I
wiz sitting readin a few nichts ago and my wife hid the T.V. on
blurrblin awa as usual. I dinna care much for the 'box' so I've learned
tae tune it oot tae a great degree. The programme wiz aboot disruptive
bairns at hame and at skweel. This kindo teen my attention because comin
fae a generation that hid nae fancy names for disruptive behaviour
apart fae 'That's a coorse bugger o a bairn that!' or 'That geet's jist a
bliddy gype!' I wiz amazed at aa the fancy names there is for that kind
o thing noo. Different generations hiv different approaches tae things I
suppose. But spikk aboot a generation gap! Michty me.
Of course my mind wint back tae a story I heard fae een o the journeymen I served my apprenticeship under. He wiz een o the maist interesting men I ivver worked wi and jist hid dizzens o wee stories aboot life, war and characters in the locality. He wiz een o that folk that could observe and obviously he could listen. So here's een o his wee stories and whether it's true or no I dinna ken but this een deserves tae be true
. Tammas & The Penny.
Tammas eest tae shoochle aboot Banff in his strange half run walk. He wiz ayee in a hurry tae be gyan somewye and the tap half o his body leaned weel forritt as if he wiz aboot tae faa on his face. Abody jist said he wiz a 'gype' that catch all Doric word that means yer eether a clown, clumsy or nae richt in the heed. Tammas could be classed as them aa for he wiz a bit o a clown, clumsy, slow kind on the uptak but he loved tae mak fowk laach. As weel as aathing else he wiz slow in speech an that added yet anither dimension tae the peer loon's problems. Onywye Tammas wiz happy enough in his ain wye and on the whole the folk o Banff were gweed tae him. There'd been a couple o occasions through the years that visitors tae the toon hid been coorse tae him especially durin the Great war fin some o the sojers hid gave him a slap aboot. Needles tae say the local lads hid returned it wi interest fin they got a hud o them. Low street wiz een o Tammas' favourite haunts on a Saiturday nicht fin the young fowk walked oot wi eenanither. Tammas wiz in his element and wid sing wee sangs and dance if asked. Een o his favourite sangs wiz 'Ish ye baa ma bairnie o' that he'd sing tae onybody that speired. He dee a wee dance at the same time-
"There wiz eence a fairmer's dochter
Faa lang socht a bairnie o
So she teen her faither's greyhun
An wupped it in a plydie o
Singin ish ye baa ma bairnie
Ish ye baa ma bairnie o
If it wisna for yer lang snoot
I'd gie tae you the pappy o."
This tae the mock ootrage o the quines, some faa hid the decency tae gyan reed in the face in front o the loons an say "Ae me that's affa!" tae a burst o laughter fae aa present. Tammas wiz the main man.
He loved mixing wi the younger folk and although they'd tak the rise o him it wiz hairmless fun and Tammas loved the attention. One favourite trick o the young lads wiz tae hud up a silver shilling and a copper penny.
"Noo Tammas fit coin will ye tak? There's a big broon een or the wee shiny een?'
Tammas wid mak funny faces an pit puzzled frowns on his face gan fae fit tae fit in his indecision. Abody wid be in fits o laughter at his antics. Athoot fail he'd eventually tak the big broon penny tae the roars o laughter fae the young fowk. This could happen a puckle times on a Saiturday nicht wi different groups o gyan aboot young fowk. Tammas always gave them a good show for their penny. Ae nicht though an aal wifie stood watchin the ongyans an got a bittie upset watchin the loons an quines makin a feel o Tammas. So aifter they'd moved on she approached Tammas and said tae him "Tammas ye shouldna let them mak a feel o ye that wye! a silver shillin is worth a lot mair than the big broon penny!' Tammas looked at the wifie wi a half smirk an said in his slow wye "I ken that weel enough wifie but if I teen the shillin they widna dee it again!"
Tammas wisna the name I wiz tellt but as I dinna want tae hurt onybody's feelings in case some o his faimily still bide aboot here so Tammas he will hiv tae be.
Of course my mind wint back tae a story I heard fae een o the journeymen I served my apprenticeship under. He wiz een o the maist interesting men I ivver worked wi and jist hid dizzens o wee stories aboot life, war and characters in the locality. He wiz een o that folk that could observe and obviously he could listen. So here's een o his wee stories and whether it's true or no I dinna ken but this een deserves tae be true
. Tammas & The Penny.
Tammas eest tae shoochle aboot Banff in his strange half run walk. He wiz ayee in a hurry tae be gyan somewye and the tap half o his body leaned weel forritt as if he wiz aboot tae faa on his face. Abody jist said he wiz a 'gype' that catch all Doric word that means yer eether a clown, clumsy or nae richt in the heed. Tammas could be classed as them aa for he wiz a bit o a clown, clumsy, slow kind on the uptak but he loved tae mak fowk laach. As weel as aathing else he wiz slow in speech an that added yet anither dimension tae the peer loon's problems. Onywye Tammas wiz happy enough in his ain wye and on the whole the folk o Banff were gweed tae him. There'd been a couple o occasions through the years that visitors tae the toon hid been coorse tae him especially durin the Great war fin some o the sojers hid gave him a slap aboot. Needles tae say the local lads hid returned it wi interest fin they got a hud o them. Low street wiz een o Tammas' favourite haunts on a Saiturday nicht fin the young fowk walked oot wi eenanither. Tammas wiz in his element and wid sing wee sangs and dance if asked. Een o his favourite sangs wiz 'Ish ye baa ma bairnie o' that he'd sing tae onybody that speired. He dee a wee dance at the same time-
"There wiz eence a fairmer's dochter
Faa lang socht a bairnie o
So she teen her faither's greyhun
An wupped it in a plydie o
Singin ish ye baa ma bairnie
Ish ye baa ma bairnie o
If it wisna for yer lang snoot
I'd gie tae you the pappy o."
This tae the mock ootrage o the quines, some faa hid the decency tae gyan reed in the face in front o the loons an say "Ae me that's affa!" tae a burst o laughter fae aa present. Tammas wiz the main man.
He loved mixing wi the younger folk and although they'd tak the rise o him it wiz hairmless fun and Tammas loved the attention. One favourite trick o the young lads wiz tae hud up a silver shilling and a copper penny.
"Noo Tammas fit coin will ye tak? There's a big broon een or the wee shiny een?'
Tammas wid mak funny faces an pit puzzled frowns on his face gan fae fit tae fit in his indecision. Abody wid be in fits o laughter at his antics. Athoot fail he'd eventually tak the big broon penny tae the roars o laughter fae the young fowk. This could happen a puckle times on a Saiturday nicht wi different groups o gyan aboot young fowk. Tammas always gave them a good show for their penny. Ae nicht though an aal wifie stood watchin the ongyans an got a bittie upset watchin the loons an quines makin a feel o Tammas. So aifter they'd moved on she approached Tammas and said tae him "Tammas ye shouldna let them mak a feel o ye that wye! a silver shillin is worth a lot mair than the big broon penny!' Tammas looked at the wifie wi a half smirk an said in his slow wye "I ken that weel enough wifie but if I teen the shillin they widna dee it again!"
Tammas wisna the name I wiz tellt but as I dinna want tae hurt onybody's feelings in case some o his faimily still bide aboot here so Tammas he will hiv tae be.
copyright © Patrick Hutchison
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