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James Taylor recalls the snowy winter of 1881, and a youthfu...

Contributors
Date June 1955
Track ID 2495
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1955.67.A2

Original Tape ID

SA1955.067

Summary

James Taylor recalls the snowy winter of 1881, and a youthful prank on his great grandmother, Eppie Thain.

Eppie Thain, James Taylor's great grandmother, was a Gaelic speaker. She walked with a stoop. In the stormy winter of 1881, his grand-uncle used to rise in the morning and look to see how far up the door the snow was, until one morning he couldn’t see out, and had to cast the snow into the field and crawl out. James used to kick castings [peats thrown up onto a bank to dry] onto Eppie’s head, and she called him Red Taylor, because his father had a red beard, and she chased him with a stick.

Hamish Henderson quotes a saying that red-headed men are best both for women and for the laird.

Item Subject/Person

Thain, Eppie

Language

Scots

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good