The story behind

In the first of a new series, folk musician Ainsley Hamill tells the story of Scottish Olympic Gold swimmer, Belle Moore, who inspired one of her latest songs

LEFT TO RIGHT:

Scottish folk singer and songwriter Ainsley Hamill; Belle Moore (far left) was part of team Great Britain’s gold medal-winning Women’s 4x100m Freestyle team at the Stockholm Olympic Games in 1912 When I was asked to write songs about Govan – a southwesterly district in Glasgow – for Live Music Now Scotland, I was slightly panicked. There are only so many songs one person can write about Ibrox and the Glasgow Rangers for which it is most famous, so the idea absolutely terrified me... until I sat down with the Govan Reminiscence Group.

As it turns out, Govan boasts many individuals who, from humble beginnings, have gone on to achieve quite magnificent feats. Several characters really resonated with me, including the explorer and fire-stoker of Captain Shackleton’s famous expedition, Felix Rooney; The Daffodil King, Peter Barr; munitions worker Lizzie Robinson; activist Mary Barbour, and lastly ‘Belle of the Ball’, Isabella Moore.

After completing the LMNS project, I felt compelled to make more of the amazing people and stories I had uncovered. They were not celebrated at the time, so I wanted to honour their great achievements in the only way I know how – by creating an album. BBC composer Malcolm Lindsay worked with me during the LMNS commission, so it made sense on every level to have him partner with me on the full album. The record comprises string orchestra arrangements and soundscapes built around sampled sounds and the guitar and key playing of Malcolm himself. The album also features backing vocals from renowned Scottish singer Yvonne Lyon. The song ‘Belle of the Ball’ appears on my first release as the title track, however the string orchestra arrangement that features on my new album, Not Just Ship Land, is what the song was originally written for. It tells the story of Isabella Moore, the youngest British woman, and only Scottish woman (up until Tokyo 2020), to win an Olympic Gold medal in swimming. Belle was part of the first ever women’s swimming events staged at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. At the time, there was a huge scandal because Belle and her team-mates appeared in front of crowds ‘scantily clad’ in their swimming attire. Some teams, such as the USA, didn’t put a team forward for the event due to the ‘inappropriateness’ of women baring themselves in public. Despite this, Belle and her team won, breaking a world record. They received their gold medals and laurel wreaths from King Gustav V of Sweden. Belle returned home with little celebration and began work as a swimming instructor. In 1913, she set a 200m freestyle record, which stood unbroken for many years. Again, there was little celebration. In 1919, Belle and her husband emigrated to Maryland USA where she continued to work as a swimming instructor. Belle passed away in Maryland in 1975.

‘Belle of the Ball’ was the easiest track on the album for me to write. Before researching her, I was given her portrait. She was a striking woman, with dark eyes, long, dark hair and soft pale skin. After reading her story, I was dismayed that such a strong and talented woman had been so little celebrated. It struck me that, at the time of competing at the Olympics, many did not see past her beauty to appreciate the athlete that she was. I wanted the song to continue to raise awareness and equality for women today and in the future.

Since releasing the album, many people with connections to Govan have reached out to me, including Belle Moore’s great niece Linda McBirnie. So many people all over the world have a connection to Govan, often through its proud shipbuilding tradition.

In the lead up to the release of the album, I’ve been working with Ela Orleans on visuals to accompany the album tracks. We are creating a feature film made up of archived (and current) footage of Govan and its people. S

Not Just Ship Land is available on all platforms. All download and purchase options are featured at ainsleyhamill.com