Tag: Country life
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Auntie Barry, Bess an’ Butter
Auntie Barry from Kilmaur takes on Bess o’ the Mains from Kildronan in a Women’s Rural Institute butter-making competition. Bess produces nothing but froth and sabotage is suspected.
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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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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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Whusky an Soda
Barrowsgate’s Granny “accidentally” gives the cow dealer washing soda to drink, which leads to a successful sale. “Birse tea” is where a dram of whisky is added to the last cup of tea in the pot.
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Coaches and Cargoes
Following on from last week’s column, 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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Rural Harmony
The parishioners of the divided community of Drumnadroggit decide to come together as one congregation for a Social Evening at the Auld Kirk. Needless to say, they still manage to fall out with each other.
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Speed
Miss O B Carefu gives a cautionary talk at the Kildronan Women’s Rural Institute about not rushing into things – before speeding off in her car.
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Ower Muckle Dignity
The erection of a new Public Hall was a matter of pride for the folks of Kildronan and the nearer your house was to it, the better. The houses in the village were renumbered accordingly, and there was fierce competition to get number one. Note: An English version of this, called “Social Dignity” was later…