Ealtainn

Thursday 2 June 2005, 6.15pm, BBC2 Scotland

Andy Yearly

Another opportunity to watch this programme , which follows the emotive return of music teacher Andy Yearly to Vietnam, 30 years after he left the country at the height of the war.

The Vietnam conflict had already left thousands of children orphaned and abandoned, the chaos of the war was escalating and hundreds of orphans were being evacuated, mostly to the United States, as the Vietcong forces closed in on Saigon. In 1974 a tiny boy arrived on the Isle of Lewis to a new home in the village of Keose and to his new parents Iain and Eilean Yearly. The Yearly’s had been in correspondence for over a year with a family friend, Helen Steven who was working in an orphanage in Saigon. Over that time they had followed the progress of Andy and the intricate procedures required to bring the little boy to a new life in Lewis.

Arriving as a 2 year old, Andy grew up in the village attending the local primary school, where the teacher Gretta Mackenzie became a life-long friend. As he progressed through school, his musical talent became apparent and he gained entry at a young age to the Royal Academy of Music. After graduation he returned to Lewis and to his first love of Gaelic traditional music, he now teaches music to over eighty pupils and also at various schools and fèisean.

Now 33 years old, and following the loss of both his parents in the last 10 years, he has recently made the emotive journey back to Vietnam. Accompanied by his ex-teacher and friend, Gretta Mackenzie their travels took them to Hochiminh City (formerly Saigon) where his return was met emotionally by many of the Vietnamese people they made contact with, particularly in the Phu My orphanage, which still provides a home for over 300 children.

The programme was produced by MacTV, funded by Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gaidhlig and was originally shown in November 2004.

For more information please contact:
Peigi Macinnes: peigi@mactv.co.uk tel 01851 705638