Category: Observations
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The Peace Offering
Sandy visits his parents at Kildronan and, having stopped for a drink on the way, buys some cheese as a peace offering. The cheese ends up in a ditch and Sandy has to sleep in the shed.
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Coaches and Cargoes
Following on from the column on 08 Mar 1935, Barrowsgate describes a typical journey on the Aberdeen to Tarland horse-bus service of forty years previously. As well as passengers, these “omnibuses” carried goods and livestock.
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Fire!
The good folk of Drumnadroggit celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V on 6th May 1935 with a bonfire and fireworks.
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The Truth an’ Jeems
Barrowsgate tells a tall tale but colleague Robin doesn’t fall for it and he pays Barrowsgate a back-handed compliment.
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A Maist Ceevil War
Barrowsgate is accosted by Robert Gordon’s College students raising money for the Aberdeen hospitals. Note: This was “Founders Day Gala Friday” at the school Barrowsgate had attended.
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Betty Blinks the Beadle
Kilmaur’s Beadle is also a cobbler and a gravedigger but Betty isn’t giving him her business any time soon.
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The Wooin o’ Edom
A lass woos Adam by cooking him a dumpling and he soon gains her mother’s approval.
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Spring is Wi’ Us
The coming of Spring leads Barrowsgate to think that Spring on the croft is not how it used to be and bemoans the loss of the old customs, particularly around ploughing and ploughmen. Note: Castel o’ Auchry was a large farm near Turriff and Barrowsgate is quoting from a bothy ballad. Bothy ballads were songs…
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Jeems an’ Tilly
Craigshannoch didn’t come with enough land to keep a cow so Barrowsgate buys a goat, but it doesn’t end well.
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Kissin’ Time
Before the first tune at the local dance, there was always “Kissin’ Time”. Gentlemen and ladies started out sitting at opposite sides of the room but, when the fiddler took up his bow, both sides rushed towards each other. There then followed a whole range of approaches to kissing, from the bashful to the positively…