Sectrianism

[Lachlan09]

Looking back at my childhood upbringing in Musselburgh in the 1960’s, there was no great show of sectarian friction from where I stood. Sure, there was an RC primary school in town, (Loretto RC), but then again, there were other primary schools too, Campie (my old school), Burgh, Pinkie, Wallyford and Whitecraig. Out of school, everyone played together, RC & non-RC and in school, the schools played football matches against each other. But it was all-inclusive. The only inkling I got from these days that RC was different was (as I mentioned in a previous post) that all Musselburgh primary schools got fish on a Friday !

At home, there was no talk of sectarianism or partisan politics or support. My Dad came from Kintyre, Argyll and did not have a single sectarian bone or thought in his body – it wasn’t in his family traditions or local upbringing. My mum, a Musselburgh lassie, was aware of the Orangemen’s Walk which paraded through Musselburgh each 12 July, but while she genuinely thought it just another harmless parade with flags and music just weeks before the Honest Toun’s Festival (a pure coincidence), she never took me or my brother to see it. In fact, the first I ever became aware of a thing called Orangemen’s Walk was when I got a Letts diary for Christmas and was looking through listed holidays and events and saw it. At the time, I thought it must be to do with fruit sellers !

Then for me in 1965, things changed slightly. Primary school was over and that August I started at Musselburgh Grammar School. My contemporaries from Loretto RC now bussed to Dalkeith St David’s RC Secondary - another town. Out of school, we found our RC pals became a bit more distant than before and they now palled around with lads and lassies from their school. I felt I was just as I’d always been, but now things seemed cooler somehow and we didn’t pal around so much. I suppose we’d say it was possible that had these lads attended another non-RC school outside Musselburgh (such as Preston Lodge or Broughton), then something similar might have happened. New friends from the same school etc, life moves on. But then again, we played these schools at rugby, while Dalkeith St David’s kept themselves to themselves.

However, I was becoming a little more aware of sectarian issues as I was growing up (this was before The Troubles started and Bernadette Devlin filled the news). In my class was a lad whose Dad was in the Orange Lodge. While just a schoolmate, he represented something which existed in my town, but I wasn’t fully aware of its significance yet.

Every Hogmanay, when everyone first-footed etc, I used to stay up as long as I could (and was allowed) to boast at school about it later. It became a bit of a show, with some of the neighbours all playing their part. One scene always played out each time was a unco fu’ Mrs Gi----, glass in one hand, 27th fag in other, getting up and singing these slow dirgy Irish songs which bored the life out of me. It turns out they were “Republican” songs. When I became a teen, I learned from somewhere (probably schoolmates) what these were about and the RC/Proddie “thing”. Meanwhile, a younger neighbour who’d just started at Dalkeith St Davids, one day without warning called my brother a blue-nose as he cycled past. My brother was non-plussed as he’d done absolutely nothing to warrant it. When I heard, I knew something was up.

1968 – My great year on teenage rebellion etc etc – shorter in duration than even the 1719 Jacobite Rebellion ! I was 15 and it was summer. I was going to youth discos in the town with my pals, meeting girls etc. I was also learning bass guitar. My little hormones were kicking in. I also felt like protesting about something but everyone was doing the Vietnam thing. Totally against all sense, I used my pocket money (until now used for records by The Small Faces, Vanilla Fudge and such) to buy 2 LP’s of Orange songs with singers, flutes, accordions, drums etc. All the favourites were there “The Sash”, “The Scottish Sash”, “Derry’s Walls”, “The Green Grassy Slopes” and many more. Then one day, I laid my ambush. My mate and I were in my bedroom listening to records with the window open on that warm summer afternoon during the school hols when Mrs Gi---- was seen passing on the pavement below. My mate and I put on an orange record really loud as she passed by. That would get her back for her IRA songs every new year !

What can I say ? Mrs Gi---- grassed (not the green grassy slopes kind either) to my Dad when he returned home after work, who in quick order proceeded to rip me a new arse !! The records were binned and I was reduced to a quivering jelly (well, my Dad was ex-army !). End of my big rebellion !!

I was also sent to Mrs Gi----‘s house to apologise deeply.

I never had much comings and goings with Catholics after that, not avoidance, just not many chances to meet and greet. However, in 1975, I was at a house party in Dalkeith and met a lovely young lady (Anne Marie Carr) and before long we were getting on famously. We even dated and I felt like Henry Kissenger bridging the divide between the two factions !!

Years later, my wife is RC and there’s no hang-ups whatsoever. I’ve even sat in on RC masses and gone with my wife to a Basilica in the Philippines and queued for ages in bare feet with pilgrims so they could touch a statue.

PS Tig – You can blame my love for Hearts on Jimmy Spence, my Dad’s best pal, who was RC and Hearts-mad and who brainwashed me about Hearts when I was about 3 years old (1956, the year Hearts won the Scottish Cup) !

All said and done, there’s a lot more common ground than differences and that’s what we should all remember. The differences sound anal – I mean, when you hear that arguments can brew over whether the wine represents the blood of Christ or becomes the blood of Christ, it sounds like the sort of fine detail which could keep lawyers in golf club memberships for years !

[tig]

Originally Posted by Lachlan09

All said and done, there’s a lot more common ground than differences and that’s what we should all remember.

well said mate

thats whats ive always been taught and teach my kid the same.

shame some look for the differences tho.

theres still no excuse for being a hearts fan tho

[Lachlan09]

Originally Posted by tig

theres still no excuse for being a hearts fan tho

Watching us slip down the table again (6th position now) and Celtic and the 'Well way ahead on 29 points, maybe I should go back to my wife's church and pray for a miracle !

[maxkirk]

That could backfire on you , with Celtic being the beneficiary of your genuflection