Inverlochy youngsters mark poet’s birth with ‘Scots Factor’ special day
PUPILS of Inverlochy Primary School celebrated the Bard in their own special way, not by performing the traditional poems and songs, but instead in a ‘Scots Factor’ contest using more modern works written in the ‘guid Scots tongue’.
As in the television show, the children took part in various heats with their own classmates, until three competitors remained to perform before judges in the grand final, which was held in the school hall last Friday.
P1 delivered the words and actions of Robin, Robin Reidbreist by J K Annand, while P2 performed Skippin Sang and P3 Circus, all by the same author.
The judges, Kelsey Ward of the Highland Bookshop, local author Barry Hutchison and Lochaber Life editor Iain Ferguson, discussed each performance and decided on a winner while the whole of P1 entertained the audience with Three Craws Sat Upon a Wa’ and P2 with the old favourite, Ye Canny Shove Yer Granny Aff a Bus.
Winner in P1 was Sywester Chrustek, with runners-up Ava Cameron and Tyler Smisson-Smith. P2 winner was Phoebe Judge, with Cailin Darnbrough and Scott Morgan as runners-up. Erin Kennedy was the winner in P3, with runners-up Theo Back and Caleb Collinge.
After a brief interval, the older pupils from classes P4, P5, P6 and P7 took the stage, P4 leading with Miss McCurdle by Gregor Steele about a favourite, slightly eccentric teacher. Winner was Ellie Paterson, with runners-up, Lexie Innes-Ozen and Madison MacLean.
P5 offered up James Clark and Ben MacGregor with The Sair Finger by Walter Wingate, where, after various descriptions and actions on ‘hoo sair a wee skelf’ in the finger can be, Ben was anounced the winner.
Pizzenous Pet Shop, also by Gregor Steele, was the P6 choice, with Logan Spence as winner, Archie Ferguson and Katie McIntyre as runners-up.
A poem with a message about not leaving litter Too Messy for Nessy was the final rendering of the contest with Daniel Parfitt on the top of the pile with Asha MacNeil and Shannon MacNeil runners-up.