Story: School and Work for Children

Transcript:

“Two people came here – to the house – when Mum and Dad were here. One from Canada and one

from somewhere in Scotland and said that they had lived here when they were children. And they

had gone to Lumsden School. And you were saying that’s who they must have been.

“They were parish bairns, you see. And travellers bairns. And both their grannies and

grandfathers lived just the other side of Alford ???. Aye – parish bairns, they’d be.”

“Was it common for people to take in parish bairns? “

“Oh yes quite a few were taken in. There were a few kids. Down the village, there was a few good

bairns. There was a boy, and Jimmy. And a girl – Rebecca. That was the tink. When Issac left the

school he took all the rest away. And I saw Issac when I was about 24 and I saw him. And he said

that Davie was about Aberdeen somewhere. But he didn’t know where.

She wore ??? to school?”

“????????? up Smiddie Lane.

“When I started school I left from ??? I come from ??? The place over the back of the hill – Willie

Yates has it now. A ruin now. I came over the hill from there. “

“I’ve never walked up there but Mum … I would like to walk up there but Mum was saying there

were a few people that lived up there. Grannie and Granded …. Woodend was the right name of it.

Two parks down …. Up past Boghead. “

Where the Bonnie Socks were.

????? Something about Hugh?

“They were all up there. I left the school at 12 1/2.

You were a working man by the time you were 12.

Came here in 44. ???????? Came to Deskie in 44.

Worked at the pub at that time. Not Lumsden – Kildrummy.”

Hardy lad at that time – drove the car, worked in the bar, worked the petrol pumps.

I’d have been about 16 or 17.