Skipper

She's a dory, not a taxi.

Where do you want to go.

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Plan a trip

A shared trip

Games

Come in. Pull up a chair.

Trivia

The Board

Them days you sent a youngster up the road to say there was a game on. Now you send the code, and if a chair's still empty when you deal, one of the regulars takes it.

Advertise here

Down the road

Well, Sunday after Mass we'd walk it. Start at the gate and go down, and every house along here I'll tell you who's in it.

Ugly Stick Newfoundland Instrument

The ugly stick is a percussive musical instrument unique to Newfoundland and is one of the most distinctive symbols of the province's homemade, improvisational musical culture. It is essentially a decorated mop handle or broom stick festooned with bottle caps, jar lids, tin cans, rubber boots, plastic flowers, old boots, bells, and whatever other found objects the maker sees fit to attach. When pl

The ugly stick is a percussive musical instrument unique to Newfoundland and is one of the most distinctive symbols of the province's homemade, improvisational musical culture. It is essentially a decorated mop handle or broom stick festooned with bottle caps, jar lids, tin cans, rubber boots, plastic flowers, old boots, bells, and whatever other found objects the maker sees fit to attach. When played — by bouncing it on the floor and striking the stick rhythmically — all the attached objects rattle, jingle, and clatter together, producing a loud, complex percussive effect. The player may also spin the stick, wave it, or perform exaggerated theatrical movements, making the ugly stick as much a performance prop as a musical instrument. It is commonly played at kitchen parties, community dances, mummering events, and Newfoundland celebrations. The ugly stick embodies the Newfoundland spirit of making do — creating something festive and musical from whatever materials are at hand. It also reflects the theatrical, performative dimension of Newfoundland folk culture where the spectacle of performance matters as much as the sound. No two ugly sticks are alike, and the construction and decoration of one is itself an act of self-expression. The instrument has become a popular souvenir item and cultural symbol, though its authentic home is in the participatory folk music tradition rather than the gift shop.

Fact

On the go

Them days the garden party was the whole summer. Here's what's on the go now, and when.

The kitchen

Well, Sunday the pot was on before Mass and the smell of it met you at the gate. Here's what was in it, and how it's done.

The hall

Them days the hall had a dance Saturday and the kitchen had music the rest of the week. It's still playing. Come in and listen.

The yarns

He said, you know the one about the light on the water. I said, I do. That's a story, mind, and I'll tell you which parts.

Not the house

No, I said, that's not the house. It was down just below there. Go back up the road.

Back up the road