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Clann-nighean an sgadain.

Date August 1970
Track ID 1587
Part 1
Part 2

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1970.170.A2+B1

Original Tape ID

SA1970.170

Summary

Life as a herring girl.

The contributor tells about the time she was at the herring gutting in Yarmouth and a little about the clothing worn. She couldn't eat the food she was given, except for pastry and a cup of tea. They sometimes rose at 4 a.m. to start work at six. Sometimes it was so cold there was ice on the herring. Girls went to Yarmouth at Michaelmas, taking provisions. It was a long train journey from Oban.

She stopped going down when the First World War started, going to Fraserburgh instead. She saw many young men, especially from Lewis, join up in the navy. Every girl had a kist and they slept six to a room. Ealasaid Currie was very good at singing puirt-à-beul and as she sang, the others danced. Fishermen they knew would visit when in port; Lewis girls and young men also came to the room.

Information on the season in Fraserburgh. They would clean the room and dress up on Saturday nights. They once sobered up a drunken man who came to visit by giving him tea and bicarbonate of soda. The earth floor in the room was covered with sand. She spent her first season at the gutting in Lerwick, and then Aberdeen. She met Michael on a weekend visit to Fraserburgh.

Language

Gaelic

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good