Cluaran Heritage Project
Craft club is teaming up with the museum service, Annan photo club, and local reenactors to bring characters from the past to life.
Try out things to wear at craft club on the 8th of feb
Tales at the tap on the 15th
Photoshoot on the 22nd!
*** Extra information about the photoshoot
Muster at the workshop by 6pm to share lifts, Or turn up at Kate’s Kitchen on Annan High street at 6.30 for a 7pm start. Tom Hughes from the museums is the organiser.
***
More info and sign up for updates here:
The third Thursday in February is the 15th.
We will be starting a bit later from now on, moving the gathering time to 7pm
Last month there were some hilarious moments when we played an improvised storytelling game.
This month features a mix of music and story led by Simon and Kate. What would you like to hear?
Here are some of the stories we collected at this years Nithraid as people responded to the online form and our time travelling crew.
We asked the questions:
Oswy Shinnelson is from Tynron Doon, British Hill Fort. The river links me to the wider world. The Shinnel is a tributary of the River Nith which connects as a sea road to the Solway and the Irish Sea. He Navigates the River Nith to the sea and beyond Teh connection he feels to Caerlaverock is that the Wardlaw is a British Hill Fort allied to Tynron Doon in the Rheged Celtic Kingdom. The River is one of the roads to the world and beyond to God.
Otter came from Mull and lives near the river. Clean water is important and they love the Caeverlock Castle Magic.
Alexander Alison is a Renaissance man who lives in Carsethorne. He loves the way the Nith links him to the wider world, A gateway to the new world and the republic.
It represents Freedom from tyranny and The men they couldn’t hang. He believes we need to be free from the past and that the river could do with dredging as it is a mediocre port.
Davey is from Dumfries. He lives near the river. It is important to him as it reminds him, daily, of the insignificance of our time amidst the natural world around us. He enourages you to take a walk up and down the rivers course, and reflect on how Caerlaverock Castle and Wardlaw allowed powerful people to monitor and control movement in and out of the river. It is an important and overlooked natural resource that requires our attention and imaginations.
Trulnanvar is part of all that is beyond and before, the great nothingness. I use it, it flows in me, around me, through me … it is sound, unending force, reflected light, still darkness … dip a toe in the river, they have been and shall be again
River drip, River ice, River stream, vast expanse, trickle damp mist …
As well as telling stories in the pub, floating a boat on the time-streams and making things with wind, fire, water and earth Cluaran also is the vessel we use to give school pupils hands on experiences of history.
This Thursday (the 16th of November) we will load up the boat to head to “Tales from the Tap” – hopefully avoiding any flooding. Once the tales are told Cathbad and Toma the Vikings will be driving north and east to Dunedin. Friday will be spent in the 10th century with Cargilfield School in Edinburgh.
All these activities mesh together and with Quartz. Making heritage accessible hands on – even the aspects of heritage you need to practice #SensingSpirituality to become aware of.
If you are interested in working in schools bringing history to life please get in touch. Sometimes we use costumes and characters, sometimes science and crafts. There is training, formal volunteering opportunities, and even the chance to develop it into a paying job.
Obviously, we have to start on the Clyde…
One of the long term ambitions of Cluaran has been to row from Glasgow to Edinburgh, perhaps carrying some cargo, like a keg of Ale.
To whet your appetite here is a wee video of the crew of “Black Agnes” achieving that aim (without the keg).
This would obviously take some training and equipping, so we have other ideas lined up to get more used to messing around in boats.
Autumn is here and plans are germinating. Here is a selection of current activities planned.
The 19th of October will see the return of Simon and Kate to the Riverside Tap. Turn up from 6pm for a blether, and stories with music will start at 6.30.
The Tap doesn’t serve food, but doesn’t object if you bring a pizza in either. They are also experimenting with stocking some mead.
How often do you get the opportunty to listen to Sami stories and music? instead of craft club, and as it’s the school holidays, we are going to “Northern Tales” at the Stove instead.
Northern Tales & Tunes
Date: Thu, Oct 26 • 19:30 BST
Location: 100 High Street, Dumfries, DG1 2BJ
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/northern-tales-tunes-tickets-679979917237?aff=ebdsshother
Craft Club will be back on Thursday the 2nd of November. Finish your S-Hook or start another project.
And if you are interested in mead, this is Simons favourite supplier at the moment.
At Nithraid in 2023 Cluaran had a crew gathered from a variety of times and places. They are all connected by the river Nith, but may have very different opinions about it. Over the coming months we will introduce you to them.
First up from the future we have Ola…
Meet Ola
She is from 3033 and time travels back in time when the tide comes in up the river Nith.
In her future there is no land, and everyone lives under water. Due to micro plastics in our current timeline Ola’s people have developed scales on their legs (which are multi coloured) and a neoprene type skin that covers their feet. This helps them swim in their underwater world.
A chemical created (in her timeline) to dissolve micro plastics in the sea mutated and humans started to develop ability to breath underwater. This is how their skin and scales developed.
In Ola’s world the currency they use are pelican foot shells. These shells are prised highly with her people and can only be collected from some beaches along the coast of Dumfries and Galloway up to the end of the 21st century. None exist in her time, and this is usually why she comes back to our time. There she can collect them and walk along beaches that no longer exist in 3033.
Her cloak has a bright purple lining and gold and blue panels with floral designs. These have been inspired by the banks of the river Nith.
Ola has not yet spoken about how her world came to be under the sea, but she likes to talk to people about looking after our world in 2023.
— Ola, time traveller
More stories to follow! After craft club though. We will probably be casting playing pieces for early medieval games this evening.
What stories would you like to hear?
Thursday the 28th of October, 7pm
This will be a general craft club, try something new or get round to finishing a project with friends!
The internet is awash with photos from this years Nithraid. Our crew didn’t race, but we had many discussions with people about the river.
In our time travelling ship we had Brigid the Selgovae, a Border reiver, a pirate and even a visitor from a future waterworld. Their stories will be told in another post, but while you are waiting here is a short video of images from our cattle rustling…