#went a bit crazy with the hair for Dundee

[overlyenthusiastic-personalblog]

[scotianostra]

On June 27th 1937, Robin Hall, folk singer and musician, was born in Edinburgh.

Robin, had to overcome polio as a child inspent most of his early years in Glasgow and was a direct descendant of Rob Roy Macgregor, and of Mungo Park, the explorer. His mother had been an opera singer and Robin was nurtured on a generous diet of classical music and music hall songs. During his lengthy convalescence from polio his interest in all types of music flourished.

As a teenager, he played with a traditional jazz group, studied the piano, and spent his spare time digging up American folk songs and investigating the folk material of his native Scotland. Hall studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and worked briefly as in actor in repertory theatres. Robin went to London in 1957, armed with a large repertoire of folk songs and a guitar. While in England he recorded a series of EP's for "Collector Records", which are now very hard to find and highly priced. In the 60's, Robin became a bit notorious and controversial for insisting on wearing his Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament badge on the BBC's Tonight Show, for which he was widely criticized.

After Robin left the duo in 1981, he enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting—winning two national radio awards, for best presenter and best documentary, for Radio Clyde's The Sing Song Streets, a program about Glasgow told through songs, stories and children's games.

Sadly, Robin died on November 18, 1998, at the age of 61. Another great folk singer that lived life to excess, lost at an early age. Robin married and divorced twice and was survived by three children.

There's not many Robin Hall solo songs out there, Fitba Crazy, Coulter's Candy, Mingulay Boat Song and the likes are all with his long time singing partner Jimmy, but I did manage to find one song!

Dundee Weaver is a famous bawdy Glasgow street song

Oh, A'm a Dundee weaver

An A come fae bonnie Dundee

I met a Glesca fellae

An he gaed courtin me

He tuik me out a-walkin

Doun by the Kelvin Haa

An thair the dirty wee rascal stole

Ma thingumijig awa

An thair the dirty wee rascal stole

Ma thingumijig awa

He tuik me oot a-walkin

Doun by the Roukin Glen

He showed tae me a bonnie wee bird

An he showed me a bonnie wee hen

He showed tae me the bonnie wee birds

Fae a linnet tae a craw

An he showed tae me the bird that stole

Ma thingumijig awa

An he showed tae me the bird that stole

Ma thingumijig awa

Noo A'll ging back tae Dundee luikin

Bonnie, young an fair

A'll pit oan ma buckle an shune

An tie back ma bonnie broun hair

A'll pit oan ma corsets tight

Tae mak ma middle luik smaa

An wha wad ken fae ma rosie cheeks

That ma thingumijig's awa?

An wha wad ken fae ma rosie cheeks

That ma thingumijig's awa?

Come aa ye Dundee weavers an

Tak this advise fae me

Never let a fellae

An inch abune yer knee

Never staun at the back o a close

Or up agin a waa

For if ye dae ye can safely say

Yer thingumijig's awa

For if ye dae ye can safely say

Yer thingumijig's awa

[literary-chaos]

1. My Trip to Wrongway Revision One

Written by S.H.

I woke up with a yawn, silencing my alarm as I slid out of bed. 5am comes earlier every day, I thought to myself. I began my morning routine with feeding my tabby cat, Nibbles, who wound himself around my legs like yarn around a crochet needle. I made some coffee and toast, brushed my teeth, and left for work on time (for once). As I waited for my regular 102 bus to work, I sighed at the humdrum routine my life had become. I wistfully remembered being so carefree and enjoying life in college. Now it just seems like all I’m meant for is working my 9-5 and still only being able to afford a tiny apartment in a not-so-great side of town. Oh well, I thought, at least I know what to expect.

I always listened to my iPod on the bus, but today I guess I fell asleep… I tapped the bus driver on the shoulder and asked him,

“Sir, where exactly am I?” He looked bewildered and stammered,

“I-I thought everyone was off! Nobody comes out here, not to Wrongway.” Wrongway? What in the world is Wrongway? I had never heard of this place before.

“I’m sorry, is that the name of the town?”

“Well unofficially, yes. Nobody remembers what it’s really called anymore because it’s been abandoned for so long. I honestly thought they’d torn the whole place down before I started driving this route.”

I was confused, but at least I could call a taxi to come get me.

“No chance I can stay on and catch a ride to work from you, is there?”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’d lose my job if I didn’t go through my route properly. Here’s the number to a cheap taxi. Good luck.” He handed me a basic business card with the name of a taxi service I’d seen commercials for once.

“Thanks…” I said, confused as to why he wished me luck. It’s not like I will be here long.

 I called the taxi service, only to discover they had never heard of anywhere named Wrongway before and without an address there was no way to send a driver out. I felt hopeless, but called a friend of mine hoping he had his car.

“Dave, I need help man. I’m lost. I have no clue where I am and I’m supposed to be at work in an hour. Can you come get me? Swear I’ll buy you drinks this weekend, all on me.”

“Sure man no problem. Do you see anything familiar?”

“No, the bus driver said I was somewhere called Wrongway? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Yeah I have. Once. I haven’t heard that name in a long time. Look, now’s actually not a good time for me. Can you call someone else?” Dave sounded terrified. Like even hearing the name of this place was too much for him.

“Don’t leave me out here bro, I need you. I don’t even know where I am! Please Dave, I’m desperate. ”

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” And the line went dead. I couldn’t believe my best friend would just ditch me like this. How the hell am I supposed to get home? I started walking in the direction the bus went, hoping to find someone to ask for directions. As I walked, I observed my surroundings. The town was older than most of the surrounding developments. Most of the buildings were faded and decrepit, beams collapsed and crumbled in messy heaps. I didn’t see anyone for the first 15 minutes of my walk. Odd, even for a remote side of town. Right then, I heard a scuffle of footsteps behind me and whipped around, startled.

“Hello? Is anyone there? Please, I’m lost and I need help!” Another scuffle followed, and I walked in the direction of the steps. “Please help me! I won’t hurt you, I really am lost! I’m begging you!” A head poked around the corner suddenly.

“Don’t beg. Not here, no! Follow me.” The gravelly voice of an older man, maybe early 60s, answered and beckoned to the alleyway where he hid. I hesitated, but the sense of urgency in his voice wiped away any common sense I had left. I followed him into the alley, and he rushed on ahead of me. He’s fast for his age. I could barely keep up, even being in my early 30s. He’s so hunched over; it really is a miracle he can walk at all. He stopped suddenly by a weathered door and gestured for me to come inside. I followed, heart pounding, and was thrown into complete darkness.

“Hold on, let me find the light sw- oh there it is.” A single bare light bulb illuminated the room. Everything was old, broken, and/or dirty. Kind of like the old man, I thought.

“D-do you live here?” I stammered, not wanting to offend the possibly crazy man I’d just followed into God-knows-where.

“For now. None of us stay in one place for long.”

“Us? Where are the others? What happened here? How do I get home?” All the questions I had came spilling out all at once like a flash flood rushing into a valley.

“Slow down, sonny. Do you want something to drink?” I looked around the room, but didn’t see a refrigerator. Actually, the room was more bare than I’d noticed before. Save for the sleeping bag on the floor and a lone dining chair, there was no furniture. I saw what looked like a bathroom door in the corner, but no closets or rooms I could see. The carpet was stained and threadbare, like it had been walked on for decades without a good cleaning. The walls were in a similar state, streaked and cracked like an oil-filled parking lot. I shook my head, not wanting to know what sort of drink he would offer.

“Can you please show me how to get home?”

He grinned, almost toothless save for a couple teeth holding on for dear life.

“All you have to do is go see Her.” He giggled ominously. “But she’s not helpful to outsiders, no no… You’ll have to take Her magic if you want to leave.”

“Magic? What are you talking about? Magic doesn’t exist.”

“Not in the right world, but it does in Wrongway. It’s always wrong here. Always wrong…” He trailed off into a muttering frenzy, his stammering fit turning into to him pleading with an invisible force and starting to scream. He glared menacingly at me as he threw the chair where I was standing. I took this as my cue to leave, and bolted out the door into the alleyway and didn’t stop running until I was sure I’d left him behind. I leaned against a dilapidated building, breathing deeply. “What was that? Oh man. I am so screwed. Oh my god.” I entered into a momentary panic. How was I going to get out of here? I called my boss to let her know the situation. She sounded confused, but told me I could have the day off to collect myself. I wasn’t even upset at her condescending tone, I was just glad someone believed me.

I walked in the direction the old man had gestured when he mentioned Her. I wasn’t sure what else to do, but even then, this seemed crazy. Taking an old psychotic man’s advice to steal magic from someone named Her was the last thing I thought I’d be doing today. Be careful what you wish for, isn’t that the saying? I couldn’t help but chuckle myself.

 I had been walking for almost an hour and hadn’t seen sign of anyone. I leaned against another building, slumping to the floor. I sighed and hung my head, convinced I’d never find my way out of here.

“Psst, you… Hey, you! Over here, hurry! RUN!” I looked where the masked figure was pointing and saw three huge… I don’t even know. Things? Monsters? I didn’t stick around to find out. I got around the corner just in time for my new companion to push my head down and fire three times in the things’ direction. The masked person sighed and pulled off the black ski mask they were wearing. A rugged, scarred face greeted me from underneath. He was about my size, tall and lean with brown hair and dull, forest green eyes. He sized me up as I did him, then we shook hands to introduce ourselves.

“Name’s Peyton. You ever seen one o’ them before?” I shook my head, his hand and mine still gripping each other.

“Can’t say I have. I’m Trey. Thanks for saving me from those things. What were they?” Peyton grinned, his top lip disfigured from a short, small scar. He chuckled a bit, then shook his head in awe.

“Can’t believe you never ran into them. How long ya been in Wrongway?”

How long had I been here? My phone was dead and I had never picked up the habit of wearing a watch.

“Only half the day, I believe. I’m not sure what time it is.” His smile faded, replaced by sadness and a bit of fear.

“Oh kid, you better find a way to get back from where you came. But that’s what all us outsiders do, try to escape. ‘Fraid once Wrongway has ya, she has ya for good.” He hung his head for a moment, then perked back up. “Well I guess I can teach ya a bit about the fauna ‘round here. Those there were Stingers, like a giant wasp with a worse attitude. You can usually hear ‘em coming before you see ‘em, if ya know what to listen for.”

I gawked at this Crocodile Dundee wannabe, not registering what he’d just said. GIANT wasps? What the- man, this day just keeps getting worse. I guess he realized I was in over my head and grabbed my forearm, pulling me up and through yet another alleyway. “Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe. Then you can meet the others.” Others?

         Their hideout was modest, but not so much as the old man’s was. There were several cots strewn around what looked like an old high school gymnasium. They even had a depressing living area, complete with couches and bean bags. Their kitchen table had been turned into an armory of sorts, different weapons strewn about with their corresponding ammunitions. I barely saw the others before they converged on Peyton, asking him different questions about supplies and which creatures he discovered. He brushed them aside, and they noticed me for the first time. They all grew quiet, staring at the newcomer.

“Everybody this is Trey. He’s new here, so I want y’all to be accommodating, ya hear?” They all nodded, one of the bigger men coming up to me first.

“I’m Arnie. How long have you been here?” Arnie was tall and broad, but had a kind face and round glasses that made his eyes look beady. I liked him instantly.

“Uh, about half a day I think.” He looked saddened by this, nodding understandingly.

“Well welcome aboard. This is a good bunch of people, once they warm up to you.” I nodded at him, and the next group member came up to me. She was a woman, about 45 or so, with blonde hair and brown eyes. Her face was worn from the sun, but that didn’t diminish her beauty. She introduced herself as Muiri, Arnie’s wife. They seemed like a nice couple. The next member was Dahlia, dressed in all black with ridiculous combat boots on. Her face was pierced in a few spots, and she had tattoos everywhere but her face. She scowled at me as she introduced herself, and I began to see what Arnie meant about them needing to warm up to me. The final member of this ragtag little team was a skinny boy of maybe 20, a messy mop of mousy hair and a permanent stutter. They called him Mouse, even though his name was Gerald. Mouse smiled kindly, and shook my hand (literally. He couldn’t sit still).

         After I’d been introduced to everyone, they gave me a can of beans and soda for lunch. Peyton explained after lunch they usually go scavenging for supplies, and asked if I’d like to come along to get the lay of the land. Before this point, I hadn’t considered staying here long-term. The thought horrified me, but I thought I’d be better off if I at least knew the surrounding area and agreed to tag along with the scavenging party. Muiri stayed behind to hold down the fort. The group set off down the road, the opposite way Peyton had brought me. The walk was quiet; nobody said a word until we heard some clattering in a nearby building. I wished I had a gun, but nobody had offered. Peyton signaled Mouse and Arnie to go around back to look for an alternate escape route. When they came back and said the back was sealed, Peyton told us all to proceed into the building slowly and quietly. I was so afraid. I’d never been one for extreme sports or scary movies; I actually found myself wistful for the mundane life I had led just this morning. We went inside, fanning out once the hallways allowed it. The building appeared to be an old diner, torn and faded booths sandwiching small diner tables. Plates covered the counters, broken and in no order. The clattering got louder as we crossed the serving counter. Peyton motioned for Arnie and Mouse to take the left entrance while he and I took the right. It was then that Peyton handed me a revolver, giving me the thumbs up and a grin. He inched closer to the doorway, peeking in slightly. I looked over him, and was completely blown away by the scene. There were two humanoid figures leaning over a human body, ripping and tearing into the corpse. The clattering came from a form of makeshift armor one of them wore, pans bent to cover its form as much as possible. They were greenish gray, kind of a vomit color. Just as we started to lean back away from the doorway, the one with the pan clothing lifted its head and began to sniff. It had a longer snout than I’d imagined, almost like a dog’s. His eyes were small and beady, hands exaggerated with long claws. Its feet were large as well, but devoid of the deadly claws it had on its hands. It whipped its head around, blood and saliva dripping from its mouth. It saw us and screeched, alerting the other creature to our presence.

“Run!” Peyton shouted to Arnie, Mouse, and me. We took off over the counter, and ran for our lives.

 END PART ONE

[scotianostra]

On June 27th 1937, Robin Hall, folk singer and musician, was born in Edinburgh. 

Robin spent most of his early years in Glasgow and was a direct descendant of Rob Roy Macgregor, and of Mungo Park, the explorer. His mother had been an opera singer and Robin was nurtured on a generous diet of classical music and music hall songs. Robin contracted polio as a child and during his lengthy convalescence his interest in all types of music flourished.

As a teenager, he played with a traditional jazz group, studied the piano, and spent his spare time digging up American folk songs and investigating the folk material of his native Scotland. Hall studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and worked briefly as in actor in repertory theatres. Robin went to London in 1957, armed with a large repertoire of folk songs and a guitar. While in England he recorded a series of EP's for "Collector Records", which are now very hard to find and highly priced. In the 60's, Robin became a bit notorious and controversial for insisting on wearing his Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament badge on the BBC's Tonight Show, for which he was widely criticized.

After Robin left the duo in 1981, he enjoyed a successful career in broadcasting—winning two national radio awards, for best presenter and best documentary, for Radio Clyde's The Sing Song Streets, a program about Glasgow told through songs, stories and children's games.

Sadly, Robin died on November 18, 1998, at the age of 61. Another great folk singer that lived life to excess, lost at an early age. Robin married and divorced twice and was survived by three children.

There's not many Robin Hall solo songs out there, Fitba Crazy, Coulter's Candy, Mingulay Boat Song and the likes are all with his long time singing partner Jimmy, but I did manage to find one song!  

Dundee Weaver is a famous bawdy Glasgow street song

Oh, A'm a Dundee weaver An A come fae bonnie Dundee I met a Glesca fellae An he gaed courtin me He tuik me out a-walkin Doun by the Kelvin Haa An thair the dirty wee rascal stole Ma thingumijig awa An thair the dirty wee rascal stole Ma thingumijig awa

He tuik me oot a-walkin Doun by the Roukin Glen He showed tae me a bonnie wee bird An he showed me a bonnie wee hen He showed tae me the bonnie wee birds Fae a linnet tae a craw An he showed tae me the bird that stole Ma thingumijig awa An he showed tae me the bird that stole Ma thingumijig awa

Noo A'll ging back tae Dundee luikin Bonnie, young an fair A'll pit oan ma buckle an shune An tie back ma bonnie broun hair A'll pit oan ma corsets tight Tae mak ma middle luik smaa An wha wad ken fae ma rosie cheeks That ma thingumijig's awa? An wha wad ken fae ma rosie cheeks That ma thingumijig's awa?

Come aa ye Dundee weavers an Tak this advise fae me Never let a fellae An inch abune yer knee Never staun at the back o a close Or up agin a waa For if ye dae ye can safely say Yer thingumijig's awa For if ye dae ye can safely say Yer thingumijig's awa