Tag Archives: text

Story: Doric Language Dying Out

Transcription:

“The Doric language is going to die out ….”

“Oh no – they’re encouraging it in schools now. They do have Doric lessons – when the lesson is

taken in Doric.”

‘“Cos a lot of folk in Lumsden, they wouldn’t ken what I say like … they’d just sit and look at you

like a you’re a bloody fool. It’s them that’s the fool. But it’s me that the fool – because I canna

speak English.

“But I cannae read Doric though. Oh no, it’s no good to read at all. No, no, no, no. You just have

to speak it.

“There’s a lot of them just speak Edinburgh – ‘cos when you get to school it’s all Edinburgh they

speak.”

“But they’re encouraging it in the schools.”

“They tested me in the shop, because they were sure I was English. So they came in and asked for

something in Doric – and be very surprised when I went to get it.”

Story: Food

Transcription:

On the farms – brose for breakfast with milk/cream and porridge at night. Peasemeal (ground yellow split peas?) – some

ate it like brose or with sugar or syrup.

“You never get the brose in the morning – no brose now. You won’t know what brose is.”

“It’s like a porridge, isn’t it? Only thinner?”

“You just make it and eat it. Everyone got brose – all the boys in the field. Brose and a sip of milk.

Cream! He got the cream in the morning with the brose.

“Brose every morning and porridge every night.”

“But it would be healthy food?”

“I like the peases. Hannae had them for long enough but I liked the peases. I tried them not that

long ago. Any butcher ???? Just take it all. Just tried it but no use. But by God you had other

means of ??”

“Not the peases. Syrup?” [bits missing here]

“Just made it like brose – peasemeal.”

“Yellow, is it?”

“Just the same split peas that you use in broth.”

“And then you just got a slice of loaf in the morning at some places. Slice of loaf and no tea.”

Story: Getting Married

Transcription:

You had a new suit to get married in. Kelman’s, the tailor was at Parkneuk. Jimmy was sitting in the tailors at night while

they sewed ‘a fine blue suit’ for him. It was only finished the day before the wedding! There was another tailor next to

Davidson’s (the grocer). Jimmy got married in the Kildrummy hotel. There wasn’t a minister at that time, so he had to

collect one from Alford and take him home again after the service.

“It was great times at that time. I mind when I was getting married. I was needing a new suit, see.

You always had a new suits to get married.”

“Jimmy – the tailor in Lumsden. Jimmy Soutar?”

“Tailor in Lumsden – Jimmy ?? So when we arrived to get on and get a suit ready. The wife was

away but I see’d him and he said we’ll make it for you and we had to get away.” [something about

tea?]

“Jimmy went with me about one o’clock came and she ???? and the old boy says to me – “you’d

better get a good suit now he says, may be the last thing you’ll get.” Maybe the last thing you get,

he said to me. and we got it home this one day and wore it the next day.”

“??? was the same – he thought it was not going to be ready in time.”

“I was down they day before to get my suit. Last day I bought my suit.”

“Did everyone have a new suit to get married?”

???????

“A fine blue suit it was. Jimmy something you called him. The tailor. Wife bides on her own now.

The Govals … the cottage. No, nearer the village than that. The one on the left. Where Kelman

was – that’s what you called the tailor. Aye that’s right. But he didn’t work in Lumsden. He worked in

???”

“Not the Govals, the one before the Govals – Parkneuk.”

“Davidson’s shop – that was another tailor. What was the title of the tailor? Oh that boy said to me –

“you’d better get a good suit now – it’ll be the last thing you’ll get.” “

“Where did you get married?”

“Kildrummy Hotel. There was no minister in Kildrummy at that time, so I says to myself, “where will

I get a minister?“ And an old boy says to me,”I’ll easy come for you, the minister, ???? from Alford.

Took down the car for him. Put him back again after we were married – the same day.

Oh, we had some great times.”

Story: Land Girls and Lumber Jills

Transcription:

One farmer used to take land girls on only for 6 months as you got money for the first 6 months to train them. He would

shout and howl at them. In 6 months he would get a new lot. The land girls were mainly local. Some came from Orkney.

A number of people married land girls. Lumberjills cut the wood.

“Used to take the lassies that worked in the fields…. the land girls. Took them for six months – you

used to hear him howling at them. Just took them for six months – he got paid for six months and

then away they went.”

“Were there a lot of land girls came?”

“There was a few, ken – Jimmy – oh my memory’s all to hell. You’re needing a dram!

Jimmy McConnachie married a land girl – twas Jimmy was married to Hettie (Hetty?).”

“Oh that’s right.”

“And Mrs Henderson was a land girl – Jock Henderson’s wife. She was a land girl. Aye, she was an

Orkney lassie.”

“Where did they come from?”

“Orkney, or all mair or less round about. Some of the quines from Strathdon, they were land girls.

“They brought in the wood. Fiona Coutts Smith was a land girl – they were lumberjills.

“Lumberjills?

“Lumberjills. ??? wood at side of Kirkhill ???? There’s a man dragged the wood out with horse, out

of the woods and the lassies cut them all.

“Your pal Sherwood? She worked at Drum Castle. So she did.”