Shellfish and its Role in UK History and Culture

Janet H BrownInstitute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling

“it all started with the Romans….”

Scallop decoration from Verulamium UK 150AD

Skara Brae – neolithic village

Role of the church in mediaeval times

Generous interpretation of

“fish”

Victorian times

“Poverty and oysters always seem to go

together”

Science informing literature?

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!" The Walrus did beseech.

"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, Along the briny beach:

We cannot do with more than four, To give a hand to each."

Rise and fall of the oyster fleets

• Production of Firth of Forth in 1800 – 30 million oysters pa

• Dramatic fall in production in England thought to be related to advent of railways

• First imports to boost production made in 1870s – Crassostrea virginica from USA and Ostrea edulis from France and Holland

Darker story still with mussels

Cromarty

Map of Tain and Dornoch Firth

Photos and work courtesy of shell artist Blott Kerr-Wilson

More Blott Kerr Wilson – left from cookery school in Ballymaloe and above

an orangerie in France

The Water Baby by Herbert James Draper 1900

Hymn to man

1 of Damien Hurst’s 4 gifts to the Tate Modern

Birmingham

East End culture

The Shrimp Girl by William Hogarth

Connections to Birmingham again

Winkle Pickers

Half of voters say Brown would struggle to

run a whelk stall - Daily Mail November 2007

Cockles and mussels alive alive O

www.blottshellhouses.com

Thank youICSR