Discussion:
Wha' saw the Tattie Howkers ?
(too old to reply)
d***@gmail.com
2015-01-03 01:24:33 UTC
Permalink
Anyone have the words of this song ?
Can't find it anywhere on-line.
-- The Despicable Stewart
-- Perfidious Alban
-- http://www.ian.stewart.ukgateway.net/informer.htm
From Roy to Elaine Goldberg...
In the early 1930's my Grannie sang this song to me ( a six-year old or so!
).
However the first verse ended thus -
'Wha saw the tattie howkers sailin' doon the Broomielaw' !
My Grandmother told me that the song referred to casual Irish workers who took temporary work, harvesting the potato crop in the West of Scotland. They would then be paid a paltry wage, and I dare say would be glad to. They would sail back to Belfast or other Irish port at the end of the harvesting.
As a youngster in the 1930's Clackmannanshire countryside, we thought it a privilege to help with harvesting, and welcomed a two-penny bottle of Orange Crush or Irn Brew, as recompense for our efforts. Facts from an exiled Scot in Vemont !!.
soup
2015-01-08 13:25:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by d***@gmail.com
Anyone have the words of this song ?
However the first verse ended thus -
'Wha saw the tattie howkers sailin' doon the Broomielaw' !
Should it not be "gangin' doon the broomilaw". Always thought it
applied to itinerant workers mainly from Scotland not Ireland and the
Broomielaw is a road in Newcastle. Mind you I suppose it is like
stovies, minestrone, the ball of Kirriemuir etc in that there are as
many different versions as people who sing it(cook it).
soupdragon
2015-01-09 20:24:12 UTC
Permalink
Post by soup
Post by d***@gmail.com
Anyone have the words of this song ?
However the first verse ended thus -
'Wha saw the tattie howkers sailin' doon the Broomielaw' !
Should it not be "gangin' doon the broomilaw". Always thought it
applied to itinerant workers mainly from Scotland not Ireland and the
Broomielaw is a road in Newcastle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broomielaw

Photo here -

http://www.glasgowhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Lancelot-and-
Sultana-at-the-Broomielaw-1.jpg
Joe Makowiec
2015-01-10 00:22:32 UTC
Permalink
Post by soupdragon
Photo here -
http://www.glasgowhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Lancelot-and-
Sultana-at-the-Broomielaw-1.jpg
Great pic - thanks!
--
Joe Makowiec
http://makowiec.org/
Email: http://makowiec.org/contact/?Joe
Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/
soupdragon
2015-01-10 19:07:42 UTC
Permalink
Post by Joe Makowiec
Post by soupdragon
Photo here -
http://www.glasgowhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Lancelot-and-
Sultana-at-the-Broomielaw-1.jpg
Great pic - thanks!
More here frae the Broomielaw

http://tinyurl.com/ndvhbfo
JeffreyHamilton
2015-01-21 23:56:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by soupdragon
Post by soup
On Tuesday, 4 February 2003 04:20:56 UTC-5,
Anyone have the words of this song ?
However the first verse ended thus -
'Wha saw the tattie howkers sailin' doon the Broomielaw' !
Should it not be "gangin' doon the broomilaw". Always thought it
applied to itinerant workers mainly from Scotland not Ireland and the
Broomielaw is a road in Newcastle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broomielaw
Photo here -
http://www.glasgowhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Lancelot-and-
Sultana-at-the-Broomielaw-1.jpg
Those are really unusual looking boats, what would normally be their cargo,
@soupdragon ?

cheers....Jeff
JeffreyHamilton
2015-01-22 00:12:57 UTC
Permalink
Post by JeffreyHamilton
Post by soupdragon
Post by soup
On Tuesday, 4 February 2003 04:20:56 UTC-5,
Anyone have the words of this song ?
However the first verse ended thus -
'Wha saw the tattie howkers sailin' doon the Broomielaw' !
Should it not be "gangin' doon the broomilaw". Always thought it
applied to itinerant workers mainly from Scotland not Ireland and
the Broomielaw is a road in Newcastle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broomielaw
Photo here -
http://www.glasgowhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Lancelot-and-
Sultana-at-the-Broomielaw-1.jpg
Those are really unusual looking boats, what would normally be their
cheers....Jeff
Ok, looking at the other page that you posted I found this photo and
discovered that they are known as paddle tug's.
Now the shape makes sense, to me....
Loading Image...

cheers....Jeff
g***@gmail.com
2017-04-12 19:00:10 UTC
Permalink
Bits and stockings. Bits meaning boots.
m***@gmail.com
2018-03-29 13:01:10 UTC
Permalink
Also sung in the movie 'The Great Escape' by Gordon Jackson and Angus Lennie on the 4th of July.
g***@gmail.com
2019-05-17 07:20:16 UTC
Permalink
Anyone have the words of this song ?
Can't find it anywhere on-line.
-- The Despicable Stewart
-- Perfidious Alban
-- http://www.ian.stewart.ukgateway.net/informer.htm
Elaine's words are correct. Same tune as "Wa Saw the 42nd" (bagpipe theme to Wee Willie Winkie, starring Shirley Temple).
The Phantom Piper
2019-05-17 21:34:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by g***@gmail.com
Elaine's words are correct. Same tune as "Wa Saw the 42nd"
(bagpipe theme to Wee Willie Winkie, starring Shirley Temple).
You are responding to a more-than-16-year-old post.


Less Dead Than This Thread,

The Phantom Piper
j***@yahoo.co.uk
2019-09-22 15:46:01 UTC
Permalink
Anyone have the words of this song ?
Can't find it anywhere on-line.
-- The Despicable Stewart
-- Perfidious Alban
-- http://www.ian.stewart.ukgateway.net/informer.htm
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Wha' saw them gang awa'?
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Marching through the Broomielaw?

Some of them had boots and stockings,
Some of them had nane at a',
Some of them had tartan trussers
Marching through the Broomielaw.

Elaine
The Phantom Piper
2019-09-23 22:54:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by j***@yahoo.co.uk
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Wha' saw them gang awa'?
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Marching through the Broomielaw?
Some of them had boots and stockings,
Some of them had nane at a',
Some of them had tartan trussers
Marching through the Broomielaw.
Ian passed away some years ago.

And the question you are responding to
was posted _more than 16 years ago_.

But hey, if it melts your butter then
by all means, necro away...


Bemused,

The Phantom Piper
Adam Whyte-Settlar
2019-10-29 09:15:10 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Phantom Piper
Post by j***@yahoo.co.uk
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Wha' saw them gang awa'?
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Marching through the Broomielaw?
Some of them had boots and stockings,
Some of them had nane at a',
Some of them had tartan trussers
Marching through the Broomielaw.
Ian passed away some years ago.
And the question you are responding to
was posted _more than 16 years ago_.
But hey, if it melts your butter then
by all means, necro away...
Bemused,
The Phantom Piper
So what if it was posted 16 years ago?
I posted loads of stuff about global heating 16 years ago and it all turned out to be spot on.
S Viemeister
2019-10-29 16:54:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Whyte-Settlar
So what if it was posted 16 years ago?
I posted loads of stuff about global heating 16 years ago and it all turned out to be spot on.
Long time no see.
Are you in NZ now, or Australia?
The Phantom Piper
2019-10-30 23:28:18 UTC
Permalink
Post by Adam Whyte-Settlar
So what if it was posted 16 years ago?
It is *my* job to haunt these battlements, and taking
action against unprovoked Necromantic Activity is an
important part of that job!
Post by Adam Whyte-Settlar
I posted loads of stuff about global heating 16
years ago and it all turned out to be spot on.
Yes...yes... And our warnings about creeping Fascism
are proving to have been all too canny as well. We
told them: "It CAN happen here! It CAN happen here!"
and lo, the fascists are no longer even troubling
themselves to be 'Crypto-' anymore...


Preparing For Kristallnacht Mark-2,

The Phantom Piper
Dan Grant
2020-07-30 21:55:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Phantom Piper
Post by j***@yahoo.co.uk
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Wha' saw them gang awa'?
Wha' saw the tattie howkers,
Marching through the Broomielaw?
Some of them had boots and stockings,
Some of them had nane at a',
Some of them had tartan trussers
Marching through the Broomielaw.
Ian passed away some years ago.
And the question you are responding to
was posted _more than 16 years ago_.
But hey, if it melts your butter then
by all means, necro away...
Bemused,
The Phantom Piper
The version I remember is:
Wha' saw the tattie howkers?
Wha' saw them gang awa?
Wha' saw the tattie howkers?
ganging doon the Brimielaw.

Same o" them hod picks an" shovels
Same o' them hod nan atall.
Same o' them hod umbrellas
just to keep the rain awa.

The other versions seem to be taken from the 42nd Highlander (Black Watch) rendition.
But us Gordons didnee use them

Fifeshire Floozie
2020-03-26 01:19:07 UTC
Permalink
Anyone have the words of this song ?
Can't find it anywhere on-line.
-- The Despicable Stewart
-- Perfidious Alban
-- http://www.ian.stewart.ukgateway.net/informer.htm
I can't believe you're still haunting scs :)
The Phantom Piper
2020-03-26 03:35:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by Fifeshire Floozie
I can't believe you're still haunting scs :)
Enh, it's a Living...

Nice to see you!


Frae The Battlements,

The Phantom Piper
Fifeshire Floozie
2020-03-26 01:46:28 UTC
Permalink
Anyone have the words of this song ?
Can't find it anywhere on-line.
-- The Despicable Stewart
-- Perfidious Alban
-- http://www.ian.stewart.ukgateway.net/informer.htm
Wha saw the tattie howkers? Wha saw them gaun awa?
Wha saw the tatttie howkers merchin doon the Broomielaw?
Some o them had boots an stockins
Some o them had nane at aa
Some o them had a wee drop whisky
For tae keep the cauld awa
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