Braw lads an soor plooms: on the mairch in Galashiels
Aboot the first thing that happens whan we get tae the mairch is that we get pit in chairge. Weel, kind o. Yin o the organisers comes joggin taewarts us across the gress, asks if we’ll be stewards. Me, ah cry aff; ah’m here tae write aboot the mairch, no tae rin it, an ah’m gey shuir ah’ll no hae onything positive tae say bi the fínish. Ah’v no been …
Sri Lankan refugees comin tae Réunion
Syne the stert o 2018, the’r been Sri Lankan asylum seekers comin tae Réunion, an island tae the East o Africae ringit bi Fraunce, bi boat. The’r been sax boats in 13 month cairryin fae sax tae 120 Sri Lankans. It’s a wanchancy traik, inspecially wi the wee rafts some o thaim haes got. The refugees tholes an assizes on laundfaw. Lawyers defendin some o thaim haes said that thare …
Kintrae livin
A while back ah cam by a notice o an ‘open dayʼ for a gairden in East Lothian. It wis o partícular interest acause it wis in a place ah haed kent weel whan ah wis a bairn. Bein mindit o it fairly brocht back a wheen o memories. For mair nor fifty year, his hale wirkin life, ma uncle wis the gairdener tae the big hoose belangin the estate. …
Fechts, furnication an sclander: a deek at the auld Edinburgh an Glesca burgh records
The wabsite British History Online haes setten furth in digital form extracts frae the burgh records o 16t an 17t century Edinburgh an Glesca. I haed a bit rake aboot an hae pitten a wheen walins ablo, alang wi glossars for wirds that’s no sae kenspeckle. The’r recordins an aa o me readin thaim oot (in less or mair Modren Scots cause ettlin tae uise the pronunciation o the time …
Effeirin tae the formal: Laitinate lendwirds in Scots
This is a bit follae-up tae my post frae afore, ‘Tap 10 wirds the Scots language haes gien the warld’. Ane o the wirds ben yon piece wis convene, at I notit wis no sae meikle a innovation o Scots as it wis a borraein frae aither Laitin or French at appeared in Scots aroond echty year afore it did in English.
The Yellae Jaiket muivement in Réunion
Syne 17t November, there haes been a social muivement gaun on in Fraunce cried the Yellae Jaiket (gilets jaunes) muivement. The muivement gits its name fae the heich visibility yellae jaikets the protesters weir. The muivement is mair or less spontaneous, an haes nae real heid ane.
The original ettle o the muivement wis the protest agin the waux in petrol prices. But it tite wirtht till a general revolt agin social injustice, agin the lack o participative democracy an agin the preses Macron an the thir-days Forrit (En Marche) government.
Daein it yersel
Onybody keekin roond the door yestreen an seein me laid oot on ma back on the fluir, heid ablo the computer desk, could be forgien for thinkin tae theirsel, ‘O Goad, she’s deid!’ But than they wad hear the sweirin an ken it wis juist me lyin amang the stourie taigle o wires ahint the prenter tryin wi baith haunds tae wrassle oot yet anither o ma crushed, manky cairds grippit like a vice atween the machine rowers.
Anent hou I cam tae be slitterin aboot wi the prenter in the first place, I hae tae gae back a week or twa. Ye see, it haed come tae me that I micht hae a shottie at makkin ma ain Yuil cairds!
Tap 10 wirds the Scots language haes gien the warld
The fowk o Scotland haes aye haed a wey wi wirds, frae the poyetry o the 15t an 16t centuries tae the ‘Scottish people Twitter’ o the day. Sae it’s nae surprise that ower the centuries the Scots language haes gien the warld some braw wirds. Here’s oor tap ten (in nae particular order).
Three days in October
A puckle times o late I hae seen something tae mak ma hert lowp wi delicht. Kennin me an ma guidman wad be in Perthshire toward the back end o the year, a freend speirt haed we iver been tae see the ‘Enchauntit Forest’? This is an oot-o-doors soond an licht shaw that comes intae its ain in the Faskally widlands ootby the wee toun o Pitlochry for aboot fower weeks in October, whan the nichts are drawin in.
Nou we did ken aboot this seein as in ither years we haed aft been in Pitlochry aroond hairst time an seen the advertisements for it. The Enchauntit Forest Community Trust haes been pittin on this spectacle for aboot ten year an it’s a guid thing they dae; the siller it brings is uised tae gie support tae worthy causes roond aboot.
Scotland’s Ain Kingly Hooses: Robert The Bruce
Born 11 Julie 1274 at Turnberry castle, Ayrshire, Robert wis the son o Robert Bruce o Annandale an erle o Carrick, an Magret coontess o Carrick. The Bruce faimily wis sprung fae the line o Erle Dauvit o Huntingdon an haed a guid claim on the croun o Scotland. His faither — an hissel — chynged sides in the weirs, whiles fechtin for the guardians an whiles for Edwart Langshanks o Ingland. Back an forrit the faimily gaed. It aw lippent on whither or no the guardians upheld Balliol or Bruce claims tae the croun an whither or no Langshanks micht ‘gie’ the croun tae the Bruces, pittin the faimily in an awfu swither.
Bravehert: The truth anent William Wallace (pairt 2)
Edward Langshanks wis mairchin north, an a fecht wis inevitable. It wis ane the Scots warna likely tae win. Wallace at this stage makkit ae decision that wad gie his force an advantage. Kennin that the giant English airmy wad hae need o great stores o supplies, he draggit them deeper intae Scotland. Mair nor thon, he pit mony ferms tae the torch. Wallace, guairdian o the Scots fowk, set the fertile ferms o the Lothians ablaze. He wantit tae stairve England’s airmy.
The ploy wisnae faur awa fae wirkin.
Bravehert: The truth anent William Wallace (pairt 1)
Wallace cam fae nae place, gaithert thegither thoosands o common fowk in Scotland wi some orra glamour o personality or skeel, an wi the grumly, switherin support o the Scottish nobility, he gied the English ane o the great skelpins at Stirlin Brig. But there’s sae mony haivers spake aroond Wallace that ye maun feel that MacDiarmid micht hae been scrievin as weel aboot Wallace as Burns wi the lines, ‘Mair nonsense has been uttered in his name / Than in ony’s barrin’ liberty and Christ.’