Bells Brae pupils grill Guizer Jarl
Alistair Munro
P7 pupils at Bell’s Brae Primary School got the chance to interview Guizer Jarl Neil Moncreiff prior to the big day.
They asked him:
Have you been in the Jarl squad previously and if so how many times and when? Will this be useful for you as Jarl this year?
I was in the Jarl squad in 1997 when I was eighteen and again in 2015 and that was very useful because it was quite recent. It showed me when to do things, when you need to be ready, how to make the suits and it gave me contacts for buying various materials for suits. So being in the Jarl squad in 2015 was a massive help. I wouldn’t have struggled without it but it has certainly made a difference.
What emotions will you feel when you burn the galley?
I don’t know…for a lot of people when the galley is burning it is quite an emotional time, thinking about people who are no longer with us and your old friends who can’t be with you. It’s just a moment, a few minutes to reflect. I guess because it is my galley this time, it will be slightly different but I honestly don’t know when I step out of the galley and it is about to burn how I will feel. It will obviously be special. Emotional as well I think.
What do you remember about Up Helly Aa from when you were a child?
Probably just like you guys when we were at school and the Vikings coming to see us on Up Helly Aa day. When they all came in it was amazing. It was always very special. I thought it was amazing seeing all the different suits every year. I remember going home and marching round the sitting room with pretend torches and singing the songs whilst getting ready to go to the procession. And then seeing the flames at night is just something that lasts with you.
What do you enjoy the most about Up Helly Aa?
The biggest thing for me is probably the friendships that are made throughout the year, especially in the Jarl squad. When you’re seeing guys two, three, four times a week and you’re making the suit you have good funs. Everyone coming together to produce the festival, the whole community coming together, I think that more than anything is the special bit.
