Jethart Ba' Game: Local Historian Billy Gillies talks to The Scotsman

Known locally as Jethart Ba’, two handball games are played on the Thursday after Shrove Tuesday (or the week after, depending on when the first new moon falls after Candlemas -the offical fixing of the date is the Thursday following Fastern’s E’en and Fastern’s E’en is the Tuesday following the first new moon after 2nd February aka Candlemas; this is usually but not invariably the same day as Shrove Tuesday). Traditionally the first ever game was played with an Englishman’s head (opposite to the Alnwick Football legend!) and the ribbons on the ball symbolise his hair. The teams (Uppies and Doonies) are chosen by where they live – Uppies are those born to the South and Doonies to the North of the Market Cross. Play is in the town centre starting in the Market Place with the boys or Callants game at 12 and the mens game following at 2; the Uppies goal is outside the Castle Jail and the Doonies goal is at the Pleasaunce, each a couple of hundred yards away from the start. Several balls are thrown and the games can last for hours