jaimsiem wrote:escotregen wrote:My Glaswegian folk memory tells me that the expression 'queer folk from the Shaws' came out of the arrival of the 'foreign' speaking Hugenout
(excuse my spelling) Protestant refugees from hideous persecution in France. Does this tally with any one else's knowledge?
Tally's with me, I'll try to look out a book on the subject
"People who come from Pollokshaws are sometimes referred to as “the Queer Folk” . The saying “the Queer Folk” is
attributed to part of a ballad portraying an irate mother warning her son of the pitfalls of attending ‘The Shaws Races’. The first verse said, “ye may be trod to death beneath the horses paws and mind ye lad the sayings true, there’s queer folk in the Shaws”.
The song was popularised by a well known street singer called Jamie Blue. The races date back to 1754 which was a
time when the Shaws saw an influx of Flemish weavers who brought their skills to the Shaws. When they ventured into
Glasgow or Paisley their particular accent brought about the saying "there’s queer folk in the Shaw’s". So a multicultural
society is nothing new."
Plagarised from the Shaws heritage trail book.
PK