SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 262 Title : The School Photograph Author(s): Anna Blair Copyright holder(s): Anna Blair Text I can see us a' yet gettin' sorted and set In the playground, by Heidie and Staff They sized us and hauled us, and measured and mauled us To pose for the school photiegraph. Ah, the years have just sped since that day by the shed Disappeared in a sepia haze. When we stood in our rows, girls in pinnies and bows Boys with ties pulled-round a' sidieways. There was gawky big Sadie and Harold O'Grady Tizzie Bell with her wee button nose We'd weans that were plain and we'd weans that were vain, And some that were neither of those. We'd Andy the Brawler and Desmond the Scholar The ringletted twins May and Sue And Clancy McBride with his mouth open wide And hair like a brush for the flue. At the front Skinny Rob and Joe Thingummybob And a real bonnie cracker called Bridget, A toty wee chap that was prone to the strap That the teacher called 'Midget the Fidget'. There were jerseys in fankles and socks down at ankles Big collars and pigtail skeewiff We'd Specky McGinty, his glasses a' squinty And his barley-fair hair in a quiff. School photies produce, whiles, the wee ones that's douce Feet together, backs straight, looking twee, With everything neat and behaving a treat... But none of them ever was ME. 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: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 1 Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1998 Word count: 229 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 127 Forenames: Anna Surname: Blair Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1920 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Teacher/author Place of birth: Giffnock Region of birth: Glasgow Birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Glasgow Region of residence: Glasgow Residence CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Business Father's place of birth: Glasgow Father's region of birth: Glasgow Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Business Mother's place of birth: Glasgow Mother's region of birth: Glasgow Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Visits to France, correspondence Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: