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Stonehaven, North East Scotland, United Kingdom
Shoogly Beads is a husband and wife design team based beside the sea in Stonehaven on the lovely Northeast coast of Scotland. Mike is responsible for the gorgeous polymer clay beads and Pat is responsible for the jewellery design. The 'Shoogly' part of our name comes from a good Scots word meaning shaky, wobbly, swinging......just what beads and charms should do when you hang them off things.......a charm bracelet should be very shoogly as should dangly earrings! We also make and sell exclusive beads, pendants, charms, buttons and other bits and pieces in polymer clay. These can be used for your own creations! Pat has also re-discovered her love of painting and other crafts and some of these have been added to our shops. Currently we are selling our contemporary jewellery, polymer clay, art work and knitting via Folksy and Etsy

Thursday 30 December 2010

Hogmany

stonehavenfireballs.com

Can't believe it's Hogmany tomorrow. I used to look forward to this Festival for weeks..even more so than Christmas. It's traditionally the time of year that Scots return to their roots to celebrate the old year and look forward to the new. Old friends meet up, eat, drink, sing, dance and play music....that's what it's supposed to be. Hogmany seems less important these days it seems to have been overtaken by Christmas and where the old fire ceremonies remain they have also become commercialised.
stonehavenfireballs.com
I live in Stonehaven where the 'world famous' Fireball Ceremony takes place. As teenagers we were desperate to be allowed to attend this ceremony for the first time. In the years following we arranged to meet old friends 'by the old clock', 'beside the bakery', 'on the White Heather steps'. As the bells rang midnight the Pipers would emerge from the harbour end of the High Street followed by the line of Fireball swingers. The Fireball swingers went up and down the street until their fireballs faded. We would dodge in between swingers across the street to meet and greet old friends....many a jacket ruined on the way by drips of tar! Police were present and kissing one or knocking his hat off was usually top of the 'to do' list. Everything was so good humoured and everyone knew everyone.
I'm sure that all who go along tomorrow night will have a wonderful time but I'll not be there for the pure and simple reason there will be far too many people and I'll be hard pushed to find anyone I know!! The Fireballs are a victim of their popularity. The whole event has to be 'managed' nowadays, from the positioning of the television cameras to the positioning of the crowds...held back by barriers and lots of serious policemen!! (Actually causes more of a crush)
The event itself remains spectacular and the Fireball swingers are still locals but I'll be watching it on television from the warmth and  comfort of a sofa!!!
Pictures are from the Fireball website. For more pictures and information: 
http://www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/
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