DORIC COLUMN

Snaw lyin lang at the dykeside is wytin for mair.

AUL SAYIN

At’s a sayin I myn o ma mither an mony mair o her generation, thirl’t tae the soil an lang afore we hae the funcy forecasts on TV, Beasts fae the East an Hurricane Storms gyan throwe the hale alphabet fae A tae Z. Sae it’s turn’t oot an tae think we hae an oor less in the scratcher the morn as the start o British Simmer Time. Gweed preserves.

I’ll say nae mair on the trauchles an tribbles o nature es last fylie an bide inside tae hae anither caa throwe yer correspondence – an believe you me, it’s fit hauds me gyan.

Lat’s yoke bi takkin ye back tae ma screid jist a month syne on bygyan days in the Howe o Alford an referrin tae Gordon o Alford an the eident darg o James Gordon for the hale community. I wis afa pleas’t tae get a letter fae the verra mannie emsel, noo intae his nineties wi’s ain thochts on these days.

James wis waesome tae see the eyn o the faimily firm, startit fin’s faither cam ower fae Insch in I923 an’s first day’s takkins wis twal an saxpence. Faither startit wi a Model T grocery van an bi the start o warl war twa in 1939 hid twa grocery vans, twa drapery mobile showrooms an een o the first Dodge Luton furniture vans aa on the road.

His motto wis at ye maun aye meeve forrit in business an hid a motto boord bi his fireplace – “A Grouse Flies – Let yours”.

Thanks James, an feow will disagree ye hae the same ootlook as I recaa oor days thegither at meetings o the Charles Murray Memorial Trust. The speecial room at the aul Mart in Alford dedicatit tae the famous Alford poet is in nae sma wye due tae James.

Haudin farrer intae the toon I tak ye tae ma query a twa wikk syne on a photo teen at the Lyne o Skene Primary Skweel picnic in 1954 an winner’t fit wye it wis teenagers in lang brikks at were featur’t. Thanks tae Madgie Ewen – a cousin o Esma’s – for reddin things up. She has the same picter that appear’t in es paper some eers ago an the full caption read “Some of the older generation guesting at the Primary School Picnic”. Aa were named as young freens I kent fae mair nor 60 eer syne. Foo time flees.

Gettin richt up tae date I folla up on last wikk fin I left ye tae mull ower the wird “Disenall”, anither upcome o Bill Lemmon o Inverurie efter we sortit oot the Breem Dog, Baikie an Bismar as implements sairly nott aboot a fairm at ae time. Awa fae at, fit aboot Bill’s query as he myns o an aunt’s upcome tae him fan he wis bit a wee bit bairn and her sayin,

‘Weel Billy ye’ll be gyan awa tae disenall yer squibs the nicht’.

Well the wird wis new tae me bit lookin up the Scottish National Dictionary I fun disannul as meanin tae dee awa wi or demolish. In es case than, auntie wis winnerin gin the wee loon wid be lattin aff ’s squeebs, it bein Guy Fawkes Nicht. The English equivalent wid be disenable.

Tae feenish, here’s anither wird at hid an English billie aa carfuffl’t fan I cam awa chucklin tae masel the ither day fae oor local shopping area. Es cheil wis tetherin his dog bi the lead on the iron pailin fin a lass cam on the go haein a sair chauve haudin her tyke awa fae his bit offerin reassurance:

‘Ach, dinna be fear’t at him, he’s a coordie’.

‘What?...What breed o dog is that?’

‘Na, na, I mean he widna hairm a soul – he’s a coward’.

True, an I some doobt ye winna fin a coordie coordie custard at Crufts.

See ye neist wikkeyn.