Dawn
The Tay Whale’s skeleton on display in the McManus Galleries in Dundee
“Call me Foolish! I didn’t listen to my mother. And as happens to children who ignore their mother’s pleas, I became a spectacle and a side show for Dundonians to see. They gathered my bones and hung them here for all to remember a Fool who ‘…strayed, by chance, up the narrow Tay…'”
The Tay Whale is a fascinating story which is worth reading on the Wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Whale.
The doggerel poet William McGonagall wrote a poem for the Tay Whale called “The Famous Tay Whale,” which Wiki notes is a “notably bad poem,” and the Wiki page on McGonagall says it’s one of the worst poems in English literature. However, the poem has endured, as has William McGonagall. John is writing a play about William McGonagall. You can read his poem in its entirety at https://poets.org/poem/famous-tay-whale and judge for yourself.
Whalers’ harpoons
Another doggerel poet who went by the name Spectator wrote a poem that was a dialogue between the Tay Whale and his mother called, The Whale Interviewed by his Mother on his Exploits in the River Tay, published in the Dundee Courier. I searched for the poem to learn that only the first verse is available. I asked ChatGPT to look for a scanned article with the complete poem in archives. ChatGPT said there are scanned versions of the article with the poem in archives, but it could not find any available on the internet. ChatGPT offered to reconstruct the poem based on the historical verse and snippets on information it did find online. ChatGPT reconstructed the poem in Victorian English and in Scottish dialect for me:
The Whale Interviewed by his Mother on his Exploits in the River Tay
(Reconstructed version in period style)
“Oh! why went you there, my son, my son,
Within the range of their banging gun?”
“Fear not, mother, ’twas only a lark,
I reckoned they would shoot wide of the mark.”
“But the boats were many, and bold the men,
And they chased you far from your ocean den;
With harpoons ready and ropes full strong—
What kept you there for a time so long?”
“I rose for air in the wintry day,
And strayed, by chance, up the narrow Tay;
The waters were shallow, the current slow,
And I lingered there for a passing show.”
“O foolish child! did you not perceive
That man is cruel and slow to leave?
He follows and fires with deadly aim—
And counts your life but a sporting game!”
“They fired and shouted from shore and quay,
But little their noise availed on me;
For many a shot went wild and wide,
And splashed in vain by my glossy side.”
“Yet still I fear for your daring play—
You tempted fate in the crowded Tay;
For hunger and greed will drive them on,
Till strength is spent and hope is gone.”
“Then grieve not, mother, nor be dismayed,
For I sported free and was not afraid;
Though oft they missed, they pressed me sore,
And chased me back toward the open shore.”
“Come home, my son, to the deep once more,
And wander no near the treacherous shore;
For rivers are not for such as thee—
But the boundless depths of the open sea.”
The Whale Interviewed by his Mother on his Exploits in the River Tay
(Scots-toned reconstruction)
“Oh! why went you there, my son, my son,
Within the range of their banging gun?”
“Fear not, mother, ’twas only a lark,
I reckoned they would shoot wide of the mark.”
“O bairn, what gars ye wander sae far,
Frae the saut sea depths whaur yer kindred are?
Did ye no ken, wi’ their boats an’ gear,
Man’s aye a foe ye’ve cause tae fear?”
“’Deed, mither dear, I but took a turn,
Up the silty Tay whaur the waters burn;
I thocht nae ill, but to sport an’ play,
An’ watch the folk frae the busy quay.”
“They swarmed like ants on ilka side,
Wi’ ropes an’ guns an’ muckle pride;
But mony a shot gaed skelpin’ bye,
An’ nane cam near tae gar me die.”
“O daft young thing! ye tempt yer fate,
For greedy men lie lang in wait;
Wi’ ilka miss they grow mair keen,
An’ hunt ye hard thro’ sicht an’ sheen.”
“Ay, loud they cried an’ aft they fired,
Yet little skill their aim inspired;
I dived an’ rolled in the murky tide,
An’ left them baffled, sair defied.”
“But mind, my son, the world o’ men—
They’ll chase ye oot an’ back again;
Till strength grows faint an’ hope grows sma’,
An’ cruel hands will end it a’.”
“Then fash nae, mither, for what may be,
I’ve kent the chase an’ I’ve roamed free;
Though near they cam’, I held my way,
An’ turned at last frae the risky Tay.”
“Then bide ye hame in the deep, I pray,
An’ venture nae near the fatal Tay;
For rivers are snares for beasts like thee—
Seek aye the wide, cauld, open sea.”
Beach along the Tay
There were once trolleys in Dundee.
Looking at the street from a tower that looks over the Tay
A solution for diets that are out of balance.
I was tempted
Repurposed post office
Better call Sal n thirty seven
Fuzzy shots of a European Goldfinch in a tangle of branches in Dundee
Atlas enjoying a rare sunbeam in the window sill
Off Center & Not Even 
Love the buildings and brick streets.
Thanks, Brad.
What a wonderful batch of photos…..I too am a fan of brick streets and interesting buildings….commercial AND otherwise. There is so much of interest for photographers in every corner of our wide world. I never remember to take photos when we travel – crazy I know but I am so busy looking around and enjoying that I forget that a photo would allow me to experience it all AGAIN and AGAIN.
Pam
That is true. Thanks, Pam
Oh, I’ve run into bad poet William McGonagall before!
Thanks, Liz. He got atound.
You’re welcome, Tim.
We’ve got a song specially written for the show…….The chorus more or less says exactly what you have! My idea is to put in a few backing folks doing various despairing gestures….
Sounds perfect.
Wonderful post Timothy. The pics you got of the whale skeleton and the guns are amazing. And the mix of all the other pics, especially the streets on the quay are so good to see. I should make you honorary ambassador for the city. Glad you got the follow up on the Whale.
After you sent me the Wiki page on the whale, I was fascinated by it and the poetry. As you know, I’m often inspired to write a line or two. Thanks, thanks, Shey.
I thought you’d be interested. I remember reading a while back re the Stonehaven bit and Stonehaven is just up the coast and a lovely place. But I couldn’t remember whether it either floated or swum up the Tay. Way back it used to be in the big downstairs room of the McManus when the McManus was a museum and it was a place Dad would often take me on a Sat morning. I was always fascinated by the whale. So I thought I’d look it up. I know you often write a line or two.
The whale is fascinating, as is the story behind it. Back home, we have no whale bones, but we do have dinosaur bones and badlands where large petrified trees lie on the ground.
WOW. I think there’s been dino bones found down south in a lot of places. he whale is interesting. It never picked the best territory to venture into right enough.
Those dinos were everywhere, like McG!
LOL!!!!
great photos Timothy, I really love the Post Ofice !
Thanks, Holly.
The ‘Post Office’ is just along the road and down the hill from where we live. Roughly 5 mins if that on foot. It is the first eaterie and drinkery you come to in the Ferry–we have rather a lot… . AND was genuinely the Ferry Post Office for years. They still have old posting slots in the walls inside, near where the original counter once was.
Dundee is a delightful place from what I see and hear. The post office is an historical jewel, so many lovely things to enjoy. It looks like you all had a good visit. Wish I was there. Thanks, Shey🌹
You covered quite a bit of ground while you were there, Tim!
I did. It was well worth the effort to meet and spend time with some of our blogger buddies. Thanks, Lavinia.
And it was great to spend time with you TImothy. We’re amazed by the sheer amount of beautiful pics you tool All very varied.
Mogonegall…… beautifully bad! Been thinking about Dundee since reading your posts. Went there when I was three and returned to England when I was seven. To start with, lived in Broughty Ferry, then in Downfield. Yes, I also had a kilt to wear on Sundays.
You might ought to make an effort to give Dundee a visit. So much to appreciate as an adult. Thanks, Geoff.
My goodness! We lived in Broughty Ferry when we first got married, then moved to Newport-On-Tay cos property was going for a song there which was never the case here and we needed a bigger house and you could get that bigger, run down, unheatable house for a song. While the Ferry was all fine then, down the years it has become so much more urban villagey and cosmopolitan in a way. We moved back here 12 years ago and we just love it. Downfield is a nice area.
I may be wrong, but in Broughty Ferry I think we lived in Church Path Road. A few yards from the house you could pass under the rsilway line to get on the beach. Vague memory. Could thst be right. In Downfield I think we lived in a bungalow, 53 Burn Street??
It’s funny how people like William McGonagall make a name for themselves for all the wrong reasons. That said, your images are great for all the right reasons. I particularly liked those of the dockside around Chandlers Lane.
Thanks Malcolm.
That bit of the dockside is lovely. Obvi there’s bits that are still a mess but hey everything takes time. The best thing re McG is that he has stood the test of time. He wouldn’t go away in his day and he won’t go away now. The list of celeb fans is endless actually. His various exploits were too.
PS Malc. We talked to this ‘oldish’ guide at the Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh last year. He was so delighted we wanted to see McG’s grave he promptly ignored everyone else asking questions to show us there etc. . Anyway one of the things he talked about was how years ago when he first started volunteering this woman would come in and make notes on some of the names, really take her time in the place and she was a single mum and liked to write and she was going to use some of the names, including McG’s. I am sure you know what comes next re who she was. Something to do with a boy wizard I understand……
Great story. I never read any of her books, but Laurie and Tristan read all of them.
I’ve not either. The oldest grandie does. But I hear there’s a Minerva McG in them…. That kirkyard is quite one to visit. Mc G of course ended up in a pauper’s grave there and eventually funds were raised to get him a plaque.
Good fo the fundraisers.
I know. I think his ghost would have had a fit otherwise…..
J K Rowling made a name for herself on merit – and continues to put her pen (and voice) to good use elsewhere as you know.
That she does.
Indeed she has and does. I just love authors who squirrel away things, who find inspiration as she did there. The guy was so proud to have met her all the years ago.
Amazing trip!
Thanks, Joe. I’m still tripping.