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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-12-21, Page 11Bruce County History: Pinkerton - Glimpses past and present Bob Johnston Bruce County Historical Society The following poem was quoted by Elwood Pinkerton in an article he wrote for Bruce County Historical Society's 1972 yearbook. It evokes nostalgic memories of small town life years ago. I Remember Pinkerton - by Melville Johnson of Cali- fornia, who spent his boy- hood in the village and along the river. I remember Pinkerton when I was a little boy, where every season was filled with a local joy: Bob -sledding on the mill- er's big hill; skating on the pond behind the mill; Exploring the bush on homemade skis, returning home with very sore knees; Driving horses and carts, cutters and sleighs, going barefoot on the Queen's birthdays; Picking mushrooms and sweet wild berries, grapes, haws and puckery chokecherries; Spotting the first robin on the hill, from the top of the Town's old windmill; Tasting maple syrup and taffy pulls, picking wildflow- ers by the armfulls; Fishing and wishing with every strike, for the biggest bass, mullet or pike; Swimming and punting behind the dam, competing in Scotch sports in tartan tam; Finding lily pads and frogs galore, shopping in the one general store; Watching the Calithumpi- ans' parade, drinking apple cider in the cool shade; Attending barn -raising bee events, auction sales with their special contents; Election returns that brought together, neighbours and friends in any weather; Cheering our football team's every whim, refreshing with a dip at "men's swim"; Supporting "Harvest Homes" and fall fairs, joining in earnest Thanksgiving prayers; Playing our Hallowe'en pranks each year, exciting events for boys to cheer; Hearing the crows caw amidst Autumn leaves, and sleighbells soon after thresh- ing the sheaves. Wednesday, December 21, 2016 • Lucknow Sentinel 11 Credit Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre, Photo A2016.011 Pinkerton - B&I - Pinkerton General Store before 1918. I remember Pinkerton, I As the wondrous place remember Pinkerton now where I used to dream and that I am old and gray, play. Madison Violet releases holiday album `Sleigh Bells In The Snow' Troy Patterson Editor Withhalf of the Madison Vio- let duo hailing from Kincardine, the band's new holiday album is bound to appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes. Featuring such classics as Sil- ver Bells,White Christmas and Silent Night, Madison Violet's 'Sleigh Bells In The Snow' is a "perfectly festive and surpris- ingly exhilarating" album lean- ing on the band's bread-and- butter harmonies to guide listeners through a collection of holidayclassics. The band has performed many times at Kincardine events, like the Scottish Fes- tival and Highland Games, and Kincardine Summer Music Festival. The album released in November through Fontana North.Kincardine's Brenley MacEachem and partner Lisa Maclsaac have succeeded at adding a dash of originality, which produces a sound that transcends generations. "The album's reductive simplified style and offbeat rhythmic patterns offer their current audience brand new insight into their favourite holiday melodies; while giv- ing new fans a taste of the special magic that lives inside every Madison Vio- let production," the band's media release reads. "You'll hear these well -sung lyrics in a new way, with new light." The 10 song collection is a "wildly refreshing" invitation to enjoy traditional clas- sics, including Frosty the Snowman (featuring Ron Sexsmith) and Blue Christ- mas, most famously per- formed by Elvis Presley, as they are instantly and skill- fully transformed into mini- malist, acoustic cheer. The unvarnished vocal har- monies lull and delight listen- ers from one to ninety-two. Sleigh Bells In The Snow Tracklisting Have Yourself A Merry Lit- tle Christmas, Big Bulbs, Sil- ver Bells, Deck The Halls, White Christmas, The Christ- mas Song, Jingle Bells, Frosty The Snowman (featuring Ron Sexsmith), Blue Christ- mas, and Silent Night. The album is available at Finchers in Kincardine, as well as online. Kincardine News Q&A with Kincardine -native Brenley McEachern of Madison Violet Q. Did winter in Kincar- dine/Bruce County come to mind when you were writing/ composing for this album? A. I think it would be impossible for me to remi- nisce about Christmas with- out remembering the size of the snowdrifts in Kincardine which as a child, seemed insurmountable. You could always count on Lake Huron to build a blinding blizzard on Christmas Eve ready to blow a mighty course across the open fields towards the highway, closing down 21 and 9. Winter in Bruce County for me was my frozen feet in skidoo boots, crunching through powdered snow, and the feeling of my ears being on fire where my scarf could never reach. You'd think it would be difficult to recall these childhood memo- ries in the thick heat of July in the big smoke of Toronto, but that's the power of Bruce County winters. Q. Being it's a holiday/ Christmas album, what do you hope people get out of the music you've created? A. Brenda Lee's 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree' record had a permanent place in the 8 track slot on our stereo when I was growing up. My favourite thing about Christmas was hearing that record roar through our green and red rib- boned house for weeks. I can only hope our Christmas record will resonate in the same way Brenda Lee's album did with me. I hope people will put 'Sleigh Bells In The Snow' on while they decorate the tree, open presents and while they're fighting over turkey dinner about who gets the wishbone. Q. Can you share a funny/ happy story about winter in our area for readers? Maybe it's something in relation to the music, or maybe it's just a good memory of the area? A. Wow, where do I start. Honestly, I have so many won- derful memories about growing up on Lake Huron. I left Kincar- dine for college when I was 17, but I always came home on the weekends and of course for Christmas vacation. I remem- ber that first year of college coming home on Christmas Eve and meeting me at the side door to our house was my father askingif Iwanted to go to Cape Breton with him to see grandma. My dad was missing his mom and my heart exploded. We jumped in the car and raced downtown to Para- dise Travel to book our flights from Toronto to Halifax that evening. I remember sitting in the travel agency, looking out the window and seeing the first of the snowflakes. Back at home in my bedroom while repack- ing epacking my suitcase for the trip, I heard the engine coughing and my dad trying repeatedly to turn the ignition over in the driveway. I remember looking down from my window at my dad, who now had the hood up, frantically trying to fix the issue as time was of the essence. I also noticed his cap and shoul- ders were covered in fresh fallen snow. Well, the old Ford refused to start, so off we went on foot to Pierson's used car lot where my dad bought an old junker. A brown Chevy sedan. By the time we hit Bervie, the snow was coming down in blankets and by the time we reached the Walkerton cutoff to Mildmay, it was blowing at us in a horizontal blur. My dad thought it was a better idea if I drove, so he could hang his head out the passenger side and keep his focus on the shoulder. The yellow line was indistin- guishable in the slick snow streaked pavement, so all I could do was stare straight ahead and stay the course. Luckily my father taught me how to drive in a snow storm when I was 15, so I already knew never to follow the red lights in front of me, because there was always a good chance those tail lights were heading straight into the ditch. To add icing to this big fat cake of snow, the new Chevy wouldn't blow any- thing you'd actually call heat, so we nearly froze to death all the way to Toronto. The airplane felt like a safe haven compared to the hell we'd just been through, but we still had to get from Hali- fax to Cape Breton. Running way over budget now with the purchase of the car, my dad opted to get our new rental from Rent -a -Wreck. Big mistake. Another three- hour drive in yet another Chevy with another broken heater, one good headlight and one that slowly burned out along the Trans Canada highway. As fate would have it, we arrived in Nova Scotia in the middle of another snow squall and the thickening darkness, made it even harder to drive. I remember stopping at The Big Stop for a SCOFF °ELLS. ??1 Tl sow Troy Patterson/Editor Madison Violet's new holiday album 'Sleigh Bells In The Snow' is now available. Half of the duo, Brenley McEachern, hails from Kincardine. She's seen on the left in the album art with partner Lisa Maclsaac. quick bite and while my dad was paying, I headed out to scrape the snow from the windshield. By the time I had one side clean and moved to other side, you couldn't see out the first side. Some how we made it to Cape Breton in time for a nightcap with my grandma. We woke up on Christmas morning in Cape Breton, one mile down the road from Lisa's home. We didn't meet until many years later. For more information on the band and album visit www.madisonviolet.com Wishing you all the trimmings of a beautiful season. Thank you for making our year sparkle with your visits! Brian & Karen Murray Langside Tractor & Auto Clinic 406 Langside St., Lucknow (519) 528-2312