Da Makkin o'a Keshie

Also known as The Making of a Keshie

A crofter in the Shetland Isles demonstrates how to make a 'keshie' to carry home his peat. This is one of a number of films made by Jenny Brown and bought by the GPO Film Library in the 1930s. It's shows Gideon cutting corn and then working it into a keshie, a basket traditionally used in Shetland for carrying peat. Looking back this short now has something really charming about it. David leads this film on his Martin concert ukulele, with Ian on soprano uke, and Allan on classical guitar. Alyth disgraces herself on kazoo. We have to finish the tune at the same time Gideon finishes his keshie, and we could swear that sometimes he deliberately speeds up to try to catch us out.