Orlang: THE STRAWBERRY THIEF

JUNE BERRIES

Etchings

Christine brings an increasingly large basket of goodies every month. This month in her basket she brought sage, lovage, rosemary, thyme and beautiful chives. The members of the group were able to identify most of them.

She also brought rhubarb and of course wonderful local strawberries (so big that we only had one each!) and some of her many song books.

Some of the tea cloths that Christine brought were a reminder of holidays, France, Portugal and Adelaide.

The group joined in reciting "The Day We Went to Rothsay" and then we sang a version too. Evan volunteered to to read a quote from H Peter Loewer, a noted gardener, which he then translated into a perfect Scots!

May and June. Soft syllables, gentle names for the two best months in the garden year: cool, misty mornings gently burned away with a warming spring sun, followed by breezy afternoons and chilly nights. The discussion of philosophy is over; it's time for work to begin. H Peter Loewer

Christine sung as a beautiful song called
Tramps and Hawkers

O come a' ye tramps and hawker-lads an' gaitherers o' bla'

That tramp the country roun' and roun', come listen one and a'

I'll tell tae ye a rovin' tale, an' places I hae been

Far up into the snowy north, or sooth by Gretna Green.

I've seen the high Ben Nevis that gangs towerin' tae the moon

I've been roun' by Crieff an' Callander an' by Bonny Doon

I've been by Nethy's silvery tide an' places ill tae ken

Far up into the stormy north lies Urquart's fairy glen

Sometimes noo I laugh tae mysel' when dodgin' alang the road

Wi' a bag o' meal slung upon my back, my face as broun's a toad

Wi' lumps o'cheese and tattie-scones or breid an' braxie ham

Nae thinking whar' I'm comin' frae nor thinkin' whar I'm gang.

I'm happy in the summer-time beneath the dark blue sky

Nae thinkin' in the mornin' at nicht where i'm gang to lie

Bothies or byres or barns, or oot amangst the hay

And if the weather does permit, I'm happy a' the day.

Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond, they've oft been seen by me

The Dee, the Don, the Devron, that a' flows tae the sea

Dunrobin Castle, by the way, I nearly had forgot

And the reckless stanes o'cairn that mairks the hoose o' John

o' Groat.

I've been by bonny Gallowa', an' often roun' Stranraer

My business leads me anywhere, I travel near an' far

I've got that rovin' notion I wouldna like tae loss

For It's my daily fare an' as much'll pay my doss.

I think I'll gang tae Paddy's Lan', I'm makin' up my mind

For Scotland's greatly altered noo, I canna raise the wind

But if I can trust in Providence, if Providence should prove true

I'll sing ye's a' of Erin's Isle when I come back to you.

The members enjoyed recognising many of the place names.

Tib Smith was lady from Abernethy who wrote this piece about picking berries in the summer holidays. Ginny, Evan and Frances did a fine job of reciting it If you click on the link you will hear a sung version of it.

Christine read from Hamish Henderson's book Alias MacAlias. Where he recalls how the travellers gathered round campfires during the summer seasons at the berries sharing songs and passing on fables and tales. The group remarked on the difference in the tradition of growing soft fruit, now found in poly tunnels and growing on benches that save the pickers from bending. We also questioned the fact that strawberries were traditionally grown on straw and wondered if that is how they got their name?

Maureen introduced the group to William Morris, designer, poet, novelist and social activist. In particular his fabric and textile design the "strawberry thief " His philosophies were based on the virtues of environmentalism and harked back to a time where hand made items were favoured over the mass produced.

Using an etching tool the group traced sections of the design, scratching into pieces of acrylic over light boxes to prepare an etching plate.

These plates were then coated in ink and printed, using a traditional printing press on to damp hand made paper. What great fun, the group were genuinely thrilled and wanted to know how many we were going to make so they could take them home!