Frae the archives: Christmas buyin

I wis rakin aboot the British Newspaper Archive and fund a wheen columns frae the early-tae-mid 20t century anent Christmas shoppin. Thocht yese micht enjoy readin them. In the first airticle, frae the 25 Dezember 1947 Forfar Dispatch, we hear aboot Mary Ann and the scriever gaun their Christmas shoppin. Gaun by the notices she dictates tae gae alang wi her praisents, this Mary Ann soonds like quite the character. …

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Brither Ringan’s bogie tale

Uisually, whan I write here on Mak Forrit it’s airticles that I’m writin, but this time, I hae a wee story for yese: The day is the twinty-fowert o Mairch, 1350. I masel, Brither Ringan, Benedictine monk at Dunfermline Abbey, am herein settin furth a bogie tale ootwi ma relígious duties. Whan we rose for nocturnes (wir nicht prayer), I wis haein a awfie frichtsome bogie tale o a dream. …

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Scots: an ayebidin kist o Scotland aforesyne

Thochts anent the unique role o the Scots leid in Scotland’s bygane, and whit wey it haes a gey special role tae play in communicatin Scotland’s heritage the day. Scots is Scotland’s past Scots can niver be juist a medium throu which tae communicate Scotland’s past — for Scots is Scotland’s past. Hale centuries o Scottish history haes taen place in the Scots language; hunners o thoosands o Scots haes …

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William Playfair: faither o data visualisation

Ye could say that the Scots gied us the modren warld. The television, telephone, penicillin, logarithms, the first practical radar system and steam engine, free mercat economic theory — aw inventions or discoveries creditit tae Scots. It’s awmaist embarrassin. But maist fowk likely disna ken that the inventor o the time-series line graph, bar chairt and pie chairt wis a Scot an-aw. The graphs sae kenspeckle in economics, science and business the …

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