Tattie Houkin'

[trinkie]

How many of you remember Tattie Houkin' ?
Have you any stories of the back-breaking work you did to earn a few pennies in the school holiday?

I was reminded of it, when I saw a wonderful old photo on the blog The Long Loft Again - see front page, it's a great story -( and thank you for it.)

It would be good to see some more old pictures if anyone has such a thing.

Trinkie

[Tighsonas4]

wasnt one of our school holidays given supposed to be for tattie howking tony

[Anne x]

I did it once for a week (well mon-fri) at at farm outside the village we were all picked up and dropped off by the farmer £1 a day we got I remember how cold it was and hard work but the laughs we had as most of the class were there but £5 could buy you loads then

[Sunflower]

The October school holidays - aka The Tattie Holidays.....

[Bad Manners]

We used to live on a large farm and got lots of people in for the tattie houkin it was hard work but good fun as we were all given stints and we would race each other to see who would finish their stint first.
We make for that time quite a bit of money. I woudnt want to do it now.

[jock leith]

All of us who were born and bred in Kennedy Terrace & Cairndhunna Terrace used to pick Tatties at Martins Farm & Carnabays farm which were both at the top of Kennedy Terrace,we were paid 10 bob and a bag of Tatties

[Alice in Blunderland]

All of us who were born and bred in Kennedy Terrace & Cairndhunna Terrace used to pick Tatties at Martins Farm & Carnabays farm which were both at the top of Kennedy Terrace,we were paid 10 bob and a bag of Tatties

My dad was born and bred in Kennedy Terrace and he remembers well the tattie pickin along with many other very funny stories which he often tells us. :eek:

What they got up to and they talk about the youth of today.......only joking they didnt have much but they were never bored.

My dad and all his brothers there were many worked on Carnaby farm in fact they practically lived there.
A right bunch they wre do you know them

Barclay ,William, Jackie, Donnie to name a few.

[Welcomefamily]

As a kid (12-14) and when not working on the Grandparents farm, I would pick black currents or strawberries down south.
Soon found out that if you picked Blacberries from the hedge you could sell them to the local hotels in the nearby towns and get much more.

While at University I spent one summer picking grapes in France and Olives in Italy. Never made much but covered the accommodation,travel, food, wine and lifes other few essientials. Real insight into their real culture.

[golach]

I lived on a farm, my father was a farm labourer, and it was expected that the labourers children over the age of 12, and their wives to go Tattie Howking. The farmer that owned the farm would not allow outsiders to work in his fields, so no Dundonians were allowed.
All the Tattie dreels were measured out in steps by the Grieve, and each Adult received a length of that dreel known as a "Bit", children under 14 got a half bit. The Greive often got stick from the Wives for lengthening his stride if he did not get on with that certain family. We were paid shillings a day in the middle 50's, and dare any farmer to pay less than the farmer down the road, the Wifes would create merry hell. I once experienced a "Walk out" by the wives and all the children on a farm that would not pay the going price of the area, the demented farmer was pulling his hair out in lumps, as he had nearly half a field of Tatties lying open to the elements needing to be lifted. The Husbands of the Wifies were all black afronted at their wives flying in the face of their employers, but to no avail.
The Farmer had to personally go around all his tattie howkers houses, in the company of his Greive, incase he got abused lol, and offered the higher rate, which I remember was an increase of 5 shillings a day, from 12 & 6 to 17 & 6, we kids had just had our first experience of Worker Power, and never realised we had taken part in our first Strike.
My own sons, a pair of Townies lasted half a day Tattie Howking, and they were getting paid £2.50 a day, the work was too hard , they still say to this day [lol]
We also had to go to the Berries in the summer months, Strawberry's, Black Currents.....and Rasps, I have never eaten Raspberry jam since!!!!!

[jock leith]

What was their surname ,we lived in No 11

[Alice in Blunderland]

They were stick Bremners lot at no 52.

Others in the street were the
Farquhars
Macauleys
Shaws
Lizzie Innes and family
Rosies
Hendersons
Gunns
Millers

Long gone are the Carnabys only fond memmories now and a field of houses where the tatties used to grow.

[111heather]

my parents lived next door to donnie all our lives they were good neighbours we usedto live at no 50

[plumber]

My dad was born and bred in Kennedy Terrace and he remembers well the tattie pickin along with many other very funny stories which he often tells us. :eek:

What they got up to and they talk about the youth of today.......only joking they didnt have much but they were never bored.

My dad and all his brothers there were many worked on Carnaby farm in fact they practically lived there.
A right bunch they wre do you know them

Barclay ,William, Jackie, Donnie to name a few.
Seems I may know of you Alice in Blunderland, there was also a David, George and Ernie not to mention the girls Nancy, Jane and Lilly think there was more but cant be sure

[Kathy@watten]

We live on a farm here and yeah also remember fondly (or not so) tattie picking as a child for pennies when I lived at home, but now I personally have managed to pick enough tatties for dinner twice and quite enjoyed the picking, felt quite good actually! My own kids love going to the tattie field and picking tatties but asyet they are unaware of the wage situation and so far have not asked for any money...hope they don't read this post and become savvy with the current wage debates!

[silverfox57]

went tattie picking for Alex Murray , there where a few boys from wick we walked to back of haster,alex asked one day if anyone can drive a tractor,
as it was raining ,said I could drive ,so of i went so got the hung of it ,at end day got
sixpence a hour extra for tractor man,think must have been about 12 at the time,

[Alice in Blunderland]

Seems I may know of you Alice in Blunderland, there was also a David, George and Ernie not to mention the girls Nancy, Jane and Lilly think there was more but cant be sure


My dad is David. There was twelve of them and as my dad said to us once it was a case of first up best dressed ............ :eek:

They went tattie picking as well as many other jobs on the farm.

Tommy was another brother but would need to ask for the others names.

[TBH]

All of us who were born and bred in Kennedy Terrace & Cairndhunna Terrace used to pick Tatties at Martins Farm & Carnabays farm which were both at the top of Kennedy Terrace,we were paid 10 bob and a bag of Tatties
I remember a story that Carnabay when asked if he was worried about the Colorado beetle eating his potatoes, he said, "Am more worried aboot e' Cairndhuna beetle"

[trinkie]

Great memories ! Thank you for sharing.

I was trying to remember which kind of tatties they would have been growing then.

Kerr's Pinks
Golden Wonders
Maris Pipers ?? Am I right, any more ?

There would be endless chat about the 'tattie' at the dinner table, whether 'dry' or 'wet' - a good 'masher' or not !

After boiling the tatties the water was drained off and the spuds left to dry for a few minutes. There was a story that the Farmer's wife would run round the cottage with the open pan until the tatties looked dry enough !

Well, they certainly dont taste as nice nowadays I'm quite sure!

Trinkie

[jock leith]

Certainly remember your family.Robert More lived with his granny at No 1, other family names were,Sinclairs (alfie,james etc) No5. Jimmy Dunne No 9 .Kate & Bele Murray No 7.Harpers No 13.
Alakina No15.Malcolms No 17 .Mathesons,John Mcleod & Lambs.Harry Hotshot,Harry Greig who used to look after the Harmsworth park when there was vegetable plots at the top end (Kennedy) When he died, Willie & Nancy Durrand moved in.There are many more but in those days we Knew people by their Nick-Names. Any one else out there remember Kennedy Families

[Lavenderblue2]

Great memories ! Thank you for sharing.

I was trying to remember which kind of tatties they would have been growing then.

Kerr's Pinks
Golden Wonders
Maris Pipers ?? Am I right, any more ?

There would be endless chat about the 'tattie' at the dinner table, whether 'dry' or 'wet' - a good 'masher' or not !

After boiling the tatties the water was drained off and the spuds left to dry for a few minutes. There was a story that the Farmer's wife would run round the cottage with the open pan until the tatties looked dry enough !

Well, they certainly dont taste as nice nowadays I'm quite sure!

Trinkie

Morning Trinkie, Yes you are quite right with your tattie names - one tattie I used to love was the 'Long Blue', I haven't seen them for sale for years now. I've tried Googling this pototo and I can't find it - maybe L/B is just it's Caithness name.

We were out to dinner with cousins on Friday night and we had 'Pink Fur Apple' a long pink skinned tattie, quite waxy in texture.

[silverfox57]

my father had one of the plots in willowbank, and remember having long blue tatties,boiled cod and real butter,

[trinkie]

Lavenderblue ---- Yum yum, the delicious Long Blue, the best tattie ever for chips ! Size does matter!

However, I wouldn't say no to Long Blue, boiled cod and butter....your place or mine ?

But - 'Pink Fur Apple' I hae ma doots? What were they like with a high fallootin name like that?

Do you remember the fuss when Tattie Soup was being made, and trying to get a tattie with the right texture - one which wouldn't fall apart in the pan ? I suppose a waxy tattie would be suitable for that.

Trinkie

[Lavenderblue2]

The Pink Fur Apple tattie:
A late maturing salad potato with distinctive, long, knobbly tubers. Yellow flesh with "new potato" flavour even after storage. Maybe a bit too waxy for me though.

I've never used the Long Blue for chips before, I just love the flavour of them boiled. Oh I really wish I could get a puckle from somewhere.

I always use the Kerrs Pink for my tattie soup - I made my first pan of the season on Saturday - yummy! We ate it with thick slices of Reid's Bakers seedy brown loaf.

If I can get the tatties we'll toss a coin for who makes the boiled cod and butter Trinkie...:)

[Tighsonas4]

there seems to be no mention of edyzl blues
golden wonders was a good tattie but had to be carefully boiledor you had tattie soup unexpectedly
most popular earlys here were duke of york and sharps express
main crop was kerrs pinks as they were a tattie that would keep
the roosters seem to have replaced them to some extent now as they also keep well
golden wonders was for tatties and herring [lol] tony

[Alice in Blunderland]

Certainly remember your family.Robert More lived with his granny at No 1, other family names were,Sinclairs (alfie,james etc) No5. Jimmy Dunne No 9 .Kate & Bele Murray No 7.Harpers No 13.
Alakina No15.Malcolms No 17 .Mathesons,John Mcleod & Lambs.Harry Hotshot,Harry Greig who used to look after the Harmsworth park when there was vegetable plots at the top end (Kennedy) When he died, Willie & Nancy Durrand moved in.There are many more but in those days we Knew people by their Nick-Names. Any one else out there remember Kennedy Families

Do you remember Mary Tulloch she and Winnie used to frequent the pubs before many a lady did. :eek:
Was Harry Greig the father of Greig the bobby?
Jimmy Gunn the traindriver lived in the cottage beside the burn up from Carnabys he used to also go to the tattie pickin or on days off helped on the farm.

Do you remember the shop in Kennedy terrace ? it was Nellie Sinclair who had that.

My dad also remembers Carnabys fear of the cairndhuna beetle :lol: it was much bigger than the Colorado beatle he could lose more tatties to that one.
One of Carnabys brothers Willie settled in New Zealand as a teanager and had a sheep ranch in the South. None of the Carnabys ever married ( wise folk )

Back to tatties long blues and kerr pinks was the main tattie crop.

The long blue was an early tattie the kerr pink a dry. :cool:

[George Brims]

The best blue tattie was the Beauty, Beauty of Hebron to give it its full name. Lots of people who moved to other parts of the country have tried to grow them elsewhere, but they just don't thrive like they do in Caithness.

A lot of those varieties aren't allowed for commercial cultivation any more (EU rules) since the newer breeds are more disease resistant, but I remember a mannie down about Perth was cultivating a lot of them to keep the old varieties going. I saw him on TV years ago. He was pretty old then so unless he's a very long lived man he is probably not on the go any more. I hope someone took over his crusade.

Of course the older varieties taste better than the mass cultivated ones. That applies even if you grow the new ones in small garden plots like the old ones.

[Lavenderblue2]

Beauties!! They are the ones George - oh yes, I can taste them now - they were so good.

Thanks for that.

[Tighsonas4]

[quote=Alice in Blunderland;450910]Do you remember Mary Tulloch she and Winnie used to frequent the pubs before many a lady did. :eek:
Was Harry Greig the father of Greig the bobby?
Jimmy Gunn the traindriver lived in the cottage beside the burn up from Carnabys he used to also go to the tattie pickin or on days off helped on the
the story goes that jimmy greigs first one nicked was his faither
in those days the mountain was likesomething out west [lol] tony

[trinkie]

George, I think you are right, there was someone 'researching' the Caithness tatties. I'm sure I saw that on the telly too. I hope they continue with the work.

I expect the big problem is supplying Supermarkets, who want tatties to be all one size.

Was there a Pentland Potato ?

Trinkie

[Tighsonas4]

George, I think you are right, there was someone 'researching' the Caithness tatties. I'm sure I saw that on the telly too. I hope they continue with the work.

I expect the big problem is supplying Supermarkets, who want tatties to be all one size.

Was there a Pentland Potato ?

Trinkie
yes trinkie pentland dell was one and i think there could have been another but canna mind tony

[Alice in Blunderland]

tony

I believe Jimmy did nick his faither for cycling without lights or something along those lines.

Not that my dad frequented the mountain but you are correct in likening it to the West you missed out the word wild.

Not only did my dad pick tatties on Carnabys farm but he also went up regularly for chaff for their mattresses on the beds.

Milk was also collected from the farm on a regular supply as in they went up and milked the cows themselves with Carnabys permission.

My uncle Barclay worked with the horses on the farm and my uncle Donny made nets for them for their screws. He was a good friend and regular visitor right up until George and the two sisters moved into the care home.

What happpened to the farm is all of it no longer in existence?

Long blues were a great tattie according to my dad but because of disease you can no longer buy them in the shops they were taken off the market.

[Venture]

my father had one of the plots in willowbank, and remember having long blue tatties,boiled cod and real butter,

I did a fair bit of tattie lifting in my younger days. I loved all the home baking etc at half-yoking.

I can remember the boiled cod, long blues and melted butter too. Don't know why but my Dad always had pork chipolata sausages with it too.:confused

Great thread by the way - brings back a lot of memories.

[George Brims]

George, I think you are right, there was someone 'researching' the Caithness tatties. I'm sure I saw that on the telly too. I hope they continue with the work.

I expect the big problem is supplying Supermarkets, who want tatties to be all one size.

Was there a Pentland Potato ?

Trinkie
There are a whole series of varieties with "Pentland" in the name, developed at the U of Edinburgh research centre at The Bush, which is just South of the Pentland Hills near Penicuik. Pentland Dell seems to have caught on the best out of all of them. Similarly there are a few with Maris in the name, but I don't know where they were developed.

[Torvaig]

If you google Dr. Jack Dunnett you will get more information on Caithness tatties. :)

Beauties (of which there are one or two varieties) were very common when I was young but they are difficult to get now. They were grown in Lyth some years ago but not sure if they are still available as they became very vulnerable to disease. My father always planted them in his garden and they were best boiled and had a lovely yellow flesh. Nae chips made wi' beauties!

http://www.caithnesspotatoes.com/caithness/docs/dunnet_breeders.php?page=dunnet_breeders&nav=dun&lang=eng&id=12

P.S. You got PAID for lifting tatties; we just got to eat them!

[golach]

I never enquired the name of the Tatties when I was howking them, my back was too sore.[lol] But Redskins and Edzell Blues, were two types my Father planted in his garden.

[pat]

Torvaig

Yes Jack Dunnet is a world specialist on tatties - with a special interest in the Caithness tatties. Folk up north do not realise the specialist knowledge of this man, very approachable too. Seen him on tv quite a few times - the Caithness twang catches the ear, often on the farming programmes or occasionally gardening type ones.

[arana negra]

I remember tattie howking and loved it !! used to do the two weeks in October when a school quine. We lived in Monikie at the time and picked for local farmers. I remember getting a 'full bit' lang before my sister her back would kill her and she hated picking tatties she was much better at fruit picking. I hated berry picking, just couldnae dae it. I keep tattie pickin' till left I school and working then started again when I was married and lived on a rented farm cottage. I picked wi the normal squad and the 'piece work' squad who were paid by acre picked, fast hard work sometimes wi' twa diggers but much better paid!

My first son was on the tattie field when he was about 4 months auld. I made enough money to buy outright a new twintub washing machine Bliss :) I picked right through till the October that year picking wi' snaw in the dreels. I remember my pal and I picking the early canners in our shorts and wellies what a sicht :lol: The year my second son was born I took them both to the tatties, he was only 2 months auld when we started. I went right up till they went to school, thankful for chance of the money it was weel spent.

Later I did strawberry dressing for a local Perthshire farmer, the kids came too and played in the barn wi' their toy tractors, happy days :D

[trinkie]

Torvaig, thank you for that most interesting link -
I hope the work continues.

Thank you all for your interesting stories and memories.

Next time I'm peeling the tatties I'll think of your all .

Trinkie

[Tighsonas4]

yes george now you mention it there was the maris piper for one tony

[domino]

Remember the tattie howking but refused to do it. Could make more at the harbour, and it was much more enjoyable. brothers did the howking Everyone to their own!!!

[Alice in Blunderland]

Could make more at the harbour, and it was much more enjoyable. brothers did the howking Everyone to their own!!!

:eek: :eek: Oh my gosh did I read that right ...or maybe its my mucky mind. :lol:

[jock leith]

Hi Alice,I remember the shop well,it was really no more than a green painted shed,on the right hand side of the path leading to the Trinkie.
A lot of the Grannies would all go to the Mountain Dew on a Saturday night when it used to be in Kinnaird ST.Then they would bring us home a Fish Supper from John Cormacks ,Im sure many of us remember his fabulous food. Regards Jock

[trinkie]

We've gathered a good harvest of Tattie stories and memories - many thanks for sharing with us.

Now it's time to close the Thread and move on to new ground.

Trinkie