The Kintyre Forum

THE FLIGHT
by Betty McNiven

The King Bird fled with the Fairy Queen
into the Golden Dawn.
The Maris Stella watched their flight
while the rest of the world slept on.

The Busy Bee was the first to wake
and she went to the Mystical Rose.
'They have gone,' she cried, 'What can we do?
Perhaps Ben Gullion knows.'

'Let the Frigate Bird pursue,' he cried.
'in her garb of Silver Grey.'
And swift as a Crimson Arrow sped
the beautiful ship away.

Then Blue Bird said: I am swift as light;
Nulli Secundus am I.
I will bring them back or return no more'
and the Falcon made reply:

'Nil Desperandum; I will go forth
on this Enterprise with you.'
But the Goddess Felicia shook her head
and helped the lovers through.

And they came no more to their old Sweet Home
where the Kingfisher roves at will,
but the Ave Maria's sweet notes recall
the loch they both love still.


A poem incorporating the names of nineteen local fishing boats.

Should mention that these songs/poems were taken from the Kintyre Mag.,which is/was edited by Ian Forshaw.

manys the new year as a child i sat and listened to most of the songs mentioned, sung by cecil finn or the late billy wareham, even on occasion my mother, we used to laugh at grown ups singing songs about heir love for places they'd never see again, even tho they'd never left!!

my favourite tho is shorter, lacks the sentimental touch, but has many meanings depending on the enthousiasm of the singer



"there was a coo, stood on a hill, its naw there noo, it must have shifted"

sheer poetry

or the late Billy Wareham,

There's a name I have'nt heard for many a year.My older brother John and Billy were best pals.

there was a coo, stood on a hill, its naw there noo, it must have shifted"

Another thread on this forum is about Mother's sayings,one which the above brought to mind is..........

Small things please small minds.

think you'll find its "simple things amuse simple minds" not the band, with charlie burchill and jim kerr, who i knew when they were called "johnny and the self abusers"

all the same, your mother was right, but i thought most of the decent local songs had been covered by other postings, there was another song which an uncle used to sing, but i don't think it had a local connection and was about a coo as well, and a woman called katie bairdie.
but then he was probably(don't need two guesses) drunk.

there a song about local characters i once heard bits sing to the tune of "where do you go to my lovely" but i couldn't possibly quote what little of it i remember, for slander and libel reasons, funnily enough it was written during his keich period, the band that is, not the excrement of a similiar name.

there was another song which an uncle used to sing, but i don't think it had a local connection and was about a coo as well, and a woman called katie bairdie.

Katie Beardie had a coo
Black and white aboot the mou'
Wasnae that a dainty coo?
Dance, Katie Beardie.

Katie Beardie had a hen,
Cackled but and cackled ben.
Wasnae that a dainty hen?
Dance, Katie Beardie.

Katie Beardie had a wean
It widnae play oot in the rain.
Wasnae that a dainty wean?
Dance, Katle Beardie.

Katie Beardie had a cat,
Sleek and sly and unco fat.
Wasnae that a dainty cat?
Dance, Katie Beardie.

That it? I know a lot of these old songs had different words.

i always thought the coo was yellow, black and blue?

DIFFERENT COO

so its a lie, katie bairdie didn't have a coo? she had two coos, did she get a subsidy to buy the second coo, or did she start out with two? did she sell the "yellow, black and blue" coo for a handful of magic beans? no, nobody would believe that, or do the colours refer to a bruise the first coo gave her?

As there has never been a breed of coo that had yellow black n blue markings, I think we can safely assume that the coo was in fact black n white.

tan?

According to the wife.....

Katie Beardie had a coo
it was yellow black an blue
open the gate an let it throo
dance Katie Beardie.

So mystery solved..the coo went throo the gate an was never seen again.

A poem by G.G.Fraser about the infamous Wide Close which was demolished in 1908.

It was the sink
Of every vice,
Hotbed of drink
And breeding lice,
And slovenly crones
From window sills,
Dumped fishes' bones
And other swills.

As one passed through
One stopped one's nose,
Nor glimpsed the blue
For half washed clothes:
That life went on
In such a place
Cast shame upon
The human race.

that rings true about a couple of more up to date places, one thats always been so and one that went that way over the last twenty years.

so i'm right aboot the colour of the coo? oh ye of little faith!!!

as my faither used to say "its no often your right, but your wrang, again!!!!"

I am on my holidays in a rainy country just now so am catching up on all the bits of the forum I don't always have time to read at home! This is a good thread. William Mitchell was (is) my grandfather and its just now that my folks are getting older that I am beginning to realise the importance of all his writing material and making sure it is all written down. Road to Drumleman was also recorded by the american band Full Moon Ensemble who were here for MOK Festival a few years back now (Scooter Muse their guitarist is appearing this year). They used the original tune and made a very good job of it. Scooter Muse went on to write some guitar tunes named after my mum and aunt cathy - and also after Alex McKinven who became a good friend through the music festival connection too.