The Fireballs Association Calendar - 2012
The Fireballs Association has produced a calendar for 2012 to raise funds to help run the annual fireball ceremony. It has 16 quality pictures showing different views of the town. It is A4 in size so the pictures will be A5 in the top half with the boxed dates below. It will be classed as a ‘large letter’ for postage so will cost 75p first class or 58p second.The calendars are top hanging and spiral bound. They cost £5.00 each and are supplied with an envelope. Discounts for larger quantities will be available. Contact Martin Sim on 762300 – [email protected]
The calendars are now on sale and can be bought from E. Giulianotti, 12 Evan Street, The Shell Hoosie, Shorehead or Jon Hairdresser, 63 Barclay Street -- all in Stonehaven.
All the photographs have been taken recently by local photographers.
All proceeds from the sale of it will go to help run Stonehaven’s unique Fireball Ceremony.
Strong local support will help raise a lot of cash for this worthy local cause. Use them for business promotion.
I have heard today that Jock Brown has died. More details will follow when I have any more information. It is sad to loose another Swinger.
Jock was a strong supporter of the Fireball Ceremony for many years. Our records show that he started swinging in 1950 and last took part in 1995 having swung 47 times. These details may not be correct as he hasn't been in contact with the Association.
If anyone has any memories of Jock taking part in our ceremony then please send them in.
2011 arrived in a fairly quiet way. The evening had been wet at times but just an annoying drizzle. Everything was in place. The clocks had been put up the day before (Thursday) and set to the correct time, the barriers were set up as usual at . The marshals briefing had taken place and they were at their positions with fire extinguishers and radios where needed. The brochure distribution was well under way with teams of swingers helping to collect donations in exchange for this years edition. Some swingers were working the ‘clickers’ at these points, to monitor the numbers of spectators arriving for the police.
At the brochure distribution points pack up and the swingers take their fireballs down to the slipway for assembly, drenching and lighting. Despite a vital street light being out (after repeated phone calls to the lighting department) on the shorehead the assembly, drenching and lighting up process went ahead reasonably well.
On the stroke of the lead swinger, Alan Venters, lead off the ceremony walking behind the lone piper. 46 swingers followed Alan with their fireballs alight (some more than others!) to enthral the crowd of approx. 8000. For the next 23 minutes the ‘balls burned, the swingers swung and the crowd cheered them up and down the High Street until they were done, throwing what was left into the cold harbour water at the slipway.
The webcam in the clock tower is back online again but we have changed it's position. Untill November or Early December you'll see the view north from the clocktower. This should be a help for wind-surfers to let them see the state of the waves and be slightly more interesting than watching traffic on the High Street. Judging by the bird droppings on the railings it could be a good bird spotting position as well - happy twitching!
One of the reasons for the move was the removal of the barometer, from just underneath where the camera sits, for possible renovation. This work meant that the camera was vulnerable to damage so we moved it.
This year we've added a short archive of pictures, so you can also see snapshots from the previous few minutes .
Big thanks to The Shell Hoosie for the loan of their interwebs connection.
Slight change to the piece below. The people at COAST phoned tonight to say that the programme will now air next Wednesday 18th August instead of the 25th - still at 8PM
You may be aware that in 2008 we received a request from the popular BBC1's "Coast" to come along and do some potential filming for the programme. They attended and the filming began with Committee Secretary Susan Leiper wired up with the associated gubbins. She was paid £200 for her trouble which she promptly donated straight back to the Fireball coffers.
BBC1 have now been in touch to say that the programme will be aired on Wednesday 25th August 2010 at 8pm. So, if you cancel your yoga classes and put the golf on hold, you will see Susan get her two minutes of fame (literally!!). Remember though......the camera adds ten pounds!
It's very sad to report that George Emslie died on Wednesday 28th April 2010. George had been a Fireball Swinger for many years. His cheerie attitude to life and his pithy comments on the local scene will be sadly missed in the town.
George was never one to blow his own trumpet so we’ll never know how many times he swung a fireball or when he started. He politely but steadfastly refused to give any detail to his swinging history but we do know that he took part in the ceremonies in ’78, ’79, ’80, 91 & ’93. It’s enough to know that he supported the ceremony as much as he could.
It has been a double blow to the Fireballs Association to loose both brothers in less than three months.
Our information is that Jack first started swinging a fireball in 1948 and although he didn’t swing every year after that he did manage to swing at 44 Hogmanays until he stopped after the 2000/1 event. In 2004 he took on the role of ‘Official Starter’ & ‘Chief Paraffin Dispenser’ to help organise the starting and lighting up part of the ceremony, which he did until 2010.
Among Jack’s many interests The Fireballs were a strong subject that he promoted whenever he got the opportunity. Over the years he gave numerous interviews to reporters from TV, radio and newspapers about the history of the ceremony. He and his brothers, George and Bill helped keep the ceremony going when it looked as though it would die out through apathy. He used all his influence, when a councillor in the local area, to get the local authority to give the event as much support and help as it could to try and ensure that the ceremony would keep going.
