What would you put in your emigrant's kist? - Tony Pollard
What would you put in your emigrant's kist? - Tony Pollard
ID:AB_SGI_01_TONY_POLLARD_Q_06DESCRIPTION:As part of Homecoming Scotland 2009, a three-day international conference - Scotland's Global Impact - was held at Eden Court theatre, Inverness from 22-24 October. Prominent academics, historians and other experts came together to provoke healthy discussion on the history of migration and the influence of Scots abroad.
Am Baile interviewed several of the speakers during the conference. In this audio extract, Dr Tony Pollard answers the question:
'If you were emigrating today and your luggage restriction was a typical emigrant's kist what would you put in it?' (A typical kist would be approx. 96cm x 51cm x 56cm.)
'Oh, well I'd try, I'd probably try and get rid of this thing, my Blackberry, cos I'm addicted to my email; I communicate so much with e-, by email, all over the world, and I'm constantly looking at it. My wife's constantly telling me to put that down, turn it off, and leave it alone. So, I would try and leave this behind but I know full well that I'd be sneaking it in. Books; I read a lot. I have to say a laptop computer, cos I write a lot, and I write novels, and I think that would be - Is this a Desert Isle? This is almost a Desert Island Discs thing, isn't it? - So I would need my laptop. What else would I need? Probably my trowel, cos there's always stuff to dig out there. So, as I say, I spend a lot of time travelling and the more I do it, the more I loathe it; packing bags, sitting around in airports. It's dreadful and usually can't wait to get home though that's, that's not to say I don't see some wonderful places. I'll be quite happy emigrating home as much as possible, I think.'
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Tony Pollard is a leading battlefield archaeologist and Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow. He is a senior lecturer and convener of the MLitt course in Battlefield and Conflict Archaeology. He was co-presenter of the BBC television series 'Two Men in a Trench', which brought battlefield archaeology to a worldwide audience. He has carried out battlefield projects in the UK, Africa and South America and has directed several seasons of fieldwork at Culloden, the results of which did much to inform the recently opened Visitor Centre and revised battlefield interpretation. Tony has also carried out projects on the Jacobite battlefields at Killiecrankie and Prestonpans and the siege site at Fort William.
Tony is co-editor of the Journal of Conflict Archaeology and has written widely on archaeology and history for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent publications include the forthcoming 'Culloden: The History and Archaeology of the Last Clan Battle' (Pen and Sword) and his first novel, 'The Minutes of the Lazarus Club' (Penguin 2008).PLACENAME:InvernessOLD COUNTY/PARISH:INVERNESS: Inverness and BonaCREATOR (AV):Tony PollardDATE OF RECORDING:2009PERIOD:2000sSOURCE:Am BaileCOLLECTION:Scotland's Global ImpactAsset ID:41008KEYWORDS:
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