Books & Music June 2023

June 2023 Books, Music & Podcasts

The Shanter Legacy

by Garry Stewart

The Shanter Legacy (Garry Stewart,2021)isanewtitle fromTippermuir.Thebookis writtenforthe8-13age groupandhasbeenbe describedas‘magicalrealist fiction’,‘fantasyadventure’ and‘fantasy/horror’

Oneofhisearlychildhood memorieswasthe excitementofwaitingforthe mobilelibrarytoarriveinthe areaofEdinburghwherehe grewup.Climbingthehuge stepstoseethehundredsof booksontheoldwooden shelvesthatlinedthelarge van,waswherehe

.Theauthor,GarryStewart, iswell-equippedtowritein thistheme.Heanawardwinningactor,awriterand directorwhospendshistime betweenGlasgowandhis homeinAndalusia.Hewas artisticdirectorofBaldy BaneTheatreCompany wherehewroteanddirected over30playsforchildren andyoungadults.He believesthathumouranda cleveranimalortwoarea greatwaytoengagechildren instories.

discoveredthatstoriescould takeyoutoplacesbeyond thestreetswhereyoulived. Thebookwasoriginallya popularplayandthebookis afinedevelopmentfromit. Aswellasbeingafunread,it isabridgetoRobertBurns beinga‘sequel’ofsortsto ‘Tamo’Shanter’.

covenofwitchesgatheredat AllowayKirkyard.Upon seeinghimthewitchesgave chase.Tamgallopedhisgrey mare,Meg,asfastashe couldbutthewitchescaught upwiththemastheyraced towardsthekeystoneofthe bridge.Thegraspinghandof awitchreachedoutand caughtMegbythetail unleashingaseriesofevents thatwouldonedaythreaten thefutureofCaledonia.

Asthestormravagedthe countrysidetherewas weirdrieintheair.Fiona watchedstrickenwithhorror asthetailwasrippedfrom thefleeinghorse,leavinga terrible,bloodyandgaping wound.Forsevennightsina rowshestartledawakeat thesamepointinthis dreadfulnightmare.Soon shewoulddiscoverthe nightmarewasrealandthat sinistereventswereaboutto unfold. Fourteenyearsearlier Fiona’sfather,Tamo’ Shanter,haddisturbeda

Inthischildren’ssequelto theRobertBurnsclassic poem,‘Tamo’Shanter’, Fionaandherweebrother Finnaresweptintoastrange mysticalworldtoembarkon aperilousquest.Theymust findMeg’stailwhichhas beentakentothedarkand evillandofDracadonia.

Thetailisnowinthe possessionofMorbidea,the beautifulbutdeadlyDruid Queen.Apowerfuland potentmagichasbeen bestoweduponthetail,

allowingittobeusedasa keytothemysticalportal knownasTheYettof AbandonedTime.Legend hasitthatMorbideawilluse thepowerofthetailtoenter themortalworld.

OnthisstormyHalloween nightthetimehascomefor theQueenandherundead armytolaunchasavageand vengefulwaronthepeople ofCaledonia.FionaandFinn learnoftheirextraordinary linktothisdeadlythreatand mustmakethebrave decisiontotryandprevent it.

AccompaniedbyMegand theirbordercollie,Kirsty,the childrendaretoenter Morbidea’sworldwherethey arecatapultedintoa tsunamiofdangerand magic.Inalandpopulated byweirdcreatures,anarmy ofundeadwarriornunsand aneccentrictroublemaking alchemisttheirquest unfolds.Thechildren’s couragegrowsastheyface theirdestiny.ForFionaand Finn,life,iftheysurvive,will neverbethesameagain.

The book is available online, from booksellers and directly from Tippermuir Books

33 Years

StonehavenFolk Festivalwasestablished in1989andhasgone fromstrengthto strengtheversince, attracting2,000

50+ Fringe Events

In2019wehadover50 eventsfrommainstage concertsintheTownHallto informalsessionsand singaroundsinthepubs andaroundtheHarbour

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North-EastofScotland thisrichlanguage. beautiful,warmand wonderthatis Doric.

IoriginallywroteKnots andBruiinthesummerof 2009asaoneactplay.I wantedtowritesomething setinafarmbothybecause mygrandadJohnDavidson, knowntoeveryoneasJeck spentsometimeinabothy atthestartofhisfarminglife.

Theplaysattherefora fewyearsandIalways lookedatitasunfinished businesssothoughtI'd maybeconvertittoaone manshowsore-wrotethe scriptandthenre-wroteit againandmaybeagainand decidedthatitwouldmaybe recordasyarn.Iadmitthat notalothappensbutI meantittobeasnapshotof bothylife.Itmaybeworksyou'llhavetolistentofind out!

Oneofthecharacters inthestoryiscalledJeckbut he'snotmygrandfatherit's purefiction,althoughmy grandadwasinthebothyat MiltonofCampsie. Thesark incidentwastoldtomeby someonewhohadfamilyin somebothyorother.The shaivesofcornstorywas

toldtomemanyyearsago bymydad.HeknewaWW1 veteranwhousedthis description.TherestImade upgleaningsomeofthe detailofbothylifefrom onlinearticles.Itwasgood funtorecord.

IthoughtI'ddosome tunesonthemoothiebut realisedtheonlytuneIcan playwasTheRowntree.I thenrememberedIcould playTheBarnyardsof Delgatyonthewhistlebut musthavehadaboutfifty goes(nokidding)untilIgotit almostright.Mynephew's daughterFreyaplayedthe fiddleformewhichwas lovely.Iwonderwhatthe bothyladswouldmakeof recordingsomefiddletunes ontheBlackIslethen sendingtherecordingsfrom onephonetoanother.

Amazing. Listento Knots&Brui