I would like to start this month’s letter with a very big ‘well done’ to Manny Willis and Scott MacGregor for all the work they did in planning the Alexandria bus trip. The trip was a huge success. I, unfortunately, was forced to miss this function due to work conflicts, but my heart was with you all.

We had a very enjoyable and successful Christmas Social and Silent Auction. We raised over $400.00. The was a great abundance of good food supplied by our members that was enjoyed by all. I would like to thank all those who helped put it on.

This edition of the Thistledown presents very important proposed changes to the Society’s Bylaws for you to review. Please take the time to read these proposed changes. They will be voted on at the annual general meeting in March. Carolyn Barkley and the Bylaws Review Committee (Rita Hamilton, Mike Lawler, John Wallace, and Dave Montgomery) worked hard to present an excellent document with proposed changes that will greatly enhance the functioning of this Society. Additionally, the AGM will also be the meeting at which we will elect new officers and three members of the Board of Directors. If you are interested in running for any of these positions, please contact Mark Butler and let him know of your intentions. The proposed slate will be sent to you in a separate mailing by the first of February.

The Society grows and moves forward on the active participation and creativity of our members. Members who are willing to commit themselves to working for the betterment of the Society and our Scottish community are eagerly solicited to serve. Don’t have the time to commit to serving on the Board? There are many Committee’s that you can serve on or even chair. Please keep in mind, service on a board is a commitment to the Scottish Society and to the community. It is a commitment of time and accountability, one that can be very rewarding in seeing the plans, programs, and activities that we work on together come to together for all to enjoy.

Speaking of planning activities, we are well on our way to finalizing our annual Tartan Day Festival. We will need members who can help in decorating and setting up.

Finally, I hop that you have placed your reservations for the Burns Nicht Supper presented by the St. Andrew’s Society. I look forward to tasting some good haggis with single malt sauce. I’m not sure if it’s the haggis or the sauce that I like best. See you there.

Yours aye,
Larry

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It was about 8pm on Saturday, December 7th, when smoke detectors in buildings around the Cowgate in Edinburgh’s Old Town began to indicate the presence of a fire somewhere in the warren of buildings set into the side of the valley spanned by South Bridge. Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade took the first call, to a fire in Hastie’s Close off Guthrie Street, the winding road leading down from Chambers Street to the Cowgate, at 8:13pm. The indication from the caller was that the fire appeared to have started on the first floor of the building above a nightclub. Even as firemen searched for the source of the smoke, the fire was spreading, working its way up old ventilation shafts and outwards in all directions as it sped through long-forgotten rooms in the heart of the block, heading towards the roof. Firefighters began pouring into the area as the flames punched through the roof and leapt into the night sky.

Six fire crews were called out and within an hour or so more were called in to help tackle the blaze as it continued to spread. As the fire ran out of control, more than 100 residents were evacuated, an and 10 buildings were damaged. Crews tied up seven water mains to try to get enough water and employed all four giant hydraulic ladder platforms owned by the Lothian and Borders Brigade as well as another borrowed from Fife. Fire crews were quick to point out that if their planned strike had gone ahead, army crews who would have been their replacements, would not have had use of the platforms leaving the fire to leap the Cowgate and race through the tenements on the other side, leading to the Royal Mile.

The determined efforts of over 19 fire crews from Lothian and Borders and Fife finally contained the fire. Strathclyde Fire Brigade provided cover for the rest of the Lothian and Borders area. In addition to residential property, pubs and other entertainment center, the fire destroyed the Gilded Balloon, best known as a comedy venue during the Edinburgh Fringe, a part of the annual international festival, as well as Edinburgh University’s computer science and artificial intelligence library, although it was believed that all research had been backed up and thus survived.

During the fire, many feared for Adams House, one of the more significant constructions in the area. Adams House sits on the site of famed architect William Adam’s home and sits on the site of Adam Square, demolished to make way for South Bridge and Chambers Street. It was the first post-war building completed for Edinburgh University and designed by Sir William Kininmonth. It survived the fire, although damaged by smoke and water. In the end, flames have forever changed the face of the Cowgate, or Cow-gait, which was the route traditionally taken by cows from St. Cuthbert’s Meadows to the St. Leonard’s pastures.

UNESCO designated the medieval Old Town a World Heritage Site in 1995, paying tribute to its ‘many buildings of great significance’. Dominated by the castle, it is a warren of business and residential premises set between bridges and climbing steeply up the side of the crag towards the Royal Mile. The Old Town also includes the previously independent burgh of the Canongate, which was home to Edinburgh’s nobility.

Many of the city’s most important families also had property in the Cowgate, which runs beneath South Bridge, but by the late 18th century, the area was in decline as the wealthier residents succumbed to the attractions of the New Town and moved across Princes Street. For a couple of centuries, the Cowgate remained an unattractive address favored by those who could not afford anything better. As such it was the site of some of Europe’s worst slums. Each seven-story building housed at least 250 people and the area was plagued by crime and disease. Murderers Burke and Hare would hunt for live victims nearby-with up to 12 of their 16 victims living in the Cowgate. In recent years, however, it has seen something of a revival in its fortunes, becoming a popular entertainment destination.

Along from the Cowgate is the Grassmarket, a bustling area with a number of bars, cafes, and restaurants which is mentioned as a trading area in records dating back to 1477. As well as being of economic important to the city, the Old Town is also home to almost 8,000 people. Over the past decade, many properties have been refurbished and new homes built in keeping with the surroundings. The Old Town was the home of the Scottish Parliament until the Union with England in 1707 and was the home of the law courts, learning and commerce.

Update:

A December 11th report on the Cowgate fie indicated that police forensic experts believe the Old Town fire may have been caused by an electrical fault and that a faulty fuse box started the blaze. A senior police source said: ‘Initial examination has failed to reveal anything that would indicate any kind of crime’. One seven-story building on South Bridge is understood to be in a state of near collapse and must be taken down immediately. Another building on the Cowgate, adjacent to Wilkie House, is being demolished because it is unstable. The first priority for demolition is the building in South Bridge between the Bridge Jazz Bar and the Aroma Coffee Bar. Demolition experts will be taken up on a hydraulic platform, where they will take down the building brick by brick. Masonry which is architecturally important will be retained including the façade of the C-listed Victorian building. On the Cowgate, similar tactics will be employed on the gable end to the left of Wilkie House.

Wilkie House is an A-listed building and will be carefully preserved. It had just completed a £1 million refurbishment to become the Faith pub. By demolishing the gable end of the unstable next door building, experts hope to remove the risk of it collapsing on Wilkie House.

Planning efforts are underway to recover from the fire. Big names from the world of comedy have lined up for a benefit concert at London’s Piccadilly Theatre on January 19th to help the famous Gilded Balloon club

Al Cowan thanks all of the Scottish Society members for their prayers, thoughts, cards, and calls at the recent death of his brother, Ronald.

At this time of my sadness, it is very comforting to know of your concerns. I will truly miss him in the coming days ahead as he was a special part of me and always will be.

Again, I cherish all of you for your support and prayers.

Thank you all so much. Al

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The new Sunshine Chair is Nancy Weller (757-428-1259 or nweller6@aol.com). Please send her any requests for cards, etc., for Society members who are sick, have a death in the family, etc.

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Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ross (Karen) - Clan: Pollack

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The Tidewater Pipes & Drums continues to improve its standing in the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA). The band finished the 2002 season - its first since being upgraded from Grade 5 - ranked 10th out of 55 Grade 4 bands in the EUSPBA, which includes bands from Georgia to Maine.

The band “bookended” the season by winning its first and last competitions: the Celtic Festival of Southern Maryland in April and the Richmond Highland Games & Celtic Festival in October. It also placed fourth out of eight bands at the Virginia Scottish Games; fifth out of nine bands at the Anne Arundel Scottish Festival and Highland Games; and seventh out of 14 bands at the Colonial Highland Gathering. The band’s drum corps, led by Drum Sergeant Bob Habib, placed first at Southern Maryland and Richmond.

Several of the band’s members finished with rankings in the solo standings: Scott Alexander finished eighth out of 46 Amateur Bass drummers; Bethany Cecere finished eighth out of 39 Novice tenor drummers; Jim Roberts finished sixth out of 89 Grade 2 pipers; and Blake Sage finished eighth out of 49 Grade 5 practice chanter players.

Band members Megan Amorosi (Grade 3), Glenn Kelso (Grade 4) and Brian Smith (Grade 4) all earned medals in competition but did not finish in the overall standings.

Of course, the season started off on a sad note when band member Brendan “Ben” Boyle passed away at the age of 37, leaving behind a wife and three children. Band members wore memorial armbands in Boyle’s honor for the remainder of the calendar year.

The band is already hard at work for the 2003 season, learning new tunes and training new pipers and drummers, who joined the band in droves in 2002.

In addition to its regularly scheduled competitions and performances, the band is planning to host the first-ever Amateur Solo Piping Competition in conjunction with the Scottish Society of Tidewater’s Tartan Day festival on April 5. The band may also host a concert to raise funds for Norfolk Fire & Paramedical Services (NFPS), which donates the band’s practice location, Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Norfolk. (The band presented a concert with England’s Band of the Hampshire Constabulary in 2002, raising several hundred dollars for Kellam High School’s Teacher’s Welfare Fund.)

For more information about the band, contact Pipe Major Jim Roberts at 623-4262 or visit http://tpandd.exis.net/ on the Internet.

The Virginia Arts Festival presents the Band of the Grenadier Guards and the Scots Highlanders at Chrysler Hall, Norfolk on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 8:00pm. Tickets are currently available at Ticketmaster locations or on at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices are $35.00, $25.00 and $18.00.

The Grenadier Guards is a band inclusive of pipes, drums and highland dancers from the Scots Highlanders. They are stationed in Wellington Barracks, London, near Buckingham Palace, and have toured around the world. Some of their ceremonial duties include the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the daily Mounting of the Queen’s Guard in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, and at Windsor Castle, investitures, and state banquets.

A hearty bunch of Society members rose early on the dark and cold morning of December 7th to catch the Society’s inaugural bus trip to Northern Virginia for the annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk. Much fun was had being able to mingle with others without worry about the road conditions. We were about split evenly between those who wore their kilts and those who changed along the way. That was quite an adventure trying to change into the kilt in the narrow aisle way of a moving bus, but I’d do it again.

On arrival in Northern Virginia, the picturesque beauty of the snow-covered ground heightened everyone’s spirits for the holiday season. While the Scottish Society always has a physical presence in the parade each year, our great numbers this year made everyone take notice. Afterwards almost everyone ventured to Murphy’s Pub for lunch and a social good time before heading their own ways to stroll and shop throughout the Olde Towne area. We all gathered for one last picture on the steps of Market Square before climbing on the bus for the return trip home. While many were exhausted and welcomed the opportunity to sit and catch a little shut-eye, others were still going with the beer, spirits and munchies. Still others quietly enjoyed the video that was playing.

From all the talk since the trip, it sounds as if next year’s bus is already half-full, so you better act promptly when the trip is announced if you hope to get a seat.

Editors Note: Pictures from the trip can be found on our pictures page. Click Here

This article concludes the account of Lynnette’s trip to Nova Scotia begun in the September/October issue of the Thistledown.

Driving into Halifax was a little dicey at first, especially since it was dusk & an unfamiliar place and my eyesight isn’t the greatest! But it really isn’t that big of a place, and once you get your bearings you can get around town no problem. We were staying at Shirreff Hall, a dorm at Dalhousie University (http://www.dal.ca/confserv). It cost about $60 Canadian per night for a room with 2 single beds. We were a bit dismayed to learn there was no AC and that we’d have to go down the hall to one room for shared toilets and down to another room for shared showers. Next time I think I will look into the relative cost of a B&B. But our dorm room was clean and did have a sink and mirror in it, and breakfast was included in the rate, even though we didn’t eat it. And the guy who checked us in was REALLY cute as well, so we were appeased!

Early the next morning we began our real sightseeing in Halifax. First stop was the Public Gardens, which are free and open during daylight. The Public Gardens are lovely and jam-packed with all kinds of Victorian ornamentation like gazebos for concerts, statues, bridges, fountains, etc. There is a canteen in case you care to purchase some refreshments, and there are plenty of benches so you can sit and relax. Kilted pipers wander around adding a Scottish flavor, and water fowl abound as well. My favorite monument there was to Sir Walter Scott.

Next stop on our route was the Citadel, a fortress currently occupied by the 78th Highlanders, who look most dashing in their uniforms. Ah, it was a grand thing to be surrounded by so many good looking guys in kilts!!! Now THAT is the kind of man in uniform I could really go for!!! Ladies, trust me - do NOT miss this! It is anything but a boring military site. There is a good gift shop inside, although I have to say I thought the military posters were excessively overpriced. You can also visit a Canadian regiment museum, a tea shop, barracks, and various other exhibits set up around the interior. Visitors can climb steps to look over the ramparts out to spectacular views of the city and harbor. Every day at noon there is a special ceremony involving pipes and drums where they shoot off a big cannon - not sure why! And the changing of the guard is fun to watch as well. The soldiers are actually very friendly and happy to talk to you. My favorite part, besides all the eye candy, was an excellent audio-visual presentation consisting of four films telling the history of the Citadel. This film pointed out something I already knew - that Nova Scotia probably would have been our 14th State after the American Revolution EXCEPT for the stronghold that the Halifax Citadel gave the British. The Citadel provides a thorough defense of the Halifax harbor, and it has served as the main British naval station in North America. The Citadel is a National Historic Site of Canada, so you can purchase a special pass there that will let you get in to all of the other sites that are members. That is a good deal because it covers your admission to the site you buy it at as well as all other member sites. And it lasts a whole year.

We next popped in to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, but the folk art wasn’t doing it for me, so we cut that short. Out on the docks, a buskers festival was taking place. We grabbed some fries and vinegar and bottled water from a vendor and fortified ourselves for the rest of our exploring. Had we more time and money, a harbor cruise might have been nice, but we skipped that in favor of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. My brain and feet were a little too tired to do it justice, I am afraid, but I am glad we went because I did get a lot out of the Halifax Explosion exhibit and film. I had never heard of the Halifax Explosion before, but it was the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It was an accident, though; December of 1917, two foreign ships collided in the Halifax harbor, and one of them was packed to the gills with explosive waiting to be escorted to Europe for use in WWI. A fire broke out on board and couldn’t be stopped; it eventually ignited the explosives, and the destruction that ensued was absolutely appalling. Over 2,000 people died, often entire families. Street after street, block after block was destroyed. It was like the Twin Towers, only sideways instead of up and down. One girl was running toward the harbor to see the fire; the explosion picked her up and dropped her down way far away, covered in soot. Everyone else in her family had been in the house, and they all died. The city was just decimated. Trains couldn’t get in with supplies and doctors to help because the tracks had been blown away. And the snow hit hard. It was horrible. But lots of people did pull together to try to help Halifax out. One of the New England states (I want to say Maine, but I am not sure) sent up a whole lot of supplies, especially for new housing. And the city of Boston helped them rebuild in some way; as thanks, each year Halifax sends Boston a Christmas tree. I think that is so nice. But I can’t believe I never learned about this major catastrophe anywhere before. Shocking.

To cheer ourselves up, we next headed for Alexander Keith’s brewery. Keith’s is a well known Nova Scotia brewery - sort of to Halifax what the Guinness factory is to Dublin. They do a tour of the brewery culminating in a pub visit with lots of singing and drinking. You can’t get into the Keith’s Stag’s Head tavern without going on the tour. They also have an outstanding gift shop. You CAN get into the gift shop without going on the tour.

Our final stop of the day was an Irish pub, The Old Triangle, that I assume was named after the song “The Auld Triangle” from the Irish play The Quare Fellow by Brendan Behan. We had excellent meals accompanied by live maritime tunes. We were having so much fun that we stayed well into the evening trying out pints of all the local beers! Thanks to Shane, a cute local, for keeping us company. No thanks to having to hear John Denver songs every time someone finds out we are from the state of Virginia. It is amazing how people in other countries don’t understand the distinction between Virginia, the genteel mother of presidents, and West Virginia, Deliverance country!

Bright and early the next morning we checked out of our dorm and headed for Cape Breton. Even though Cape Breton is east of Halifax, we had to cut north then east to get on the major roads. It looks longer on a map, but that actually saved us time because we avoided the slow, twisty, single lane coastal route. Our plan was to stop in Iona to visit the Highland Village Museum before continuing on to the Gaelic College to check in.

The Highland Village Museum is well worth the visit. They have recreated the experience of Scottish immigrants to Nova Scotia. The Village is in a GORGEOUS setting, atop a wooded hill overlooking a beautiful system of lakes. You start off by viewing a video presentation about the community of Scottish immigrants and the museum itself. Then you follow a mapped out route that starts you off at a sod-roofed, stone-walled, dirt-floored house of the type the Scots would have inhabited back in Barra, Scotland. Each building you visit on the route becomes more and more modern and comfortable as the immigrants became more successful and as society became more technologically advanced. You learn about the skills the men and women needed for survival: farming, clearing land, spinning and weaving, making dairy products, etc. Life then was hard and very demanding. The buildings in the Village are original and have been relocated from various sites and returned to their earliest condition with all authentic parts and details. Livestock as well as costumed docents wander around; I about had a heart attack walking into the first house and realizing live people were sitting in it! There is an excellent gift shop near the entrance, and there is also an outdoor stage next door for special events and concerts. If you can, time your visit to coincide with the Barraman’s Feast in mid-summer. This week long festival commemorates the Scottish pioneers’ friendly meeting with the local native tribe, where they shared a meal, similar to what American Thanksgiving is supposed to be based on. Many settlers in the Cape Breton Iona area were originally from the isle of Barra in the Scottish Hebrides, hence the name of the Barraman’s Feast.

Ingredients:
Cake:
      6 oz. self-rising flour
      6 oz. butter
      6 oz. soft brown sugar
      3 eggs beaten
      4 tablespoons whisky
      Grated rind of a small orange

Butter icing:
      6 oz. icing sugar
      2 oz. butter
      2 tablespoons clear honey
      Juice from the small orange
      Toasted flaked almonds to decorate

Grease two 7 inch sandwich tins. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add the orange rind. Beat in the eggs one at a time and whisk until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Sift in about half the flour and add the whisky. Fold into the mixture. Sift in the remaining flour and fold in. Divide the mixture equally between the two tins and smooth the tops. Set oven to 375° F. and bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool.

To make the icing, put the butter into a mixing bowl. Add the honey and one tablespoon of the orange juice. Sift in the icing sugar slowly and work the mixture gradually until the ingredients are combined. Sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream. Smooth the remainder over the top of the cake and decorate with toasted almonds.