Document 1781

Scots Tung Wittins 130

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Nummer 130
Sept 2004

A guid Scots Tung in yer heid's nae guid if yer mooth's ower blate tae uise it!

Scots Tung WITTINS

Eydently Campaignin for the Scots Leid
Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Scots Tung Wabsteid: http://uk.geocities.com/rfairnie@btinternet.com/ Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]

Copyricht
© Copyricht for awthin written in this wittins blat bides wi R. Fairnie. The Scots Tung Wittins can be fotie-copied in hail or in pairt athoot limit o nummers an this hauds guid an aw for ony pairt o the wittins blat that’s furthset in ony ither publication.

Beatrix Potter's "Peter Kinnen"
[NOTE: image of the book cover in original]
ANITHER buik for sma bairns tae read, or raither for mithers an faithers tae read tae thair sma bairns, haes juist jyned the growein swall o Scots readers comin on tae the mercat. The Beatrix Potter Associe haudit its annual collogue in Scotland this year at Birnam an, tae celebrate this, they furthset a new edition o Beatrix Potter's kenspeckle The Tale of Peter Rabbit that wis first furthset bi Frederick Warne & Co in 1902. This new edition wis owerset intae Scots an a surprise copy o the new buik, cried The Tale O Peter Kinnen wis gien oot tae aw the maimbers o the Associe that tendit the collogue.

Lynne McGeachie, a kenspeckle maimber o thon Associe frae Crook o Devon, Kinrossshire, owerset the text o the buik intae Scots efter a wee bit consultation wi Scots Tung. This new edition includes aw the original illustrations that kythed in the 1902 edition an forbye that, it includes an aw, six illustrations that wis left oot o thon edition for technical reasons.

It wis reportit that this Scots edition o Peter Rabbit wis weel enjoyed bi awbody at the Beatrix Potter Associe Collogue.

The Tale O Peter Kinnen ISBN 1-869980-21-2
sells for £6.00 an can be bocht frae the wabsteid o the Beatrix Potter Associe. Forbye that, the Associe haes been in contact wi the Scottish Booksellers Association an particlars o the ootcome o this will be gien when they come tae haund. If ye'd raither git a copy frae yer local library an they dinnae hae ane tae haund, whit wey no speir thaim tae order in a copy for ye? The Beatrix Potter Associe wabsteid can be gotten at:-
http://www.beatrixpottersociety.org.uk

[NOTE: original illustration from the book depicting four baby rabbits and an adult rabbit]
Illustrations copyricht © Frederick Warne & Co., 1902, 2002

"Noo, ma bairnies,"quo auld
Mistress Kinnen ae mornin,
"ye may gaun intae the parks or
doon the loan, but dinna gaun inate
maister Mcgreegor's gairden.

Text copyricht © Lynne McGeachie an The Beatrix Potter Associe, 2004

A Tale o Toulmin
THE director, writer an cast o a new play aboot the life o Doric writer David Toulmin wis praisentit wi a certificate bi the Lord Provost o Aiberdeen tae celebrate the city's Studio Theatre Group winnin a grant o £5,000 frae the Scots Airts Cooncil. This siller alloued the amateur drama group tae commission local playwricht, Charles Barron tae write the play cried Toulmin. The play is tae be pitten on at sindry places athort the Nor-east as pairt o this year's Doric Festival in October.

The play is aw aboot the umqhuile David Toulmin, that wis born, John Reid in 1914, intae a puir ferm-warker's faimly. He left the scuil the day afore his 14th burthday an worked on the land the rest o his life, but he aye kept on scrievin awa at essays, memories, history an descrivin local worthies. Throu time, his writin fund its wey intae the local newspaper unner the byname o David Toulmin, a ploy tae pou the wool ower the een o his boss an fellae workers. In 1972, at 59 year auld, he haed his first buik, Hard Shining Corn, publisht. This wis follaed bi nine ithers, includin his hinnermaist Collected Short Stories in 1992. They war aw weel praised tae great popular acclaim, but e'en efter aw thon, he widnae daur gie up his day job.

Toulmin will be pitten on at the follaein six venues athort the Nor-east:-
Langside Kirk Ha - Seturday, October 2
The Lemon Tree, Aiberdeen - Sun., Oct. 3
Dalrymple Ha, Fraserburgh - Mon. Oct. 4
Woodend Barn, Banchory - Tuesday, Oct. 5
Village Ha, Kemnay - Wadensday, Oct. 6
Dr Spence Memorial Ha, Udny Green - Thursday, October 7

Ilka performance sterts at 7.30pm.
Tickets can be gotten frae the Doric Festi-val Box Office, Tourist Information Centre (The Bookshop), High Street, Inverurie
(Ph. 01467-625800) an at local ootlets for ilka venue forbye.

[NOTE: image of The Saltire]
The Scots Saltire
Raicently discovered bi the Scots
Executive, at a cost o £300,000,
tae be the maist famous an best
recognised symbol o Scotland

Scots Tung WITTINS
On the wab.
The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-loadit an prentit (noo in pdf format forbye) frae the wabsteid o:-
The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca.
Wabsteid backin:-
http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/
Mair raicent copies can noo be gotten in pdf format frae Scots Tung’s ain new wabsteid at:-
http://uk.geocities.com/rfairnie@btinternet.com
A hard copy o STW is sent free o chairge tae aw maimbers o Scots Tung ilka month.
Maimbership subscreivins is £5 (Scotland/UK)
Peyed ilka September.
£6 (Ireland/EU) $14 (Americae)

Nixt Forgaitherin
Tae be decidit efter the summer breck

Tam O Shanter at the Assembly Rooms
A review bi Irene Broon owerset intae Scots bi STW Editor
A performance o Burns' poetry, or a performance o ony poetry for that maitter, for ordinar means juist the ae body recitin some pieces. This, wi luck, is duin bi the tone o vice chyngin tae suit the mood o the poem in an attempt tae bring the poem tae life for the audience. The Arches Theatre Company haes gaed a puckle steps faurer in thair production o Burns' Tam O Shanter. Devised an directit bi Andy Arnold, the piece that in Arnold's words "...lens itsel sae wunnerfae-like tae theatrical interpretation.." involves fower actors an ae musician that taks the stage in claes that michtna hae been oot o place in a pantomime wi exaggerated white mak-up, giein thaim orra leukin caricatured expressions. The performance stertit wi a muckle ful muin makin its wey slaw-like athort the screen, that wis the stage's backdrap, tae the soond o dronin notes frae the box player. The notes' tones chynges wi the fower bawdry actit oot scenes frae 18th century tavern life. This wis duin while singin or recitin Burns' poems, reingin throu Scotch Drink, Ae Fond Kiss, John Barleycorn an Address to the Unco Guid, aw tae dae wi aither sex or drink tae set the tone for the main event, Tam O Shanter. Ithers o a gey coorser sooch micht hiv cam frae the Merry Muses!

To a Louse wis performed while the cast seekit for nits in the heids o the audience, but it widnae hiv been guid mainners tae tak the rue for they war haundin oot drams at the same time! Tam's eventfu nicht is narrated in turn bi aw fower actors an bi thaim aw individually, wi an openin scene that wis like a Scots Punch an Judy. The catalyst tae Tam an Meg's weird, the witches' ceilidh at Alloway Kirk, wis performed as a gruesome orgy in ugsome claes (richt weel designed bi Anna Cocciadiferro) that didnae leave muckle tae the imagination an wis fit tae gie a body nightmares but gied muckle o the audience great amusement.

Wi Tam's hailsome tale at an end, the company brocht the performance tae a feinish wi a hert-ruggin rendition o To a Mouse follaed bi A Man's a Man, an feinisht up wi a ceilidh on the stage wi the audience clappin unbidden. It wis guid tae hear Burns' Scots bein brocht tae life in sic an entertainin wey. E'en tourists in the audience, aiblins no fameeliar wi the text, wad hiv catched the mood an spirit o this raucle performance.

The Arches Theatre Company presentit
Tam O Shanter
at the Assembly Rooms
6-30 August 2004
Arches Theatre Company wis estaiblisht in 1991 bi Airtistic Director Andy Arnold. It is noo regairdit as ane o Europe's maist innovative an challengin theatre companies producin wark the likes o Waiting for Godot an Beowulf. Tam O Shanter wis performed an aw at the Burns an aw That Festival an at the raicent Prague Fringe.
For mair information contact Nicola Meighan at the Arches on [CENSORED: emailaddress]
[CENSORED: phonenumber]
[CENSORED: postaladdress]
www.thearches.co.uk
Irene Broon © 2004

Sheena Blackhall's "Minnie"
A review bi Irene Broon owerset intae Scots bi STW Editor
[NOTE: image here of the book cover]
SHEENA Blackhall's novella, Minnie, set sometime at the stert o the last century, is written in Nor-east Scots, an taks the reader frae late September tae Juin in the life o the eponymous heroine, Minnie Bruce. Like a gestation, thae nine months sees Minnie growe frae a lichtsome bairn giein a haund at her weel lo'ed faither's hairst throu tae her steppin oot intae the warld as a young wumman frae her Granny's hoose in the toun.

Ilka ane o the seeven chapters staunds on its ain as a cutty story wi Minnie's makin for-rit throu sindry experiences the likes o Hallowe'en, Hogmanay an her fundin oot the Masonic-like secrets o the Horseman's Wird wi her cousin Isie. It's nae surprise that three o thae chapters cam 1st equal in the Scots Language Associe's 2001 annual competition for the best cutty story.

The reader suin gets uised tae the Nor-east spellins cause Blackhall's writin is clear an meisured as weel as bein splattered wi some lichtsome turns o phrase, the likes o,"Molly wis roon's a buttered bap, tho fit wis fat an fit wis bairn wisna gweed kennin." page 24. An wi braw descrivins like, "...parks war burgandy, wine-broon an bare." page 66 an "The wee stove huggit its heat tae itsel as if it wis feart tae share it." page 21.

Minnie's sibness wi her faither wis better nor that wi her mither, but there a wee bit time catched cantily atween mither an dochter in the Hallowe'en chapter when Sally Bruce, Minnie's mither, wis tellin a tale aboot the Warlock o Leddrach.

"The quine quatened doon as her mother set off again wip-pin the worst roon an roon the baa an pickin up the threids o her story." page 41.

Sally liked her laddie, Matty, best an the daith o her guid-man wis the stert o a chynge for the hail faimly an dependants, an mair particlar for Matty wha's studyin days wis noo brocht tae a feinish.

"Matty Bruce had dreamt o bein...a professional chiel... Instead, he'd bin trailed back...tae the ferm that fed an clathed an scunnered him" p90. Ilka story gies an insicht intae the social mores o a fermin faimly o United Free persuasion an Blackhall's language haes the ability tae descrive attitudes athoot wastin ower mony words. For example, "Watter christened her and watter kistit her." p66 wis the concise observe makit aboot an expectin ferm warker that haed droont hersel raither nor dree the black burnin shame o beirin an illegitimate bairn.
For aw that the hinnermaist paragraph o the buik reads like a Christian tract, this braw work is a pleisure tae read.

Sheena Blackhall read pairts oot o Minnie an spake o the challenges o writin in Scots as pairt o the Edinburgh Book Fringe, 22 Aug, at the City Airts Centre. She wis a creative writin fellow at the Elphinstone Institute, Aiberdeen, an haed anither novel, Loon, furthset last year bi Itchy Coo. She is a braidly published poet, haes written for the BBC, is a teacher, storyteller, singer an sang-writer. Michael Hance, o the SLRC, that gied an innin tae the ongaun, threapit her performance haed brocht a livin culture tae it.

Minnie is published bi the Scots Language Resource Centre (ISBN 1 899920 03 X) at a cost o £5.95. Irene Broon © 2004

Health Warnin?
FOLK that's weel acquent wi Scottish an Grampian Television's soap, Emmerdale, will nae doot be weel awaur o the dangers o eatin salad cream. The sponsor's advert at the start an durin the program shaws dizzens o folk aw gittin stuck intae mony different kinna snacks that's weel blootered wi salad cream. They aw keep clypin wee snatches o conversation on tae thair neibours but they maun aw be corn beef for ilka ane o thaim aye gits it wrang. Wi sic a concentration o deif folk an aw eatin salad cream, it's easy tae jalouse that it's the eatin o salad cream that maks ye deif. Ay, it's aw gaun on! Eh? Whit's that ye war sayin aboot a saw gun?

Makar's Neuk
Scotch Drink

Gie him strong drink until he wink.
That's sinking in despair;
An liquor guid to fire his bluid,
That's prest wi grief an care:
There let him bouse, an deep carouse,
Wi bumpers flowin o'er,
Till he forgets his loves or debts,
An minds his griefs no more.

Let other poets raise a frácas
'Bout vines an wines, an drucken Bacchus,
An crabbet names an stories wrack us,
An grate our lug:
I sing the juice Scotch bere can mak us,
In glass or jug.

O thou my muse! guid auld Scotch drink!
Whether throu wimplin worms thou jink,
Or, richly brown, ream owre the brink,
In glorious faem,
Inspire me, till I lisp an wink,
To sing thy name!

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Information about Document 1781

Scots Tung Wittins 130