The Galoshans Play

It's officially October - which means it's exactly the right time to start rehearsing your Galoshans Play. Guising, trick or treating, down our way in Inverclyde, it’s “Going Galoshans”.

In the nineteenth century, The Galoshans Book was a chapbook printing of a short play based loosely on the legend of Saint George and the Dragon, more traditionally performed by mummers. Children would dress up and travel from house to house performing their interpretation of this play, it is from this that we derive the term “going galoshans”.

In recent years, the tradition of referring to Halloween as "Galoshans" has been revived in Inverclyde, with local school Aileymill Primary taking the lead. It has also been the inspiration for an arts festival. You can read more about the history of the tradition on the Tales of the Oak blog.

In 2016, Magic Torch received funding from Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland to help revive the tradition of performing the Galoshans Play. I wrote a new version of the play which includes characters for the myths and legends of Inverclyde as the main characters, including Auld Dunrod, Granny Kempock and Captain Kidd.

Over 6000 free copies of the play were distributed to local primary schools last year, but if you didn't get one, fear not - you can still download it for free. 

And of course Halloween is the ideal time to enjoy some of my spookier stories on the blog, or purchase some of Magic Torch's award winning spooky books and comics featuring scary stories from Inverclyde and beyond...

I've a few new seasonal stories to share with you later in the month, including a spooky story based on the Galoshans play itself.

Merry Galoshans.

Galoshans and Beyond...

I love this time of the year, autumn into Hallowe'en and then straight on til Christmas. So I'm especially pleased to be out and about a bit over the next few months. If you are around, why not come and say hello.

On Friday 28th October, I'm in Greenock Central Library from 4 - 5, sharing some spooky tales as part of the Galoshans Festival.

On Saturday 29th October, I'm hopping on the ferry, to take part in the Dunoon Book Festival - actually on Dunoon pier!

November is of course Book Week Scotland, and I'm delighted to be popping down to Eastgate Theatre in Peebles on Wednesday 23rd November, for the Read-A-Licious book festival. Then it's off to Johnstone Library on Thursday 24th November to meet the Chatterbooks, with a wee detour via Inverclyde Academy school library to chat with their awesome comic club.

I was delighted to read some really lovely reviews of The Superpower Project on Toppsta, a review site which encourages young readers to post reviews. It's a smashing site, and a great way to discover new books too.

And finally, Mhairi Robertson and I have a new graphic novel out this month, The Skeleton Key, which is ideal all ages reading for the season of the witch...basically, Dad's Army, but with witches. You can get your hands on a copy from Saturday 29th October at the Dutch Gable House from 2pm, and it will be available to purchase online shortly afterwards from Magic Torch Comics shop and via amazon and comixology. Mhairi and I also have a new edition of our first book Wee Nasties out this month too.

Enjoy going your Galoshans...what's that? What's Galoshans?! It's a folk-play, traditionally performed around the houses on Hallowe'en and other seasonal occasions. Magic Torch have been part of a Heritage Lottery supported project to help rekindle that tradition in the Inverclyde area and I've created a new version of the play, which you can read, download and perform for free. The project is part of the wider Galoshans Festival happening 29th / 30th October in Greenock.

Merry Galoshans!