DORIC COLUMN ROBBIE SHEPHERD

To contact Robbie, email yourlife@ajl.co.uk and mark your message FAO Robbie Shepherd

My airt’s far the hills rin weet – Hame-drawn, hame-drauchtit!

HAME DRAUCHTIT – SHEENA BLACKHALL

It wis back in the early echties fin broadcastin on baith local an national radio that I first feature’t the skeely vreetin o Sheena and that poem fae een o her early beuks struck a fair chord wi me for, inspite o oor travels near an far, we were baith hame-drauchtit bairns at hairt.

Sheena his religiously sent me aa her beuks an pamphlets since syne, some 180 in total an aye lookit forrit till. Es still didna prepare me tho for this, her latest beuk A Bard’s Life, portray’t in verse, short stories and photies. It’s nae that I didna understan her creative wyes, her vision, imagination, great command o her mither tongue, an luve o nature an aa are sae weel illustratit in her chosen poems for the beuk.

Born in 1947 an skweel’t in Aiberdeen, her faither comin in fae Ballater as manager o Strachan’s Buses, the faimily hid twa hooses, a muckle dwellin in the toon an the Shack at Ballater wis hame aa simmer an fyles at wikkeyns. It’s here Sheena wis in her element – ‘front windaes luikit oot tae Craigendarroch, back windae saw Craigcoileich ower the Dee’,

‘A hame neist door tae paiddlin puils an bandies.’

Sic joys bide in the memory bit fit hit me wis A Bard’s Life revealin the ither side, as Sheena wis tae face some afa coorse bumps alang the road an aa brocht oot sae frankly an bravely in the beuk. As a teenager she wis a victim o the typhoid epidemic o 1964 an spent a three months in isolation in the City Hospital, an eer later failed her exams at Gray’s School of Art an cam throwe a harrowin attack bi a pupil whilst a student teacher, resultin in a suicide attempt that wis tae be the start o health issues wi spells in Cornhill Hospital.

Bit the warst thraw o fate wis tae come in 2016 on the tragic death o her auldest son, Morven, alane in his hoose. It’s something she michtna cower as she wis tae write later,

‘Yet still it dunts an thrums wi bluid A mither’s son is hard tae tyne.’

Throwe aa her tribbles noo laid bare she fun solace in her screivin as still the wee beukies brocht us gems an only gettin scant menchin in the beuk – bit at’s jist Sheena – wis being awardit her degree wi distinction at Aberdeen University an later in 2018 she receiv’t the honorary degree of Master of the University, that surely in recognition o her creative writin an her dedication in the teachin o Doric tae bairns at skweel.

A Bard’s Life is publish’t bi Rymour Books o Perth at £9.99 an wi the easin o lockdown should noo be in the shops, bit also available online.

Noo I couldna lat the day ging by athoot addin tae the richly deserv’t tributes on the death at the age o 99 o The Duke of Edinburgh. It’s only noo that we come tae appreciate his selfless contribution to his Country an Commonwealth and in the invaluable support he gave to Her Majesty the Queen ower 73 years. He will be so sadly missed.

Tak care an see ye neist wikkeyn.