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Dundee, Frankenstein, Ian Fleming, James Bond, John Quinn, Joseph Lee, Literary Heritage, Mary Brooksbank, Mary Shelley, O halflins an hecklers an weavers an weemin, The Jute Mill Song, Verdant Works, William McGonagall
James Bond and the Dundee connection https://shehannemoore.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/james-bond-and-the-dundee-connection/
Mary Brooksbank and Susan Devine, the mysterious woman in the green felt hat. From ‘O Halflins and Hecklers an Weavers an Weemin,’ by John Quinn.
Susan Devine : – Mary Brooksbank! What are you daein here โ youโre still a lassie!.
Mary : – Ehโm here tae learn fae you Susan Devine how tae fight back against the brutality oโ Capitalism and the Jute Barons!
Susan : – Well said. Weโve got a good crowd today.( Policeman appears. Susan gives him the finger. )
Policeman : – Whatโs going on here?
Susan : – (Ignoring him) Cox Brothers have decided to cut the number in a squad fae ten tae eight and lay off thousands. For the people that remain that means mair work for less money!
(Chants from everyoneย onstage. โEverybody Out! Everybody Out! Everybody Out!)
Susan : – Right you are โ and weโre staying out until everybodyโs re-instated. (Starts chant. All join in ) ย โMarch doon the Lochee Road girls. March doon the Lochee Road!โ
Policeman : – You canโt do that without permission โ you need a licence!
Mary Brooksbank : – Is that so? Well thereโs a lot oโ women here and no many men…..
Policeman : – Iโll need reinforcements!(Blows whistle.ย Exit.)
Susan : – Roond tae Coxโs hoose at Clement Park. An weโll tour the ither mills fur support. (All chantingย and marching round) โWeโre gonna win an weโll pit their windees in. Weโre gonna win an weโll pit their windees in.. .fur we are the weemin oโLochee! (Takes off green felt hat and throws to Em. Marches offย brandishing shuttle.)
Mary Brooksbank : – And they didnae go back until the fowk that had been laid aff were re-instated. There were major disputes elsewhere such as the ย Cartersโ Strike. The spirit of revolution was in the air. But of course the Jute Empire struck back. ย Black Watch soldiers were brought into the City of their heartlands to keep order. Early in 1912 Cox Brothers sanctioned the purchase of revolvers for their foremen. And Susan Devine? She melts back into history.ย Me? Iโll let you draw your own conclusions.
(Exit.)
Em : – Susan Devine didnae quite melt back into history. (Brandish hat.) This is still remembered round here sometimes. (Get Suffragette hat and shawl.)
Ken : – As for Mary Brooksbank she was quite a woman – mill girl poet orator revolutionary family woman and voice of the poor. She was blacklisted and jailed for standing up to be counted. What can never be jailed though is her legacy