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[sylvestor]

Seeker, Reaper,’ is the story of one man’s life; a life that was inextricably tied up with the ring-net herring fishery, with the men and women whose livelihood it was, and with the boats they built and sailed in pursuit of the shoals of silver fish that spawned and migrated around the coastline of the West and north of Scotland.

That man was Jock Simson. He was born in Dunure in 1901, a point in time virtually mid-way between the first venture into this technique of sea fishing in the 1830s, and its final demise in the 1970s. Jock, the son of a blacksmith, went to sea as a boy with the Ayrshire herring fleet, and even combined his early fishing career with that of a professional footballer with Third Lanark.

In his early twenties he emigrated to United States to join his brother who was already out there working on a cattle ranch. Life as a cowboy in Wyoming didn’t suit Jock however and it wasn’t long before he had found his way to the west coast port of Seattle where with his experience he quickly found a berth on one of the boats in the North Pacific pelagic fleet. He was also able to continue his football career there with the Washington All Stars soccer team

It was in Seattle that he met the girl who was to become his wife, Jen, the daughter of a shipyard dock master. Jen had come along to watch a football match in which Jock was playing. Her interest had been in one of the players in the opposing team, but it was Jock who won the match with a crucial goal and at the same time won the heart of an interested spectator. For several years thereafter, Jock worked his way up and down the west coast of America, Canada and even Alaska, a state that was close to his heart not least because of the excellent offshore fishing grounds there.

In the winter rough water season he fished for dog-fish off the coast of Vancouver Island, but when the summer fishing began in May he was in Alaskan waters fishing for the pacific salmon. At other times he was as far south as California where the pelagic boats were in pursuit of sardines and tuna.

In the early Thirties as America suffered from the Great Depression, Jock brought his wife Jen and their two young children back to Dunure. When the war broke out, he enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve. Like many fishermen, he was detailed to crew the minesweepers, many of which were their own requisitioned fishing boats. This dangerous work took him to the Mediterranean during the North African campaign and later to the convoys that ran arms and supplies to the beleaguered Russians, by way of the North Atlantic and the Barents Sea.

The war over, Jock returned to his old craft as a herring fisherman on the Ayrshire ‘ringers’. It was all hands on deck in those days as the fishing fleet sought to feed the population in the years of austerity. The boats were much bigger now than they had been in the Thirties, they were more robustly powered, allowing them to venture further, and there were many other technical innovations. Jock himself was responsible for the introduction of a winch-driven ‘brailer’ - a steel hoop with a tube of net attached to it that was used to bring the herring catch aboard. Jock had seen similar devices used in the Pacific, and he was much praised for the invention that cancelled out the need for the backbreaking work of lifting shoals of fish aboard with only a basket on a pole.

Despite the happy times they had back in Ayrshire with their young family Jock and Jen hankered for the life they had lived before the war on the shores of the Pacific, and so it was that they decided to return to the West Coast of America in the early Fifties just after when the play is set.

Playwright Eddie Stiven, himself a former fisherman from South Ayrshire, first came across Jock Simson’s story when he and his friend and colleague, Lachie Paterson were putting together a drama seven years ago to portray the lives of the Ring Netters. Over the years they have performed the piece many times in the fishing ports of the Scotland’s north and west coasts, culminating in what they assure us will be their final performance in Dunure, the home port of the play’s protagonist.

‘We wanted to portray the extraordinarily rich and skilful heritage that folk involved with this fishery had, and the great store of tales and lore that they handed down to us,’ says Eddie. ‘We also wanted a way to show Lachie’s unique archive of old photographs of the Ringers, photographs that we present as a slide show accompanied by live music from the period (performed by Shelagh Cameron and ‘The Wild Sarachs’) that intercuts Jock Simson’s tales of his life and times.’

‘The language of the play, Ayrshire Scots, is that of the fishermen of the time when the play is set in the Fifties but there are smatterings of Gaelic and Old Norse in it too as it segues into memories of former times. The tale is of the lore of the fishing, of boats, of superstitions, of good times and lean times both at sea and ashore where much of the toil was undertaken by the women.’

It is in the final scene that this all comes together in the great narrative poem, also entitled ‘Seeker, Reaper’ written by George Campbell Hay. This poem depicts a boat and a voyage; a voyage around the coasts of Scotland, and a journey back in time to the war galleys of the Gaels and even to the long-ships of the Vikings.

This indeed will be a fitting memorial to the life of a man who voyaged over the world’s oceans, a memorial also to the history of Dunure harbour whose bi-centennial will be marked this month. It is also a tribute to the fisherfolk of the South of Scotland and their remarkable relationship with the great silver shoals of herring.

ES

‘Seeker, Reaper’ by Eddie Stiven and Lachie Paterson, accompanied by The Wild Sarachs, Dunure Harbour, Saturday 21st May.

[wbeedie]

Aye this looks good , Lachie was telling me about this when I done my GMDSS ticket with him

[sylvestor]

Celebration of Dunure Harbour Bicentennial

On 6th May 1811 King George III signed the Act of Parliament for

erecting and maintaining a Harbour, and Works connected therewith, at Dunure, in the County of Ayr

thereby allowing the owner, Thomas Kennedy of Dunure, Esquire, to levy Duties upon vessels entering the Harbour and levy Rates upon Commodities which shall be exported or imported in the Vessels..

This May, 200 years later, we will be celebrating the event.

The whole village is awash with ideas and volunteers are busy planning our celebration week which starts on Sunday 15th May. Throughout that week there will be an Exhibition, in the Kennedy Hall, of Dunure and its’ Harbour through the ages. It will include Charts, Maps, Fishing Boats, Fishing Methods, Displays of Memorabilia etc. and all things Seafaring. A detailed Programme of Activities will be available shortly.

On Friday 20th May the focus in the day will be on children and parents. Our Boats and Harbour will be dressed and ready to show off crafts such as Knotting, Fishing Net making, Rope splicing and Lobster Pot making. There will be Story Telling, Traditional Music and Games like hopscotch and skittles. Watch out too for Magicians.  In the evening there will be a quiz on Local Knowledge and History in the Dunure Inn followed by a musical gathering - bring along an instrument if you have one.

Saturday 21st May is the main day and our harbour will be buzzing with activities. Everyone will be encouraged to be in traditional costume. We already have access to quite a lot but hopefully there will be activities, in the lead up to the Festival, making up more especially for the school children.

In addition to the official opening there will be a mock re-enactment of the Charter of Ownership being landed by boat and formally presented to

Thomas Kennedy of Dunure, Esquire, his Heirs, Successors, and Assignees, who are empowered to put the Act in Execution.

Throughout the day there will be live staged music and wandering minstrels entertaining the crowd with their version of sea shanties.

There will be a beer tent, barbeque, and a traditional cooking. For the more genteel there will be tea, coffee and cakes.

Children’s games and entertainment have been organised. Raft races and tug-o-war in the Harbour.

In the evening we will be entertained by the Carradale Player with a diverse range of activities using film, drama and music. The night will climax with a village ceilidh and a flash, bang, wallop fireworks display at midnight.

For more information please contact:

Kevin Murphy, PR & Publicity: 01292 500421 07715 369929

kevinmurphy2004@hotmail.co.uk

Make sure you have Saturday 21st May clear

for a

FULL DAY & NIGHT of Celebrations



Please keep checking back to keep up to date as plans develop


Bicentennial Celebration Saturday 21st May 2011