The Stonehaven Fireballs Association

What an amazing night that was!!!!    Each year we say it was the best and this year is no different.    Thanks to all who helped make it happen and to those who came to watch us.    We enjoyed you enjoying us.    There were quite a few swingers and spectators who were there for very personal reasons.    They were wanting 2011 to be well and trully burned out as it had not been the best of years for them.    Lets hope for them and all of us 2012 is a better year.   A full report will follow later.

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 – martinsim@talk21.com

The calendars are now on sale and can be bought from a variety of shops around 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 6pm. 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 11.30pm 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 Midnight 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.

The webcam in the clock tower is out of action at the moment. We hope to have it fixed soon.

 

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.

Both Catterline and the Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony featured in BBC's "Coast" programme this evening. If you missed it, you can see it on the BBC iPlayer for the next 28 days. It will also be repeated on BBC HD at 17:40 on Sat 21 Aug 2010 and on BBC Two on Tue 24 Aug 2010 at 19:00.

 

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.

Minutes attached