vivdunstan

Almost done typing 276 newspaper refs to travelling German accordion performer, tuner and repairer in mid&late 19thC Scotland. Just typed reports of performances in Orkney in 1865 including this one in Holm. Analysis and academic journal paper to follow.

Prompted by the Broughty Ferry Guide and Advertiser going partially online.

Searching for our unusually named street (which has a couple of spellings, including in the past two sets of differently spelled street signs!) finds lots of references to one set of neighbours especially, including advertisements for beauty classes and hair styling, planning permission for a conservatory, their daughter marrying in 1992 with a huge photo and very lengthy report, and a 1982 impromptu charity fundraising jumble sale held by their kids and others held in their drive and the drive of neighbours over the road from us.

For our other immediate neighbours we find a big wedding photo for their daughter. And for our house find the death notice of the 1986 husband of the couple here. His widow lived here for many years after then before we moved in.

Charmed by the extra insights and glimpses into life in the street before we moved in here 21 years ago. And not just the street, but our very immediate neighbours, the two couples living either side of us, and also the couple directly over the road. Who are all still living here today.

Note some of these reports were found in the newly digitised Broughty Ferry paper, but others were found in a more general search of the British Newspaper Archive e.g. for "15 unusual street name", which turned up more references in other local papers, especially the Dundee Courier.

P.S. Also just found the report of a 1992 wedding + photo of a daughter of the couple immediately over the road (the ones where the 1982 jumble sale was partially held in their drive), and also a 1992 engagement notice for their other daughter.

Fab article in the Guardian today.

On to another Sherlock Holmes short story, and again I'm going to discuss this with big spoilers. ( spoiler text )

Spotted this, while checking on the same page another advert from the travelling German accordion player/tuner/repairer I'm researching. Forres, Elgin and Nairn Gazette of 6 May 1903.

More British Newspaper Archive viewing, with the Southern Reporter issues from the 1980s and some 1990s now online. I've just been pulling up lots of reports and adverts for Borders Schools Orchestra concerts. I think the attached one, from May 1984, is the first BSO concert I played in. Certainly "Land of the Mountain and the Flood" was the first piece I learned for the orchestra. I was in Primary 7 then at Wilton. I remained in the orchestra through to leaving school. Playing the violin. Which I am now very very lapsed on! But still have somewhere ... We used to play some fantastic tunes. It was also a really good experience to play in an orchestra.

Looking in the British Newspaper Archive, trying a search for where my Kerr ancestors were living in the early 1900s, among the Cheviot Hills near Yetholm. And found great uncle Andrew - a shepherd - winning loads of sheep competitions. Need to gather these up properly and blog about them sometime! Great Uncle Andrew was a fantastic character who I was lucky to meet several times when I was young. My last visit to his home (by then in Yetholm) saw him get young me to try snuff (!), and also fill me and Mum full of Selkirk bannock. Oh and I drove the three of us to Kelso to buy him more snuff!

This will be blogged on my dedicated genealogy blog. On another branch of the Scottish family a gg-uncle at Melrose was a well known breeder of Border collies and a sheepdog trials judge.