While the rest of the country was celebrating the end of 1957 by jiving into the
early hours of 1958 with the Six-Five Special, Scots were enjoying their own home-grown
take on the festivities, Hogmanay. Although it wasn't credited as such 'New Year’s
Eve Party' would be the precursor to The White Heather Club, which would run for
ten years.
The success of the show suggested that it might work as a regular series, with the
first broadcast in Spring 1958, and although the intent was to show it fortnightly
it was only broadcast sporadically in its first year.
It would be a studio-bound ceilidh with singers, dancers and comedy, provided by
the show's most well-known host comedian and singer Andy Stewart, later to become
a chart star in his own right. Regulars included The Joe Gordon Folk Four, Ian Powrie
and his Band, Laura and Anne Brand, and other singers and dancers.
It was inevitable that with the show's success a tie-in LP was released, in this
case on HMV in 1960, while a few years' into the shows existence it was deemed so
successful that it followed the path of other musical TV shows like Oh Boy and Cool
For Cats by going on tour. In 1962 the show was rewarded with the accolade of participating
in the annual Christmas Night With The Stars show on BBC.
For the full story on the show go to Scotland On Air
Haste ye Back...
