Community / Old Whitebeard of Thulecraft fame leads a growing Nesting & Girlsta festival
THERE has been a lot of talk lately about jarls choosing the distinctive colours of their favourite football club as the defining theme for their squad’s outfit.
Not so in Nesting and Girlsta, where jarl David Nicolson rules for the day and does so in the colours – green and gold – of his beloved 26-year-old Subaru Impreza Turbo.
He has owned the distinctive motor for the last 24 years, and “just loves it”.
His 43-strong squad, including his son Kieran, daughter Thea and their families, are wearing black and gold kirtles and cloaks that have been procured from Odies in Sandwick.
And they are all carrying shields that have been designed around his family’s own dogs, which play an important role in his life and hence in his saga.
Known as Old Whitebeard of Girlsta for the day, David is an old hand at everything Up Helly Aa, having started going out since he was in secondary three.
Now at 56, and after having been in seven different jarl squads over the years, he now has the chance to lead the festival in Nesting and Girlsta.
Born and brought up in Scalloway, but living in Gulberwick and a member of the Girlsta Up Helly Aa squad since 2009, Old Whitebeard’s saga – perhaps unsurprisingly – follows closely David’s life.
The saga tells the story of a young man from Scalloway, described as speaking few words “yet men trusted him”, who came to settle in Gulberwick.
Here 12 great dogs, “shaggy-haired and fierce”, chose him as their master, and he and his dogs became well renowned for the calm they brought.
Upon settling a dues dispute in Girlsta, folk there chose him as their leader, and Whitebeard settled in the community and build a plain hall for himself.
In later years, “when age weighed upon him” Old Whitebeard took his walk into his hill, his 12 dogs following close, never to be seen again.
It is the story of a “Shetland man” and in many ways represents what David, of Thulecraft fame, loves and values about the festival: its sense of community, the time spent together to create the suits, the way people bond and the disregard for social standing.
“It can be very stressful, but it brings you through winter,” he says, “and we have tried to make it as light-hearted as possible.”
And now that all the preparations have been completed and the big day has finally arrived, there is nothing to stop David from enjoying a great Up Helly Aa.
This year, for the first time, the Nesting and Girlsta Up Hella Aa is extended west to include Aith in the festivities.
After visits to the Nesting, Weisdale and Tingwall schools in the morning, and followed by lunch with senior citizens in the South Nesting hall, the jarl squad will aim to be at the West Mainland leisure centre for 2.30pm.
The Aith hall will also be open at night as are the halls in North Nesting, South Nesting and Whiteness & Weisdale.
There will be around 300 folk in 19 squads, all lining up for the torchlit procession at 7pm, and the burning of David’s green/golden galley Reyvonne.
More photos and video clips to follow…
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