SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 795 Title : Dipper: 52 - The Dyker Author(s): John Reid Copyright holder(s): John Reid Audio transcription M738: The Dyker Grandfaither trysted him tae mend the dyke That rins oot ower the hill ayont the ferm, For he wis tired wi mony a fash an fyke Whan yowes had brakken through an cam tae herm, Laired mang the moss-hags yont the benty knowes. Years, an storm, an snaw an rain had dune fell wark, An stanes were lowse an aa wis heichs an howes. Grandfaither thocht he'd had his fill o cark. Sae aa ae simmer lang, while still a lad, I watched the dyker at his lanely tred. Stane upon stane the slaps an holes were filled By that wee canny man o wiry build, Wha liftit muckle clints like dauds o cork An wroucht awa frae early morn till daurk. Betimes he'd stop, an share his cheese an breid Wi shilfas an blue-bonnets frae the wid. A tea-flask sup, ten meenits wi his pipe, Then back again tae mak the dyke ship-shape, Wi aye an antrin through-gaun binnin-stane Tae clink aa firm gainst time an storm an strain. Grandfaither, faither, dyker - aa are gane This mony a year, an nou the ferm's my ain. But still the dyke stauns arrow-straucht an stoot, Nae whittret-pruif, but stellin sheep or nowt - A better monument tae haun an brain Than some forgotten, moss-cled kirkyaird stane. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Audio Audio audience General public: For gender: Mixed Audience size: 1000+ Audio awareness & spontaneity Speaker awareness: Aware Degree of spontaneity: Fully scripted Audio footage information Original title: The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils Year of recording: 1993 Recording person id: 752 Size (min): 2 Size (mb): 7 Audio footage publication details Published: Publisher/Broadcaster: Scotsoun Publication/Broadcast date: 1993-01-01 Place of publication/broadcast: Glasgow Audio medium Radio/audio: Audio setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Audio relationship between recorder/interviewer and speakers Friend: Speakers knew each other: Yes Audio speaker relationships Friend: Other: Co-authors of book from which recording was made Audio transcription information Title of original: The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils Transcriber id: 689 Year of transcription: 2005 Year material recorded: 1993 Word count: 228 Audio transcription publication details Published: Publisher/Broadcaster: Luath Press Publication/Broadcast date: 1991-01-01 Place of publication/broadcast: Barr, Ayrshire ISBN/ISSN: 0946487227 Audio type Poetry reading/song/ballad performance: General description: From a recording of a selection of short stories and prize winning poems (Scottish National Open Poetry Competition) Author Author details Author id: 738 Forenames: John Surname: Reid Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1910 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Retired Head Teacher Place of birth: Dalry Region of birth: N Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Lockerbie Region of residence: Dumfries and Galloway Residence CSD dialect area: Dmf Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Commmercial Traveller Father's place of birth: Dalry Father's region of birth: N Ayr Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Housewife Mother's place of birth: Beith Mother's region of birth: N Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: As necessary Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially Participant Participant details Participant id: 738 Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1910 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Retired Head Teacher Place of birth: Dalry Region of birth: N Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Lockerbie Region of residence: Dumfries and Galloway Residence CSD dialect area: Dmf Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Commmercial Traveller Father's place of birth: Dalry Father's region of birth: N Ayr Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Housewife Mother's place of birth: Beith Mother's region of birth: N Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: As necessary Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially