Harvest Home

Friday night was the island "Harvest Home". This is an evening  celebration of the end of the harvest period. All the parishes in Orkney hold them about the beginning of November to celebrate having brought in all the crops, tatties, neaps, and safely delivered livestock. 

The tradition is a meal, with music and dancing to follow.  The ladies on the island did a great job of providing the meal with plenty for everyone including the traditional "clapshot" which is mashed tatties (potatoes) and neaps (swede) and happens to be my favourite.....!  John Budge of Longhope gave an impromptu speech at the end of the meal while we had our coffee (it's traditional to have a "speaker" at such an event). We also had home-made shortbread and a new delicacy of shortbread with caramel, and white chocolate...... it was wonderful and I managed to bring a doggy-bag home of some too!

After the meal the tables were cleared and the musicians began.  We were really  fortunate to have Fran Gray and John and Leslye Budge from Longhope.  Fran and John played on accordions accompanied by Leslye on the bodhran (see photo above).  John also sang a selection of songs, some traditional Orkney songs like "Kirkwall Bay" and "Lonely Scapa Flow", as well as traditional Scottish songs and some country music type songs which we all joined in.  There was also some traditional dancing with the "Strip the Willow" going on for some time and getting faster towards the end.  I feared the "First Responders" might be required by the time the dancers finished!! 

The party went on into the wee small hours but I headed home about 2am.  Though rumour has it the party actually carried on until about 9 a.m.!

Anyway it was a great night and we're all very grateful to Fran, John & Leslye for coming over and providing such entertainment!  Now.... I need to work out how to get more of those biscuits......

November already???

No haven't gone into premature hibernation, just been extremely busy with work and not a lot of time for much else.

Today is a beautiful autumnal day with blue skies, blue sea, low sun and just a bit of a chill in the air. Yesterday was exactly the same. Which was fortunate as it was our "Harvest Home" (non religious celebration of the end of the harvest). This event takes place annually at the beginning of November in our island community hall.

Everyone on the island turned out for the evening and a few visitors added to the number. The meal was prepared by various of the ladies on the island and brought to the hall where everyone was seated among the traditional decorations of neaps (swede) and greenery. A three course meal with wine was served followed by tea, coffee and homebakes. Our guest speaker was Willie Tulloch from Stromness and he recalled memories of coming to Graemsay as a wee boy in a yole (traditional small, wide but low sail boat) before raising a toast to Graemsay.

As Halloween was also recently the children dressed up in costume, along with a few adults, and paraded round the hall before doing a small party piece and then collecting sweeties from everyone. I tried persuading people that sweets are bad for children and as a community service *I* would take all the sweets - but as usual everyone ignored me.....sigh.

Music was provided by Fran and Ruby, our visiting musicians, who play the accordion and fiddle, and folk danced the remainder of the night away to traditional Scottish tunes. Tea and home bakes were served later and some of us headed off home about 1am, while the remainder with more stamina stayed until about 5.30am!

It's a little quiet on the island now........ I've just taken delivery of some of the dishes from last night to put through the dishwasher, have some laundry out on the line, and been for a walk with Button on the beach, and now I think I need a lie down!

Cloudscape:

Here's a sparrow enjoying the autumn fruits from the rosa rugosa:


This is Button on the beach - sometimes she comes home smelling of seaweed! My little SeaCat...