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Biography, family history and song-writing of Bob Bertram.

Date 1965
Track ID 28616
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1965.163.A2

Original Tape ID

SA1965.163

Summary

Biography, family history and song-writing of Bob Bertram.

Bob Bertram was inspired to compose songs by Matt McGinn, whom he heard at the Crown Bar in Edinburgh singing his songs, such as 'Coorie Doon' and 'I'll Never Work nor Want, Not I'. He took his own song ['Johnny Dope', a topical parody of 'Johnny Cope'] to Archie Fisher, and that was the start of his singing in public.

He gives an account of his family origins, his early life and his wartime service in the Army Ordnance Corps in Nigeria. He is now [1965] employed doing costing for a wholesale ironmonger, Thomas Scott & Co. The firm has been in the Grassmarket for a hundred years and is fighting an attempt by the Secretary of State to evict them in favour of Heriot-Watt University.

Bob started writing poetry at school: he and another boy, James Rawlinson, used to compose limericks and pass them to each other. During the war he composed his first serious poem, about the Japanese attack on Manila. But he has not kept most of his poems. He considers the song about the Profumo Case ['Johnny Dope'] his first successful attempt at song-writing, but mentions other earlier ones.

Item Notes

'The Profumo Affair' was a 1963 political scandal named after the then Secretary of State for War, John Profumo (1915–2006). Profumo had a brief relationship with call-girl Christine Keeler (b. 1942), who was also the mistress of a known Russian spy; Profumo then lied in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it. The scandal forced Profumo to resign, and severely damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's government; Macmillan would resign a few months later owing to ill health.

Item Subject/Person

Bertram, Bob; McGinn, Matt

Recording Location

County - Midlothian

Parish - Edinburgh

Village/Place - Edinburgh

Language

English

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good