South of England Postcard Fair – 2000

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Julie Goucher

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Weekend Cooking ~ Burns Night

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Julie Goucher

Across the globe, thousands of people with Scottish Heritage celebrate the birth of the Scottish Poet Rabbie Burns on 25 January. Traditionally there is a Burns Supper of Haggis, Neep and Tatties to celebrate the event.

Rabbie Burns 1759 – 1796

The formal supper starts with a welcome and announcements then the Selkirk Grace.

Selkirk is one of the oldest towns in the Borders of Scotland. The Grace itself is a prayer and said before a meal. Here is the prayer in both Scottish and English translation:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

Some have food and cannot eat,
And some would eat that lack it,
But we have food and we can eat,
So let God be thanked.

After the Grace everyone stands as the Haggis is carried into the room to the sound of bagpipes. The Haggis is laid at the hosts table and then there is the cutting of the Haggis and the famous poem “Address to a Haggis” is read.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dicht,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht,
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
“Bethankit” hums.

Is there that o’re his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect scunner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his wallie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whistle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thristle.

Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,

Gie her a haggis!

At the end of the poem there is a whisky toast to the Haggis. Then the meal is consumed.

The meal itself is Haggis served with mashed potato known as tatties and mashed neep which are turnip if you are in Scotland or Suede if you are south of the border!

When the meal reaches the coffee stage there is a toast to the Monarch . After the meal an “Immortal Memory” takes place. This is usually a speech on the life and poetry works of Robert Burns and the evening concludes with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne* ?

 
CHORUS: 
For auld lang syne, 
my jo, for auld lang syne, 
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, 
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
 
CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.
 
CHORUS

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie’s a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.
 

CHORUS

Haggis can be found in most super markets here in the UK. They are usually found on the fresh meat counters and can be frozen. I routinely have at least two in the freezer. They do need defrosting before cooking.

Picture of ready cooked Haggis

Haggis can be cooked in a variety of ways

  1. Haggis can be cooked on the hob, in a pan of boiled water. As soon as the water boils reduce the heat and add the Haggis, with the water simmering it takes around an hour.
  2. Haggis can also be cooked in the oven, remove from the plastic casing and wrap in tin foil. Place the Haggis into an oven proof dish with a little water and cook, usually for around an hour.
  3. Haggis can also be cooked via the microwave, I usually remove the outer plastic and skin, and don’t forget the metal clips at the ends! Cut the Haggis into small segments and cook on full power. Length of time will vary depending on your microwave.

Haggis Pie

Cook Suede and Potatoes
Haggis cooked for about 3 minutes in the microwave (mine is 900w)
Cut Haggis into sections and place in bottom of a dish, I use a Lasagna dish
Mash Suede and place on top of Haggis
Mash potato and place on top of Suede.
Place in Oven for (mine is fan assisted) so 20 minutes until nice and brown.

Wee Beestie!

Cook Haggis and break into bits with a fork.
Serve on a bed of mashed potato and mashed suede (neep)
cover with cheese sauce and a light dusting of black pepper to taste

Haggis is available in most supermarkets in the UK as either fresh or in some cases in tinned form. In the US it is available, certainly a few examples of companies that have a US outlets or ship to the US are  – http://www.scottishhaggis.com/index.aspx

 – http://www.britishdelights.com/

(I have no financial gain from the companies mentioned.)

 Taking part in Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads
Weekend Cooking

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Nature, Nurture or something else…..

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Julie Goucher

Last night my blogging buddy Pauleen from Family history across the seas reshared a post that she wrote back in 2012.  The post, which can be read HERE talks about how Pauleen feels of being an Australian.  I read the post as I did two years ago and noticed that I consistently left the same remark on the comment page.

I was born in England, my Mum is English with her roots spanning 300 years across the south east in the home counties of Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, with one line that only arrived in Surrey from Warwickshire in the early 20th Century. My paternal line is Italian, well Sicilian to be quite precise. I have never lived in Italy and yet can feel very Italian when I am with a group of people who ask me about my Italian heritage, whilst feeling very Anglo when with a group of Italians.

A few years ago now, I was at a meeting describing a situation that happened in the workplace. A colleague asked me, if I had dealt with the situation with the English or Italian bit of my brain. Even now when I contemplate that question I have to pause and think. I have to think, because I simply do not know. I responded in quite a natural way for me,  but was that in an Italian manner?
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of…
According to my reading journal I read a book called Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour back in 2005. From memory it was an interesting book and I may well read it again; and soon.

The question that I do ask and send out into the ether, is can we feel a genetic pull to a place or destination? I feel an real connection with Australia and did so before I lived there in the early 1990’s. Is that pull, simply a coincidence or does it reflect a family connection right back to my first family member lived there in the early 1800’s?

I am from a generation where it was common to take a gap year and travel. My close friend went to New Zealand and after returning she went onto University. I meanwhile qualified then went to Australia before returning, picking up my profession and building a career. I also acquired a husband too!

With so much of my family history being English, and England’s history of being exploratory and building an Empire is that just circumstantial or is it part of the English genetics rather than specific to my genetics?

Such an interesting question to ponder and I suspect that I may never know the answer, but what do you think?

 

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South of England Postcard Fair – 1997

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Julie Goucher

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Sepia Saturday 212 ~ Snow Abound

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Julie Goucher

We have been lucky so far this winter. It has been very wet rather than snowy. Personally I would rather have it cold that wet. Either way, here is a look back at yesteryear!

This is from my Guildford & District Collection & is Farnham Road Guildford (Hogs Back) on 28th December1927. Brr!

Taking part of Sepia Saturday

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Australia Day Challenge 2014: C’mon Aussie

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Julie Goucher

My blogging buddy, Pauleen from Family History Across the Seas has organised a fun little meme for Australia Day. As I blogged for Australia Day in previous years – 2011, 2012, 2013 I simply “had to” take part for 2014, although I have not answered all the questions.

My first ancestor to arrive in Australia was: George Bridges Bellasis and his wife Esther nee King who I blogged about in 2011 (and many times since). George was an officer in the Honourable East India Company and was transported on a ship called “The Fly” for killing a man in a duel for being dishonourable to his sister in law. George was pardoned and returned to India and his previous role in the HEIC. Meanwhile, Esther left behind in Australia this lovely piece of artwork, one of the earliest pieces painted by a woman.

This is called “The Carrajan by Mrs Bellasis, Sydney” and was painted circa 1803. I sent off to the archive, The Mitchell Library, State Library for NSW, for a electronic copy and it is one of my genealogical treasures.

I’m an Aussie mongrel, my ancestors came to Oz from: My family lines that went to Australia were all from England.

Did any of your ancestors arrive under their own financial steam? Yes, some did. John Ellis and his wife Sarah migrated to Geelong in Victoria in 1854 under an assisted migrant scheme. John Hunt Butcher and his wife Sarah migrated under completely their own steam to Victoria and then to Tasmania in 1821. Branches of that family moved west to Western Australia.

Did one person lead the way and others follow? Yes, In the case of John Ellis and his family they were followed by Sarah Ellis’ brother Josiah Turpin who travelled with his nephew Josiah Ellis a year later. John Hunt Butcher was I believed tempted to try the new land through his brother in law William James Burchell who was a famous botanist who had spent time in South Africa and South America.

Did anyone make a two-step emigration via another place?Other lines of Burchell family were planning to migrated to Australia, as they applied (and were granted a land grand) but stopped off in South Africa to see other family and stayed there.

Did any of your ancestors leave Australia and go “home”? Go home, who would really want to? The only one was George Bridges Bellasis who was pardoned and returned to India via England.

The Section of the meme called NOW IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU I have decided to miss out however, I have had family members since 1803 somehow involved with Australia the last member of my family to migrate there was in 1947. So is Australia and the travelling gene in my blood? Quite possibly.
As to a Australian bucket list destination – I have travelled a fair bit in Australia, but something that is on my list is to do what I have called the Hunt Butcher circuit. I want to explore the destinations of the family of John Hunt Butcher.
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Society Saturday – Getting Involved…..

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Julie Goucher

Over the years I have been involved with several family history societies, but why did I bother?

When I first dipped my toes into the genealogy & family history Society arena I was steered in the direction of the local society. That was back in 1988, and I have been a member of that Society ever since.

That was the days before the Internet and the days before on-line facilities. The way to become involved with a society was to pay the appropriate membership fee and in exchange receive a quarterly journal. For this particular Society I still have all those journals, all 104 of them! Surname interests were submitted to the Society using pen and paper and inserted into an envelope with a stamp. They appeared in the journal within a few months. In order to “connect” or share information with a fellow member you wrote a letter. I am still in touch with several of those early day researchers. One has become a great friend and resides in New Zealand. I can still recall the excitement when an envelope arrived with a New Zealand stamp on and I devoured the letter full of details of domestics, holidays, friendship and of course family history, the latest finds and discoveries.

This was the days of indexing parish records, monumental inscriptions and strays and much, much more. The data was indexed, checked and collated on index cards and slips and stored in shoe boxes. There was an army of volunteers working for the benefit of the members and the society. Working in a way that was completely alien to many of the new genealogists of today. I recall checking a series of monumental inscriptions at the churchyard of a rural parish in Surrey during a series of lunch breaks, in the days when pharmacies closed for lunch. Really it was all very civilised and looking back on the changes both within my profession and family history we really have been on a quite a journey.

A volunteer held those shoe boxes of data and undertook look ups on behalf of the Society. There might have been a fee to members or non members. It depended on the indexes and the Society. As I write this I have glanced back through a few of the early journals. Some of those journals contained articles from members who were deemed knowledgeable within the Society and many have since passed away after contributing so much.

Today, we can pay a fee and access an amazing amount of records via the on-line portals and business of Ancestry, FindmyPast and several others. Genealogy and family history is at risk of being deemed an on-line and “there at the touch of a button” hobby, but that is a subject for another Society Saturday.

I believe in giving back. Not necessarily to the Society that I have gained so much from, but to the wider hobby, obsession, genealogical arena. Paying the way forward in terms of knowledge, support and simply providing funds in the form of membership fees. That first Society I mentioned above had their annual fee at £6 for over 15 years and for me it was worth at least two or three times that. That Society is established in my home County. I have not attended a meeting for over 15 years because of geography, but I look forward to the journals and usually read them within days of it arriving. The membership secretary is in fact the one that processed my membership back in 1988!

Perhaps the instinct to belong to something somehow kicks into our minds and encourages us to part with cash to join a group of like minded people. Whatever the reason, stepping forward to Societies that we are members of,.and assisting in the society growing, moving forward into a new dimension of family history is important not just to the society but to us as individuals.

I believe that it is not necessarily what our Society can do for us, but what can we do for our Society.

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Book of Me, Written by Me, Prompt 21

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Julie Goucher

Today is week 21 of what is going to be a 15 month project. Each Saturday, at around 12.30am UK time I will release the prompt for that week’s Book of Me, Written by You.

If you are new here, welcome! The details, background flyer and Face Book link to the Book of Me can be found HERE.

This week’s prompt is – Hobbies

  • Childhood hobbies & collections
  • Did you share a “passion” with a family member or friend?
  • Tell us about it – How, why, where
  • Do you still have any old hobbies – the ones that have been with you since childhood?
  • Do you still have those childhood collections?
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The In-Depth Genealogist – Digital Magazine – Issue 12 – OUT NOW!

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Julie Goucher

Picture
The next issue of the free digital magazine is available NOW!

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You can read my Introduction post HERE and you can follow the column by visiting The In-Depth Genealogist website and subscribing via email or via twitter and Facebook.

This month’s Across the Pond column is about the Survey into Life and Labour in London by Charles Booth

Happy reading & researching!

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Guildford Railway Poster

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Julie Goucher

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