Katie Morag and the New Year Party Katie Morag

# Katie Morag

# Far away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay

# Katie Morag

# Far away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay. #

'My name is Katie Morag McColl

'and I live on the island of Struay.

'I suppose it's quite wee, but it's GINORMOUS to me,

'and everyone looks out for me

'when I'm out and about, having my adventures.'

WIND HOWLS

'Grown-ups reckon children have an easy life,

'but that's because they've forgotten all the hard bits.

'Like being too short to reach the biscuit tin

'and learning to tie your shoelaces, and going to school every day.

'And what about bedtime?

'We have to go to bed early,

'when grown-ups are allowed to stay up as late as they like.

'That's why me and Liam love Hogmanay so much -

'it's the last day of the entire year and we get to stay up till midnight.

'That's the exact time when the old year ends and the New Year begins.

'Everyone usually goes to Grannie Island

'cos she has the best parties.

'But this Hogmanay was turning into

'a BIG disappointment.'

Och, I thought I was going to get blown to New York!

Come on, push! That's it. Ooh...shove it!

Right, come and give me a hand with these peats.

'Me and Liam had been stuck inside ALL day cos of the weather.

'And worst of all, we didn't even have Mum and Dad here with us.

'They were coming back from a trip to the mainland

'but their ferry was late because of the storm.'

Och, don't worry, sweetheart.

Mum and Dad should be home by 11.

Now, it'll soon be time for that wee monkey's bed.

He's not a monkey, he's a tiger.

Oh, right enough.

Well, we'd best phone Edinburgh Zoo, tell them he's escaped.

I wish Mum and Dad were here.

Why does time have to go so slowly?

RATTLING OUTSIDE

And the wind's getting worse.

What if the ferry comes in even later?

I'll make a quick call.

WIND HOWLS AND GUSTS

Sh...

Coorie into Grannie's bed.

There you go now.

When are they coming?

11 o'clock.

Definitely?

Almost definitely.

What are you doing?

Well, er, I'm doing this thing for...

You know, the thing for the New Year?

Resolutions? Ooh, good for you.

-My main one is...

-Whoa!

Stop there. You can't be telling folk your resolutions.

They're for you to know and others to guess.

OK, then, guess.

Tidy your room.

Nope!

Nope. Eh... Get out of bed as soon as Mum calls.

Uh-uh...

Hm. Stop eating sweets.

All right, then. I give in.

Well, I'm going to learn a brand-new fact every day.

That means 365 a year.

By the time I'm your age, I'll know...

..A lot.

What's the first one, then?

Not sure.

Well, why don't you make it a Hogmanay fact?

Like, where does the word Hogmanay come from?

Where DOES the name Hogmanay come from?

Well, nobody's absolutely sure

but some folk think it comes from the old French word

"hoguinane",

which I think is something to do with giving presents.

They give presents on Hogmanay?

-Well, I guess they must've.

-French people must have good ideas.

CLOCK TICKS

Why does time have to go by so slowly when you're waiting for someone?

Well, we could make it go faster.

How?

I'll show you.

That clock is no ordinary clock.

(It's magic.)

Magic? How?

Well, the harder we work, the faster it goes.

-No way!

-Yeah, way! And I'll prove it to you.

Let me think.

What do people do on Hogmanay before the New Year comes in?

Eat shortbread.

And what else?

-Clean the house.

-Correct.

Pinny on.

There we go now. Turn round until I tie it.

Now... This way.

That's you.

'At Hogmanay, you scrub and brush, and clean and sweep

'so everything is lovely and clean when the New Year arrives.'

That's it.

-Right. Scarves.

-Check!

-Gloves.

-Check!

-Pinnies.

-Check!

Right, let's get going.

I can't see my face yet. I don't think so.

-It's not off, Gran.

-It's beautiful.

Yuh!

Grannie?

Bring them over to the table, Katie Morag,

as quick as you can. That's it.

Oh... Don't eat one before the bells,

or you'll turn into a porridgey.

-After three. One, two...

-BOTH: ..three!

GRANNIE GROANS

There we go. Over a bit. That's it. There now.

-Ooh...

-All we have to do now is... Light the lamp.

-Light the lamp.

-And then we're set.

-And then we're set.

LAMP FIZZLES

WIND HOWLS

-Oh, I'm absolutely pooped.

-Me too.

Did you notice the time?

CLOCK TICKS

-Where did all the time go?

-I told you.

The clock goes faster, the harder you work.

KNOCKING

Who can that be?

Oh...

Well, you don't seem very pleased to see me.

I thought you were Mum and Dad.

Oh, Katie Morag, they'll be here soon enough.

Will you come in, before we all freeze?

-Oh, that's it.

-Grannie Island, here's a peat for the fire.

May you stay safe and warm until the spring.

Oh, thank you very much, Neilly Beag.

-Are you our first-foot?

-No, no, no, no.

The first-foot is the first person to arrive after midnight.

-And that person is a very special person.

-Why?

Well, if Grannie Island here makes me a cup of tea,

I'll tell you.

So, Katie Morag, your first-foot is really important cos that's

the first person who comes into YOUR house in the New Year.

You might not be our first-foot, but you are our first big toe.

HE CHUCKLES

Oops. Just needs a wee bit of fresh air.

Your first-foot should be tall, dark and handsome.

Well, maybe it is myself then, after all.

-KNOCKING

-Oh...

LAUGHTER AND VOICES Hello, Agnes.

'Agnes has brought her fiddle along.

'And Mr McMaster gave us some yummy black bun.'

KNOCKING

Hello, Sasha.

'And then more and more people started arriving.

'All coming to Grannie Island for Hogmanay, but still no Mum and Dad.'

Oh, look, it's after 11.

Oh, I wouldn't worry.

If they're not here by 12, they'll miss the bells.

KNOCKING

Grandma Mainland.

Mum and Dad!

Oh...

Hi, darling.

Oh, sorry we're late.

Oh, we hardly noticed.

The time just flew past, didn't it, Katie Morag?

AGNES PLAYS VIOLIN TUNELESSLY

She plays like an angel.

-Oh, that was lovely, Agnes.

-A rare treat.

-Play us another.

-ALL: No!

Ach, I think the poor wee soul needs a wee rest.

Oh, look, only one more minute till midnight.

Quick, Katie Morag, put the radio on.

-'Let's go... '

-Everyone, count us down.

'..with Radio Hebrides.'

ALL: Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three, two,

one! THEY CHEER

-Happy New Year.

-Happy New Year, Katie Morag.

-To absent friends.

-ALL: To absent friends.

Oh, come on, Mr Ferryman, give us a tune.

Auld Lang Syne.

What does auld lang syne mean anyway?

Old times, long ago.

Remembering those times and all our friends and family -

the ones who are here with us, and the one who aren't.

KNOCKING

Our first-foot!

Uncle Matthew!

'Uncle Matthew lives way over on the other side of Struay

'and no-one sees him very much.'

Happy New Year.

-You've come all this way in this weather!

-Aye.

Come on and get warm.

I thought it was time I made the effort to come over

for one of Grannie Island's New Year parties.

I heard they're something special, eh, Katie Morag?

Here's a wee loaf for you, to wish you food all year round.

-And happy New Year to you.

-Thank you, Matthew. Happy New Year.

And a happy New Year to everybody.

Wishing you all a good New Year.

FERRYMAN PLAYS ON ACCORDION: "Auld Lang Syne"

# Should auld acquaintance be forgot

# And never brought to mind

# Should auld acquaintance be forgot

# And auld lang syne

# For auld lang syne, my dear

# For auld land syne

# We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet

# For auld lang syne

# And there's a hand, my trusty fiere

# And gie's a hand o' thine

# We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet... #

VOICES FADE

'My New Year's resolution was to learn a new fact each day.

'But today I'd learned loads.

'I'd even learned the secret of Grannie Island's clock.

'Of course, it wasn't really a magic clock.

'It's just that time seems to pass more quickly

'when you're busy having fun.

'But I'd learned something else.

'I'd learned that sometimes, days that seem to go all wrong

'can end up being the best days ever.

'And that was my favourite fact of all.'

(Good night, Grannie Island.)

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd