The Port Glasgow Mermaid

artwork by Katie Stevenson

 

In September 2015, Mhairi spent the week working with Katie Stevenson, a pupil from Clydeview Academy who joined us on work experience. We gave Katie a couple of tasks to choose from, and she rose to the challenge of providing us with some specially created illustrations for the story of the Port Glasgow Mermaid...


There was a merchant from Dumbarton. It happened that the merchant and his crew left the rock, and had been at sea for a long long time when they sailed straight into a storm. The boat was wrecked, and the crew all drowned, except for the good merchant, who found himself washed ashore on an island. He wandered around for a time, looking for food and somewhere he could shelter, and he came across a little hollow by the shore. Being altogether shaken and tired from his ordeal, he lay down on the rock and fell instantly asleep. When he woke, there was a mermaid beside him, and thereafter she came to the cave everyday to sing to the merchant, and to bring him provisions. Not only food, but gold, silver and jewels."

A year passed and then one day, when the mermaid was away, a ship passed by the island. The Merchant hailed the ship, and the vessel spied him, and sent a boat ashore. And the merchant told them all about his shipwreck and the mermaid and his gold and silver and jewels. The crew of the boat explained that they were outward bound, but suggested that if the Merchant gathered together a sizeable booty, then they would come again in a year and a day to take him home.

So a year and a day passed, and everyday the lovesick mermaid brought more food and wine and treasure to the Merchant. And at the appointed time, the ship again dropped anchor by the island. Again the mermaid was away, and again a boat came ashore. The merchant and the crew made quick despatch to get all the stores on board before the mermaid returned.

The ship set sail, but the mermaid returned to her cave, found it herried, and angrily she swam after the ship, overtook it, and demanded that her husband and her stores be returned. Now the skipper, was a canny man, so he cast off a bundle of hoops and he agreed to hand over her man and her stores only if the mermaid could count the hoops. This she did and she then repeated her demands. But the skipper cast off another set of hoops again and again and again until they reached Gourock. The Captain had a lot of hoops.

The Dumbarton merchant, set foot again on dry land at Gourock, and refused to go with the mermaid. And she pleaded with him to return to their cave where they had spent so many happy days. But he refused again, so the Mermaid gave to him the baby she had borne him, demanding that he give it a good home with all the gold and silver he had stolen from her. She then gave the merchant a book which he was instructed not to let the child see til he was full grown.

The child grew and took up residence in the old castle of Ardrossan, taking the name Michael Scott, later more commonly known as The Devil of Ardrossan. It was by the means of his mother's book that he commanded the foul thief, that imp who carried out his every dark request. And the very first command given to this devil was to rid Michael of his own father, the merchant. You could hear his screaming all the way to Ireland.

The mermaid meantime, befriended the great serpent Clutha of the Clyde, and she lives in the waters to this day. She pops her head out of the water now and then for to sing a wee song. She might even tell your fortune, depending on your luck.

Artwork by Katie Stevenson

 

This is just one of the stories associated with the Port's own mermaid. Earlier in September, a version of this story was shared with pupils from Newark Primary School Port Glasgow, as they explored the new coastal trail as part of the Heritage Inverclyde - A Quest For Learning project.

 

Another mermaid story goes that over a hundred years ago, the funeral procession of a young girl, taken long before her time, passed along the riverside on its way past the Newark castle on route to the old church. The Mermaid appeared out of the water and sang

"If she drank nettles in March
And mugwort in May
Sae many braw maidens
Wadna gang to the clay."

The Mermaid also makes an appearance in our book Wee Nasties, which you can read for free online on scribd or ibooks. She will also be appearing in our forthcoming title Rowan Tree Legion.

 

We'd like to thank Katie again for spending some time with us, a reminder that there is lots of talent in the town. In fact, an excellent new facebook page, Inverclyde Young Artists, is showcasing just that.

Galoshans Are Go

Haunted Air

It's your two week warning for essential folk play preparations!

This year, Inverclyde is actually having a whole Galoshans Festival, with all sorts of weird, wonderful and unusual stuff going on in and around the town. Check out the programme. We'll be along at The Dutch Gable House during the weekend.

And once you've had fun at the festival, be sure to be Going Galoshans and performing your own version of the traditional play which has inspired the festival....

Read and download The Galoshans Play for free via Scribd

And you must check out the Guising and Galoshans resource pack from the lovely folk at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which has scripts, songs and games for you to use.


For other Halloween and Galoshans related fun...

See a version of the play recorded in The Dutch Gable House for Inverclyde TV...

Read about Greenock's other Halloween Traditions


Listen to our popular spooky tale Malkie and The Bogle....




Enjoy an illustrated reading of The Ballad of Auld Dunrod...




And finally, below is a wee sinister glimpse of Andy Lee's reimagining of the traditional play characters for a folk horror comic based on the play, which is in development at the moment...

Tin Jimmy - Comic Strip

 

Tin Jimmy lives on the Stramashed blog usually, but we're sharing this wee 1950s comic page from Seagull as it shows Jimmy rescuing a train on the Nine Arches, entirely inspired by the photo below and a stroll along the cycle track...

 

 



Tales of the Oak Launch - Doors Open Day

We've been working on our Tales of the Oak comic for almost a year now, and we're really pleased to say it's finally away to the printers and will be available exclusively at the Dutch Gable House on Doors Open Weekend, 14th and 15th September. 64 fully illustrated pages of local terror featuring shambling tunnel dwellers, cursed hiflats, ghost pirates, zombies and evil cultists. Oh, did we mention that it's FREE.

Tales of the Oak is funded by Heritage Lottery Scotland, like our storytelling project and our childrens book Wee Nasties. We'll also have our last remaining copies of Wee Nasties available on the day, along with an exhibition of some of Mhairi and Andy's original artwork and sketches from the book and comic.

And that's not all you'll be able to enjoy. We've now moved lots of Sir Glen Douglas Rhodes furniture and curios out of storage and into his replica study in the Dutch Gable where you will be able to experience his life and times, the wonderful Newark Products shop will be open, selling a wide range of bespoke and handcrafted gifts, plus there will be folk music in the Back House and films in the Secret Cinema. It's all good.

We'll be along from 10 - 4 on both days, hopefully see you then.

And I don't want to panic ye or anything, but the last time there was a local heritage graphic novel, Identity The Archivist's Treasure, there were 4000 copies and they were all gone in quicksharp time. That's why you can only get it online now. There's only 1000 Tales of the Oak. So get em while they are hot...

Enjoy our trailer for the comic below...

Port Glasgow Sculpture Vote

From Clutha Dreaming proposal by Andy Scott

I think I've made my feelings on the pros and cons of public art and sculpture fairly plain. I enjoy public art sculptures so much so that they are one of the main features of my book Tin Jimmy. I'm just not always so keen or convinced by the "engagement" which goes on around them...

HOWEVER....right now, you can vote on 1 of 4 potential new sculptures for the Port Glasgow roundabout. This is just down the road from me, so for once, I have a bit more inclination to be interested in how this one goes.

Once you get by the "waste of time and money" debate that will doubtless surround this particular piece given the timing, all art is subjective - we are all right and all wrong for our own contextual and aesthetic reasons. And so for me, hands down, its Clutha Dreaming on this one. I think we have a tremendous amount of sculpture and material which celebrate our shipbuilding heritage, in Greenock and Port Glasgow town centres, even on the cycle track, so it would be nice if we looked to our myths and legends for once. It's a right outside bet though, it was in last place when I voted, and its a guilty pleasure cos it is just a wee touch "new agey" for round our way. I'll even be honest and say I'm not 100% sure its not just my favourite cos its called Clutha. We are big fans of personified river Clutha and as well as starring in both our folklore books, the sinister Cluthee cult are also part of our new graphic novel due out next month.

So...thumbs up for Clutha....though if ye push me...that big red heid is pretty funny...
Is art meant to be funny? Whole other debate.

Like they say, writing about music is like dancing about architecture...

Inverclyde Festival of Heritage

A new Inverclyde Festival of Heritage is being introduced in May by tourism group Discover Inverclyde, the Inverclyde Community Development Trust, the Inverclyde Tourist Group and other local groups to help highlight Inverclyde’s history, some of its heroes and its industrial and maritime heritage.

The Festival, which runs from Monday 13^th to Sunday 19^th May makes use of a number of venues including an exhibition unit in the Oak Mall shopping centre, the Dutch Gable House in William Street, the Waterfront cinema, the Beacon Arts Centre and the McLean Museum, as well as potentially the area alongside the Egeria statue at the west end of West Blackhall Street and Ginger the Horse at the entrance to Cathcart Street, weather permitting.

As well of being of considerable interest to the local community, the Festival of Heritage is timed to appeal to thousands of cruise line passengers and crew arriving in Greenock that week on the Queen Mary 2 (Wednesday 15^th May), the SS Mein Schiff Ein  (Thursday 16^th May) and the Caribbean Princess on Sunday 19^th May.

Activities on offer will include an exhibition all week long in the Oak Mall unit, drawing from the Community Development Trust’s Identity project, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland, which is a time lined story of the history of Inverclyde dating back to the earliest recorded period and following through to major developments in Inverclyde’s industrial and social past.

New film from Inverclyde Old and New Project

The Waterfront cinema will be showing a compilation of films and animations covering topics including the ‘Identity’ project film,  St Patrick school’s animated film and song The Shipyards, St John’s animated film The Comet, plus films from Aileymill Primary School, Glenburn School and the St Andrews documentary style film on the history of Larkfield and Schools Past and Present. There will also be also the ‘River of Steel’ film highlighting the history of the local shipyards, and ‘Into the Past’, a 20 minute film showing the changing landscape of the towns of Inverclyde.

A number of major Scottish characters will come to life during the exhibition including Robert Burns, Highland Mary and James Watt with storytelling of Burns’ life and his poetry. On the upper floor of the Beacon Arts Centre on Wednesday 15^th May there will be a performance of the drama ‘Guerra, Guerra’, written and presented by young people from St Columba’s High School on the impact of Italy joining Germany in the early part of the second world war and how this developed into a harrowing journey for the Italian community living in Scotland and the Inverclyde area.

Identity

Two new books will be launched as part of the Festival. On Monday May 13^th in the Dutch Gable House a new book entitled ‘Kith & Kin’ and telling the tales of local people’s roots and how their families came to be in Inverclyde will be launched and on Thursday 16^th  Magic Torch will be launching their new children’s book Wee Nasties also in The Dutch Gable House.  Wee Nasties is beautifully illustrated by local artist Mhairi Robertson and introduces younger readers to the myths and legends of Inverclyde. Free copies will be available throughout the day, with a storyteller in attendance, sharing local stories in the afternoon and a display of the original sketches and artwork from the book.

There will also be a small exhibition featuring local pirate Captain William Kidd, with an exclusive free exhibition booklet, while a comic featuring the exploits of Captain Kidd will be available for purchase from the Dutch Gable shop.

There will be no cost to attend any and all of these activities. In addition, throughout the Festival a number of pubs and clubs will be offering live music with an accent on music concentrating on the past.

Chris Jewell of Discover Inverclyde said, ‘We are excited to be able to introduce this new Inverclyde Festival of Heritage with the Inverclyde Community Development Trust and the tourist and other groups, and the Festival is something we intend will develop into an annual event with an ever increasing number of elements to it. We anticipate that a number of other events will be added to this year’s Festival and a leaflet detailing all that is going on is being produced and will be distributed shortly, as well as appearing on the Discover Inverclyde website www.discoverinverclyde.com and the Inverclyde Festival of Heritage Facebook page at www.facebook.com/InverclydeFestivalOfHeritage’.

Paul Bristow of the Inverclyde Community Development Trust added, ‘This brand new Festival has given us the opportunity to showcase much of the work we have undertaken as part of our major ‘Identity’ and other projects involving lots of local groups and we would encourage everyone in Inverclyde to be a part of the Festival by coming out to see all that is being displayed and portrayed. I know that we will all learn a good bit more about our history and the local population.'

Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld, a Director at Discover Inverclyde is enthusiastic about the Festival and its interest to the local community. He said, ‘It is great to make an opportunity for Inverclyde to showcase its past and a lot of very interesting history has been unearthed as part of things. The plan is to broaden the scope of the initiative in future years to include projects in Gourock and Port Glasgow. I also would like to thank Inverclyde Community Development Trust for their outstanding contributions to this project.’

Discover Inverclyde will be introducing alongside the Festival a new Greenock Town Trail, with 21 plaques located around the central Greenock area, accompanied by a new leaflet telling much of the history of Greenock and its people. There will also be the introduction of six new double sided information panels along the route from the Ocean Terminal to Cathcart Street, providing valuable and new information about what Greenock has to offer visitors, cruise line passengers and crew, all aimed at making their visit to Greenock an increasingly interesting and memorable one.

Dunrod by Mhairi Robertson

Wee Nasties Launch

We're delighted that Wee Nasties will be launching as part of Inverclyde Festival of Heritage , two weeks today, on Thursday May 16 at The Dutch Gable House.

Wee Nasties is the first publication from our Heritage Lottery Fund supported project Tales of the Oak.

FREE copies will be available on Thursday 16, and throughout the weekend. After that, from 20 May, you will also be able to get copies from your local library, 7 1/2 John Wood Street, McLean Museum and we'll be delivering a limited number of copies to local schools and nurseries.

Magic Torch will also have an exhibition of Mhairi's original artwork and sketches in the Dutch Gable as well as a wee space dedicated to Captain Kidd (it is May after all, traditionally Captain Kidd month for us)

There will be an audio version online, digital version available later in the month and also an exclusive competition which we'll share with you soon.

Cannae wait.

Identity : Comet Cartoon

Just thought we would share this one as it's a wee cracker. As part of the Identity project run by Inverclyde Community Development Trust, the team worked with St John's Primary School to produce an animation based on the story of the historic vessel.

The film was illustrated, scripted and recorded by pupils - it's smashing.

St John's also worked with the team to tell the story of their own school for the Identity Graphic Novel, The Archivist's Treasure.

Identity - The Archivist's Treasure

Artists Assemble!

Bloom : Copyright Mhairi M Robertson

We're really pleased to announce that Gourock based artist Mhairi M Robertson will be working with us on the illustrations for our new childrens book. The book is being produced as part of our new Tales of the Oak project and will be released next year.

Mhairi has studied at Glasgow School of Art and her work has been described as illustrative and imaginative, her most popular topics being people, fantasy and folklore. Because of this, Mhairi has been commissioned to do work of various kinds, from private portraits and fine art(ish) canvases to album sleeve covers, designs for animation and comic books.

Having been raised in Inverclyde, the history of the area has always been of significant interest to her; through school projects about the Greenock Blitz or old folk tales recanted by family members - sometimes as bed time stories, sometimes simply in passing – Mhairi has found that there was always something new and remarkable to learn about her surroundings. It is an interest which has been carried through to adulthood.

She also really likes Batman and would like to illustrate a Batman/Joker comic book, please, before her drawing hand gets too old and stiff and falls off.

You can see more of Mhairi's work on her website.

We'll be sharing our progress and sketches from the book as it all comes together over the next few months. Cannae wait.

And in honour of today being National Comic Book Day (actually for real), we can also announce that Port Glasgow based artist Andy Lee will be starting work on our Tales of the Oak comic. Andy provided some of the artwork for the Identity graphic novel, recently described by Judge Dredd creator John Wagner as "a marvellous piece of work". Here's some of Andy's work on the graphic below, it is available to read online or download for kindle or from ibooks. Again, we'll be sharing some of the character designs and sketches from the new comic project soon...

Image courtesy of Identity project

Tales of the Oak : Stories...Twice Told

Magic Torch are delighted to reveal that we have received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund "Your Heritage" programme to deliver a new project - "Tales of the Oak", which over the next 18 months will create a new storytelling club and publish two new books.

The new project will include

- opportunities to be trained by the Scottish Storytelling Centre on how to use oral tradition to celebrate local heritage

- new research in local and national archives to collect supernatural tales and local folk stories

- publication of a fully illustrated "scary storybook" retelling local legends and stories for children 4-8 years old

- publication of a 1950s style "terror comic" featuring scary stories and retellings inspired by local legends and ghost stories

- a new storytelling club, with sessions running Winter 2012, Spring / Summer 2013 and again in Winter 2013

- a chance for local schools to be involved in a Scary History competition; pupils will be asked to submit their own scary story with the winning entry included in the childrens book or illustrated for the comic.

The storytelling club will be run from The Dutch Gable House, and you can find out more on how to be involved on Doors Open Day there on Saturday 8 September.

We are not looking for people to do a formal presentations, or give a performance; it’s not a book reading or a drama group. We want to draw inspiration from the tales that folk used to be tell around firesides. Those folk were not professional storytellers, neither are we. We want to help restore an old oral tradition by creating a new living tradition. 

We'll be sharing regular podcasts of stories from the club on our Soundcloud page and hopefully via itunes as well.

The blog will be the main way to follow what's going on in the project, so be sure to bookmark us, or subscribe via email / feedburner.

The entire project is volunteer run, with all the funding being used to pay for project outputs like storytelling training or the publications.

If you've been following the blog for awhile, you'll know that over winter we like sharing ghost stories. In fact, our first book, published in 2000 even included a few. We've had stories about cursed trees, sad tales of forgotten loves and over on my own blog Stramashed there's been the tale of The Duchal Well and some sugar sheds flash fiction based on the urban legend of The Catman

But there's always more to hear
- what's the story with the Arts Guild ghost, surely now lonelier than ever?
- any Cappielow Ghouls?
- any truth to the rumour of Roman legionnaires marching over the moorland behind Kilmacolm?
- is Ravenscraig haunted?

Project funders, Heritage Lottery Fund, are keen to hear from Inverclyde groups with other heritage project ideas. Interested groups can find out more from the website www.hlf.org.uk or by contacting Development Officer Louise Hastie directly on LouiseH@hlf.org.uk.

We love collecting and sharing stories, and this new project will let us do that in all new ways, we're looking forward to you getting involved. You can contact us at aulddunrod@gmail.com

For now, here's one we made earlier....

About the Heritage Lottery Fund

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 26,000 projects, allocating over £4 billion across the UK and more than £1/2 billion across Scotland. www.hlf.org.uk

Old Greenock Characters - A Man In A Boat

From John Donald's Old Greenock Characters (Second Volume)

Once upon a time, that is to say, some fifty odd years ago, a strange being dwelt in a  boat at Garvel Park. Although his features were not, in themselves, unpleasant, they were so unclean and so framed by amass of long unkempt hair as to give him the appearance of a "wild man of the woods". His weird appearance was such as might have inspired fear and trembling in the timorous, if, unaccompanied, they had met him in the gloaming. It was said that his name was Andew Barr, and that he had, at some remote period, been a baker in Port Glasgow, and afterwards a worker in Cairds shipyard, but little definite was know regarding him.

The boat in which he lived was a yacht of about five tonnes, named the 'Ocean Pearl' which had been built by a number of young tradesmen. She had been a good sailor and a prize winner at Port Glasgow Regatta; but for some reason or other, her owners, one set after another, desired to get rid of her, so that she frequently changed hands. Presumably, her latest owners had abandoned her; for it is impossible to conceive that Barr purchased the yacht. At the period of which we write, the vessel was propped up on even keel, behind what was known as 'The Divers Hut' at Garvel Park, and entrance to her was obtained by means of a ladder.

It could hardly have been a commodious residence, yet it seemed to suit the occupant, for he lived there for four or five years. How he lived is a mystery, as he did comparatively little in the way of fishing, and did not appear to follow any other regular occupaton. At the end of this period, heidsappeared, and the place thereof knew him no more.

Time for a Sea Serpent Sculpture?

New archaeological evidence, published last month, suggests that there may be more to local legends about sea serpent worship than we previously thought. The original discoveries are detailed in Skelmorlie : The Story of The Parish Consisting of Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay (Walter Smart).

In Skelmorlie is one of the most remarkable antiquities in Scotland a ‘Serpent Mound’, supposed to have been used by the  ancient Britons in the worship of the Sun and the Serpent, and other religious rites. The head of the Serpent lies behind Brigend House and the ridge forming the body is now severed by the road running up the hill at Meigle. In the 1870’s Dr. Phené of Chelsea made some interesting excavations, discovering a paved platform some 80 feet long, and evidence of early cremations. The details were fully reported in the Glasgow Herald and the Scotsman at the time and there are specimens in the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow.

Recent examination of the pieces at Kelvingrove confirms that they are indeed burned human bones, something which was always disputed about Phene's original findings. Artefacts found at the Kempock Stone during similar excavations in the 19th Century are now also due to be tested alongside items found during the controversial excavations at Langbank, recently rediscovered at the National Museum Edinburgh. It is suggested that dating of the artefacts and remains will show them to be contemporary, and that the strange serpentlike drawings uncovered on stones at Langbank are linked to the "serpent mound" at Skelmorlie, via some sort of celtic river or serpent worship cult.

Sadly at this point no one has discovered any evidence of a big monster in the river. But of course there is certainly plenty of myth and legend linked to serpents and the West of Scotland, believed by many to be largely due to our links with Ireland. Certainly we have our own "Saint banishing serpent" legend for the area, and of course the washing up of the mysterious "Gourock monster" at Cardwell Bay during the Second World War.

The discovery has prompted local calls for a sculpture of the beast to be sited somewhere on the riverside, with space adjacent to Newark Castle, or locations at Cardwell Bay or Lunderston Bay being suggested.An online petition to pledge support to the potential sculpture has been set up.

Public art is itself a strange beast, wee Annie Kempock seems very popular, debate is still raging on the Endeavour sculpture up the Port, and its largely safe to say no one is altogether fussed about Ginger the traditional Greenock Arabian Stallion carthorse. We still think we've missed a trick on a Captain Kidd statue. But I'm happy to pledge support to this one...though I think the good people of Skelmorlie might have something to say about it...but who doesn't like sea serpents? Apart from sailors obviously.

The Green Oak Tree

Hey. How ye?

Just wanted to take a wee moment to say "thanks very much" to all the new readers who have joined us this month...December is always good fun on the blog. But stick with us! Next year we have smugglers, saints, more arthurian legends Inverclyde style, the strange histories of local buildings and more.

Y'know, with Christmas behind us, and only the long dark January ahead, it would be easy to feel worried about what the next 12 months have in store; in fact, its probably the most logical response to the information in front of us right now. But this is a folklore blog; logic isnt really on the agenda. So first up. here's a message of hope for life and the New Year.

And bringing our year to a close and rounding off our Downriver folksong collection, here is a wee tune to be singing after the bells. (the whole playlist is down below)

The Gringos - The Green Oak Tree by Auld Dunrod

Have a good one whatever yer up to. And remember...

"Despair is a black leather jacket that everyone looks good in. Hope is a frilly pink dress that exposes your knees." - Rebecca Solnit

See you in 2012 for the apocalypse.

The Green Oak Tree

I’ll sing a song about a toon that stands upon the Clyde

And every time I here it’s name my heart is filled with pride

My mother often told me as she soothed me on her knee

That Greenock took its name from the Green Oak Tree

So here’s tae the Green Oak that stood upon the square

And here’s tae its roots that still lie slumbering there

And here’s tae my toonsmen wherever they may be

For I’m proud to say that I’m a branch of the Green Oak Tree

Now Greenock’s no a bonny toon I’ve heard some folks complain

For every time they go doon there there’s nothing to see but rain

But let them say what e’r they may with them I’ll no agree

For Greenock toon and Greenock folks will aye be dear tae me

Downriver by Auld Dunrod

Something Wicked..

We're busy trying to compile and create a few new Ghost Stories for throughout December, but in the meantime, here's a few wee links to other stories and things we've been involved in over the last few weeks.

Over at Zuckerbeckers blog, you can read an excellent piece on one man coming to terms with what side Greenock took during the American Civil War. Hang on...are we the baddies?

On the Sugar Sheds blog, you can read about our journey into the heart of sugary darkness as we wander round the Sugar Sheds with psychic medium Joan Charles.

On TrustInverclydes Scribd page, you can download a copy of the Port Glasgow Social History book "Newark to Newark".

If you havent already, take a look at the Identity project blog...some good Galoshans video heading there soon.

And of no particular folkloric significance...I've been trying hard to work on National Novel Writing month. Here's a few chapters of my West of Scotland alien invasion story "Wasted", just to get them out there...

Now here's some Rik Mayall storytelling cheer....