This poem was included in the very first edition of the Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine and is © David Ramsay 1st November 2013 from a newspaper item from his sister Edna South.

Listen to the poem and follow below

Audio Courtesy of Bob Stewart Music

The Blairgowrie Lioness

Noo gather roond and hear a tale, that l wid like tae revive,
Aboot an incident in Blairgowrie, in the year o' 1905
On the 25th July, at the annual Fair o' Blair,
A scene from darkest Africa, took place in the village square.

Chorus

I wis there, it wis a scare, I'm a feartie I confess,
The day the toon wis panicked, by the Blairgowrie lioness.

Noo Chipperfield's circus wis in toon, wi' a full menagerie,
When suddenly frae oot its cage, a lioness broke free,
The crowds ran helter skelter, and hid behind shop doors,
The lioness growled and stood outside, then gave a mighty roar.

Chorus

For fully fifteen minutes, it roamed frae street tae street,
Ending at a butcher's windae, stacked up wi' red, raw meat,
The butcher he wis petrified, lest he'd mak' a big mistake,
  And end up in his own display, as Blairgowrie sirLION steak!

Chorus 

Noo panic spread and the fowk o' Blair they needed calmin' doon,
A militia man wi' his trusty gun, cam' racing through the toon,
He took aim and shot the lioness, and tae the ground it fell,
But a circus mannie and a wifie, had baith been shot as well.

Chorus 

So much so for the marksman's aim, tae tak' oot the lioness,
The wifie in the butcher's shop, her shot ankle wis a mess,
The circus mannie he wis wounded, jist below the knee,
The Blairgowrie safari cam' tae an end, a sad tale you'll agree.

Chorus 

But this tale is nae quite o'er, or so the story's told,
They look the claws of the lioness, and topped them off wi' gold,
Polished, gilded, by a jeweller man, a fitting end me thinks,
The Blairgowrie lioness, turned into lion claw cuff links.

Chorus

  Presented tae the Chief o' Police, for his part in the siege of Blair,
The cuff links now tell the story, of yon fifteen minute scare,
So when walkin' doon the streets o' Blair, and you stop tae tak yir rest,
Keep one eye open and niver forget, the Blairgowrie lioness.

Chorus 

David Ramsay ©2013 From a newspaper item from my sister, Edna South

Read about the Blairgowrie Lioness Escape.