Document 1040

Graip an trooel mak the perfec wind-doon - May 16, 2005

Author(s): Robbie Shepherd

Copyright holder(s): Robbie Shepherd

Concrete the bloody things over and leave yourself free Gardens - Andrew Waterman AWA back ower 40 eer syne, we bocht wir first an only hoose for the princely sum o jist a hackie abeen £ 2,000. I hid tae lach fin I cam upon a renewal receipt for the hoosehold insurance in 1978 gaurin me spew oot a hale £ 10.

Hooiver, at's bi the bye as, baith o's bein keen gairdeners, it wis the lure o a muckle bit grun at the back at took wir ee.

Noo, baith o's inta the joys o Gordon Broon's sma pittance o a pension, at gairden, in the myn's ee, gets bigger and bigger, nae that the love o gairdenin his gotten less, jist that the docknail needs a bittie mair proddin.

At's foo I aye pick ma spring holidays aboot the eyn o April an I maun say we baith hae benefitit fae the braak, tho the wither cwid a been kinder. If it hid only been like es last feow days.

A TWA-three days up bi Coylumbridge wye, folla't bi dodging oot an in o hailsteens wi graip an trooel, wis the perfec wind-doon for the twa o's.

Nae that the wither wis ony better up Aviemore wye, bit the craic wis gweed and ye're nivver sure fa ye bump intel. In the sma bookin office cum wytin room at the station, we cam upon Johnny-athing emsel wi a fine smile on's face - the richt face o toorism, I wid say - and we baith lookit at een anither fin the first wirds cam oot o wir moos.

"Eer nae fae hereaboots," ventur't Esma, follow't bi me sayin: "Na, bit I'll sweir ye were brocht up in the Huntly/Keith airt." "Ye're richt ere, ma mannie," cam the response o the cheery chiel, "an I myn fin ee did a dance music recordin for the BBC nae lang efter the Coylumbridge Hotel open't." That wis the fec o 20 eer syne an at's faur we were bidin es time roon.

It wis there, tee, that we bumpit inta Sandy Johnstone, fa eest tae bide at Broadstraik, an mony an impromptu ceilidh we hid thegither, alang wi's brither-in-law Ross Muir, the chiel that hosted the TV fairmin programme for mony an eer an shar't his love o sweet peas wi's ana.

Afore I leave the Aviemore airt - haein fail't, I shid say, tae get aboord the fantoosh Cairngorm railway cis o roch wither - lat me haun ower tae the Colin Prior o the hoose - Esma.

Weel, she cwid o been, bit at digital camera o hers aye cam oot at the wrang time an wi palin posts an road signs taakin ower fae scenic beauty, she miss't oot on oor first-ivver sicht o a fite fan-tail't black grouse - weel, we think at's fit it wis.

SO BACK tae the gairdenin, an at saa us taakin a windin roadie awa at the back o beyont aff the Rothiemurchus road jist cis the signpost said Alpine Garden.

Efter fit seem't like 30 mile instead o three, we cam upon es perfec oasis wi damn-all for neebors.

The lay-oot o an acre or twa wis sae naitural an the enterprisin couple hae biggit a sma restaurant in fit wis the original pottin shed wi a look-oot at Mither Nature's finest - a landscape o trees, shrubs an girss, wi a branch or twa a feow feet fae yer nose, and the playgreen for birdies big an sma, nae tae menchin squirrels an pine martens.

Ay, aa the wye there tae buy three little planties, bit well worth the veesit, specially fin tellt that Carole Baxter hid been there the wikk afore.

The woman kent ma voice, tee, fae the radio, an daur I say fae the Beechgrove Gairden Roadshows aa at eers ago.

On that, jist as I write, Jim McColl his pass't on the sad news o the daith o's buddy o early days, George Barron - a lovely man, an mair on that neist wikk.

BIT back tae wir ain gairden: the sweet peas are in an looking bonny in the new-turn't-ower grun. Ay, ere's aye that spark o satisfaction yet efter 40 eer o tirlin ower the same yird.

I leave ye wi a gye aul-farrant upcome o Esma's ae nicht at denner in wir hotel.

"I'll sweir at made him afa afin emsel." She wis referring tae the heid waiter fin he explain't that the soup o the day wis "Skullen Kink".

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Graip an trooel mak the perfec wind-doon - May 16, 2005