SPECIALLY FOR SCOTSMEN

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 115, 5 September 1941, Page 12

SPECIALLY FOR SCOTSMEN

T various times various claims A have been made that from 40 to 60 per cent. of the population of New Zealand are Scotsmen or of Scots descent. It is a controversial subject, and while most Scotsmen are convinced that the proportion is much higher, they do not boast about it. Theirs is a silent, efficient conquest. Concrete evidence of the growing number of Scottish folk among radio listeners is the fact that recently it was found necessary to extend "Andra’s" Scottish session (from 2ZB every Thursday night) to half an hour. " Andra," who in private life is Andrew Fleming, was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, something like 50 years ago. Dunfermline, ancient seat of the Scottish kings, was not very far away from his home, and "Andra" grew up in an atmosphere richly charged with Scottish history. For thirty years, starting from the age of 12, "Andra" followed the calling of miner in Scotland, and then, twelve years ago, picked himself up by his bootlaces and came out to New Zealand. He was mining at Denniston for some years, then came to Wellington and is now working for the City Council. He first broke into radio 18 months ago in a programme sponsored by the Railways Department. Shortly afterwards, he started his own session from 2ZB, consisting of a mixture of Scottish songs, music, history, anecdotes, and news of interest to exiled Scotsmen. All About Burns Robbie Burns, naturally, is one of the foundation stones of the session. "Andra" has an extensive Scottish library which

includes, he believes, everything Burns ever wrote. ("Though, mind you," says "Andra," "a lot of what Burns wrote should never have been published. People are always digging up something about him which had often better been left alone,"’) "Andra" has a calendar on which he notes every significant Scottish anniversary, and few sessions pass without a timely reference to a great date in Scottish history or literature. Many Sassenachs are under the impression that Scottish music begins and ends with the bagpipes. This is far from the truth, "Andra" points out. After the bagpipes, and almost ranking. with it, indeed, is the melodian, or the accordion, as it is better known. This is not the elaborate piano-accordion, but a.simpler

instrument, with 19 keys, which is popular in country districts in Scotland, as it is inexpensive to buy and easy to play. The Commercial Broadcasting Service, according to "Andra," has the finest library of melodian records in New Zealand.

Now that the session has been extended, "Andra" hopes to be able to devote more time to such departments as the history of Scottish regiments and the history and identification of tartans. People frequently send him samples of tartan to identify, but unfortunately he often has to remind them that not every brightly-coloured checked material is a true tartan.