove and Eyemouth, preventing fishermen getting boats to safety. The Final Trawl – Archie Fisher MBE capturing the fisherman’s pain and sadness for a lost way of life. Badaí na Scadán – Gerry and Donal O’Connor in a Donegal father’s lament for his sons on a lost Herring boat. Many Irish followed the Herring to Scotland. Aberlady Bay – Local fisher folk Harbour Lights singing about East Lothian’s coast from the sea.
Fisherrow – myself singing a song sung at the launch of my first ever exhibition. Isle of May – Cilla Fisher delivers a song by Matt Armour from the Fife side of the Forth. Matt, a friend of my mum’s, often asked to sing his song about the large Island in the Firth of Forth. Shoals of Herring – My great-grandfather followed the Herring. Here, one of the first songs I learnt from The Corries. Written by Ewan MacColl for a sixties radio series “Singing the Fishing”. Bonnie Ship The Diamond sung by Blackeyed Biddy – Fishermen from Leith, Cockenzie, Port Seton and Eyemouth went to the whaling and, for a period in the 18th century, Dunbar was Scotland’s second whaling port. http://www.shonamcmcmillan.co.uk
by Craig Pritchett Suitably inspired by the backdrop, Scotland played well. All four boards in our team scored above their nominal international ratings to secure a share of 6th – 12th places (10th on a tie-break) out of 78 teams. Russia took first place, followed by Switzerland, led by Viktor Korchnoi, second, and Finland, third.
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East Lothian’s contingent in the Scottish team scored 10.5/18 towards a total 21.5 board points. Here is my explosive win against the “second” Russian team in the event, played on the top board.
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White: C Pritchett (Scotland) Black: N Mishuchkov (St Petersburg)
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Euro Seniors Teams, Dresden 2010, Rd 2 Reti Opening 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 c5 4.Bxc4 Nc6 5.0–0 e6 6.Re1 Nf6 7.e5 Nd7 8.Nc3 Be7 9.Qe2 a6 10.Qe4 Qc7 11.Bb3 g6?!
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White’s 9th and 10th moves aimed to shift his queen into early, softeningup, kingside action. This risky response loses time and raises the prospect of a dangerous gambit-based attack on Black’s weakened kingside dark squares. Black had to try 11...b5.
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12.d3 b5 13.Bg5 Bb7!?
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I thought Black probably couldn’t survive after 13...Bxg5 14.Nxg5 Ndxe5 15.f4, but it may not be entirely clear after 15...Ng4, although 16.Nd5 probably still causes some difficult problems.
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14.Qh4 Bxg5 15.Nxg5!
Scotland’s “Schach-Oldies” in Dresden I first played for a Scottish national team, at junior level, in the 1960s. Nine full chess Olympiads on, over the years, and I find myself lucky enough now to play for Scotland, at a third international level, in the seniors’ game. Last February, I joined Gullane’s Alastair White, in Scotland’s four player team at the 2010 Open European Seniors Team Championship, held in Dresden. It was very cold and snowy, but that only enhanced the splendid baroque architectural and cultural setting.
Now White threatens 16.Nxh7, followed by 17.Nf6+, revealing an attack on Black’s rook on h8, and Black may be lost. Black’s reply allows a winning sacrifice, catching Black’s king in the centre. But 15...Ncxe5 16.f4 also looks strong, or if 15...Ndxe5 16.Nxh7 Qd8 17.Nf6+ Ke7 18.Ng8+. 15...h6?! 16.Bxe6! fxe6 17.Nxe6 Qc8 Now White gets both knights crushingly to the sixth rank. But 17...Qb8 18.Nd5 Kf7 19.Nec7 was no better. Black’s king simply has too few defenders. 18.Ne4 Qb8 19.Nd6+ Black resigns (See Diagram)
EAST LOTHIAN LIFE 34