Susannes Folksong-Notizen
- [1961:] Three anti-Polaris demonstrators yesterday boarded the U.S. submarine Patrick Henry at the Holy Loch. Michael Nolan (26) made the most strategic approach by climbing up on top of the vessel's after-finn, jutting seven feet up into the air. US naval ratings offered him a cup of coffee if he would join them, but he politely refused and for three quarters of an hour remained cold and damp on his perch. A US naval launch with civil police on board then drew alongside and brought his escapade to an abrupt halt. (Glasgow Herald, 28 Mar)
[1992:] My Indian student pals [in Glasgow] had developed and passed on dishes they cooked for themselves. One which I adapted was, as I was told, called Tahari - basically a vegetable pilau. We could make it in a huge stew pot, and it would keep well because there is no meat in it. Rice, onions, then whatever vegetables you had - potatoes, cauliflower, peas, carrots. It would fill the horde that came back to the house for the nineteen-month- long party [the Broomhill Bums]. Morris and Marion [Blythman] took a great liking to Tahari - Morris even put it into a song. [...] The first verse relates to school holidays, a parody of My Wife's Gone To The Country, but the last two are about the Holy Loch anti-nuclear protests (Imlach, Reminiscences 43ff) [1994:] The first big demo was set for the 20th of May, 1961 [...]. Thurso Berwick described the pre-rally atmosphere: "By train and by bus, in rattle-trap lorries, by hitch of thumb, the motley anti-Polaris crew made for Dunoon and the Holy Loch at every available opportunity. Also at every opportunity, the hard core was singing their protest on station platforms, on quaysides, on the march, from improvised platforms to hastily assembled loudspeaker systems, from floating craft of all shapes and sizes, they sang them sittin' doon, stannin' up, they sang them for the police, they sang them at the police, but most of all, they sang them at the very baffled Americans." (Gordon McCulloch, The Glasgow Eskimos) [1996:] Created in 1901 by Robert F. Barr in Parkhead, Glasgow, Irn-Bru began as plain Iron Brew, just one of many so named products - a refreshing mixed flavour drink for which each manufacturer had his own recipe. The company's first label depicted a weightlifter holding aloft a glass of Barr's Iron Brew.
Product advertising has always laid emphasis on fitness and strength. William Barr, chairman 1909-1031, a devotee of strong man George Sandow's body building techniques, could tear a telephone directory apart. Local athletes were enlisted to extol the "brew's" virtues - Willie Lyon, Celtic - "Best restorative for any athlete" - John Blair, Motherwell - "The tonic properties are just what every athlete requires" and later the great Benny Lynch added his endorsement.
During World War II Iron Brew vanished from the shelves, the Government allowing only six standard soft drinks to be manufactured. Iron Brew was not one of them. After the war, just before the industry was in effect denationalised, it was proposed to introduce new food labelling regulations that products had to live up to their labelling's literal meaning. In common with others Iron Brew did not. Just as Ginger Ale was not ale, and American Cream Soda was neither made in America nor contained cream, Iron Brew was not brewed, although it did contain iron as did all similar beverages.
To combat this, Chairman, Robert Barr, came up with the brilliant idea of using a phonetic version of the generic name and, in 1946, "IRN-BRU" was registered as the Trade Name. However, legislation did not come till 1964 and products of long standing were allowed to retain their original name.
From the beginning Barr realised the importance of inventive advertising and part of Irn-Bru's success must be attributed to its brilliant and vigorous promotion over the years.
The adventures of "Ba-Bru and Sandy" - two boys, one a turbaned Indian, one a kilted Scot, forever on the hunt for Barr's Irn-Bru, ran in newspaper columns from the 1930s until the mid 1970s. A few years ago the 'Ba-Bru' neon sign above Central station was removed as it had rusted. The well-loved pair gave way to the highly successful TV campaign which coined the famous catch phrases, "Your other national drink" and "Made in Scotland from girders". [...]
When Harry Ramsden, the most famous fish and chip man in the world, opened a new restaurant in Glasgow, Barr became the main sponsor of the children's fun park - a smart move and a phenomenal success.
'Carnera' was the tallest working horse in the world when he used to deliver Barr's products in the days before lorries ousted horse drawn transportation. Now they are conveyed in the most modern vehicles available which, in keeping with the company's advertising strategy of catching the public's attention, are painted red with lettering in white. (Carol Foreman, Did You Know?, Glasgow City Libraries and Archives, Glasgow, p 9 f.)
See also
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8134#753594 Words please: Scottish Breakaway
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Susannes
Folksong-Notizen English Notes 
