Community / Derek’s ‘immense pride’ as guizer jarl leads Norik Up Helly Aa
SHETLAND’s most northerly Up Helly Aa is well underway on a busy weekend of fire festival action.
Derek Jamieson is leading the Norik Up Helly Aa this weekend in the north of Unst – and he says he is doing so with “immense pride”.
His squad of 26 has already undertaken some visits – such as to the Baltasound school on Thursday – while a handover event took place last night (Friday).
Jamieson, who is going by the name of Torbjørn Egilsson this weekend, said it was an honour to be leading the Norik event.
With the Northmavine Up Helly Aa taking place yesterday, and its hop festivities following today, it is fair to say it is a busy weekend in the fire festival calendar.
But up in Unst the attention is on Norik, which is one of the newer Up Helly Aas having started in the mid 1980s.
Among Jamieson’s squad is his wife and daughter, while another member is coming over from Norway.
Wife Cheryl, owner of Glansin Glass, has also made the bill head out of glass.
Things kicked off with a “brilliant” visit to the Baltasound school earlier in the week, and last night Jamieson officially became the jarl with a handover ceremony at the Haroldswick Hall.
Among the engagements on the itinerary today was gathering in the show shed next to the Haroldswick Hall at 11am, which was open to all.
There are also visits to the care centre, the Final Checkout shop, the Balta Light pub and to some folk in the community too.
The procession starts at 7.30pm, which will culminate in the burning of the galley Fustra, before the Haroldswick Hall opens at 8pm where the Alan Nicolson Dance Band will be providing the tunes.
Jamieson, 53, is going by the name Torbjørn Egilsson for this weekend as he was the son of the character he portrayed when he was guizer jarl for Unst other Up Helly Aa, Uyeasound, in 2008.
Speaking about his squad’s suit, the farmer added: “We made the leather breast plates, so we spent a lot of time making them.
“We have kind of teal coloured kirtles – we dyed them ourselves so there’s a fair bit of work gone into that too, and there’s sheepskins on wir back.”
Jamieson said he has taken on the guizer jarl role with pride after attending Norik Up Helly Aa “pretty much from the start”.
“It’s an honour,” he said.
“And it’s good feeling having your squad around you and the community behind you. It’s a brilliant feeling.”
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