Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa

History

1961 Jarl Tony Herculson with galley.

The 1961 Bill.

The 1961 Galley 'Lady C'.

The 1961 Bill text - click to read.

The Nesting & Girlsta Up Helly Aa dates back to 1961 when Tony Herculson from South Nesting was the first Guizer Jarl. His galley that year was named Lady C. From 1961 until 1982 the Jarls did not portray any historic Viking figureheads although this changed from 1983 onwards. The first two Bill's (1961 & 1962) were written by the inaugural Jarl Tony Herculson, followed by Charlie Tait in 1963 and Charlie Anderson for several years thereafter. The early galleys were boats revamped at the back house of Garth, then taken to Vassa to attach the the head and tail. From 1961 to 1963 a different boat was used and burnt but in 1965-67 and 1970 the same boat was used each year and a bonfire was lit instead. Following a four year break in the festival from 1971-74, the Girlsta Mill was used as the galley shed from 1975 until 1981. The current galley shed adjacent to the South Nesting Hall was built in 1982 and continues to be used for the festival.

At the inaugural 1961 festival there were individual guizers but no squads. Charlie Tait marshalled the proceedings with the galley towed around Nesting by Alan Sandison's tractor Da President, driven by Tony's brother Maxi. The galley was burnt at the quarry between the South Nesting Hall and Eswick. Tony made the head, tail and shields for the galley which was an old boat from Coxs at Gletness. His regalia was a turquoise nylon peenie with silver trim at the bottom, a sheepskin cloak, black breeks with white laces to the knees and he carried an axe and wooden shield with crossed axes and a star painted on it. His helmet was half of an aluminium buoy fitted with raven wings. The Friester shop donated paraffin and the torches were made from driftwood. After the burning those involved had supper and music by Bobby Sandison and Mavis Tait at the South Nesting Hall. Da whole Up Helly Aa cost not wan ha'penny.

1962 Jarl Squad - Andy Wood,
Jarl Tammy Sandison & Tony Herculson.

The 1963 Bill - Click to read.

The 1963 Galley 'Cuddy'.

Historical text and pictures courtesy of Andy Bradley on behalf of the Nesting & Girlsta Up Helly Aa committee.

The Modern Festival

2010 Jarl Kevin Rennie.

2008 Galley Mareel.

Nesting & Girlsta Up Helly Aa Logo.

Nesting & Girlsta Galley Shed
next to the South Nesting Public Hall.

The modern festival follows a well-established pattern on the day of the UHA. The Jarl's Squad muster at the South Nesting Public Hall in the early hours for breakfast, followed by visits to the Nesting Primary School, the Little Tykes Playgroup at the Girlsta Chapel and the Whiteness Primary School. They may also visit the Lunnasting Primary School, the Tingwall Primary School and the Happyhansel Primary School at Walls.

From 6.30pm to 8.30pm a one-way system is in place on the loop road through Nesting. The squads muster at the South Nesting Hall at 7pm and at 7.30pm a flare signals the lighting up of torches. The procession then moves off singing the Up Helly Aa song, past the school and heads south towards the burning site on the opposite side of the road to the Old School.

The squads form a circle around the galley and sing the Galley Song while the Jarl squad march around the Galley. Cheers follow for the Galley builders, the torch makers, Nesting & Girlsta Up Helly Aa and the Jarl. The Guizers then throw their torches into the Galley, re-form a circle round the burning Galley and sing the Norseman’s Home song before dispersing to the halls. The South Nesting Public Hall and the North Nesting Public Hall are used for the evening guizing with a third hall the Whiteness & Weisdale Public Hall introduced for the first time in 2012.

The Hop night is the following day, with the Guizers’ Dance on the Saturday night two weeks after the festival. The Galley Shed is adjacent to the South Nesting Hall where a new Galley is made and burnt each year.

The 2011 festival marked 50 years since the start of the Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa. The Jarl's squad for that year was made up entirely of former Jarls with Tony Herculson once again the Guizer Jarl - 50 years after he was the first Jarl in 1961.

The annual Up Helly Aa Programme is produced on behalf of the Nesting Local History Group.

Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa by Year

Year	Year
Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2012 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2011 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2010 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2009 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2008 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2007 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2006 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2005 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2004 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2003 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2002	Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2001 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 2000 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1999 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1998 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1997 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1996 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1995 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1994 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1993 Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa 1992

Nesting & Girlsta Guizer Jarls by Year

Year	Name	From	Representing	Galley
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1971-74 1970 1968-69 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961	Iain Malcolmson Tony Herculson Kevin Rennie Dave Phillips Peter Anderson Dougie Stevenson Ian Coutts Willie Simpson Magnus Thomson Paul Rutherford Tommy Leask Victor Robertson Andy Bradley Stanley Robertson George Hunter Philip Gifford Magnus Nicolson lan Smith Walter Hunter Ralph Mair Kenny MacKay Andy Ormiston Arthur Grains Victor Sutherland Mike Cunynghame Arthur Robertson Dougie Leask Leslie Johnson Magnie Johnson Philip Fordyce John Peterson Willie Herculson Hugh Sandison George Johnson Geoffrey Johnson Charlie Anderson Maurice Thompson John Read No Up Helly Aa Willie Hunter No Up Helly Aa Bobby Sandison Gordon Gear Davie Georgeson No Up Helly Aa Maxi Herculson Tammy Sandison Tony Herculson	S. Nesting S. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting N. Nesting Girlsta S. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting S. Nesting	Harald Bluetooth Gormson Thorfinn Skullsplitter Einarsson Thorfinn Karlsefni Olaf Tryggveson Sjovald Sjovaldson Erland Thorfinnsson Sigurd Hlodvisson Harald Greyfell Magni Thorsson Olaf Haraldsson Erik Haakonsson Jarl Heimdallson Thorfinn Sigurdarson Paul Hakonarson Harald Maddadson Odin god of war Harald Harfagri Einar Rognavald Leif Eiriksson Harald Sigurdsson Svein Asleifarson Eirik Bloodaxe Haraldson Rognavald Kolson Harald Halfdanerson Torf Einar Halfdan Langlegs Ravna Floki none Magnus The Lawmaker Thorer Traeskiaeg none none cancelled - poor weather none none none none none none none none none none none none	Mjöllnir Lady C II Vilhjalmr Hav Ormr Mareel Skuda Hav Kriger Ustrasten Skidbladnir St. Clair Jarnaskeggur Reevik Kvaldsund Hendra Fea Lingness Annie-Cass Voder Verdandi Oseberg Stongerholm Ormen Fifa Sja Ulfer Fifaar Hjalp Norvegr Gokstad Lyrie Hemdaal Valkyre Kjella Thora Fivla Flyga Loki Flokki Ratho Gypsy Moth Vital Spark Press On Cuddy Try Again Lady C