The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)

DORIC CORNER

Jackie Ross is a co-director o Doric Books, a community interest company aat publishes beuks written in Doric. She’s a storytelle­r inna an likes nithin mair than tae tell a tale in her mither tongue.

Fit a rare fly I hid last wikend doon at St Peter’s Heritage Centre in Culter. Three hame-made pieces an aa e tah ye can drink fur a fiver.

A bargain, speecially fin ye ken it’s gaun taewards keepin e hale place in gweed order.

We got tae spikkin tae t’ither fowk sittin at oor table. It stairtit wi e bannocks! Fit div ye pit on yer bannocks? Butter an syrup or hame-made jam?

I wis teen back tae ma bairnhood fin ma grunny wid mak wee bannocks fae e scrappins o e bowel.

She’d gie thim tae ma sister an me fin they wur aye het. We’d clart thim in butter an gollup thim up. Syne lick e meltit butter aff wur finngers an speir fur mair!

Ye didnae need onythin mair nor butter on a het bannock! Bit iv they wur caul syne I’d opt fur hamemade rasp jam. We’d files ging ben e roadside an pu e rasps, an mither wid mak fine jam. Fit rare.

Weel it wis a sma loup fae bannocks tae breid. Ma mither-in-law wis a gran baker an ilka wik she wid gie’s a tinnie fu o oatcakes made on her girdle. Anither gran eese fur butter, an mebbe a bittie cheese inna.

Sum fowk roon e table myned fine aetin murlytuck (breid in a bowel o milk) bit I wis nivver a lover o yon.

Bit like ma granfaithe­r, I wis font o breid crummelt intae ma tattie soup. We’d pit in as muckle ye cud near stun yer speen in’t!

Neist e conversati­on turnt tae brakfast. Noo I’m a confirmed porritch aeter bit I’ll admit I dinna stick tae e aul-farrant wye o suppin’t. Nae wee cuppie o reamy milk on e side fur me. Na, na, I pile on e berries an nuts syne droon e hale plate in milk.

Ma man taks brose, jist brose, nae stuff on e tap fur him! An files he wid hae a suppie pizzers. Gyad! I canna stun e stink o e stuff!

Bit, e wife at oor table myned aat ony time her mither wis awa at supper time her faither wid bring oot a wee bowel fur her an a muckle bowel fur himself an mak pizzers!

Sadly fur sum, ye canna get peasemeal ony mair. It’s nae tae be gotten. I can assure ye ma man his tried!

Brakfast deen we gid on tae dennertime. Skweel denners tae be exact. Jam rolly polly, puddock’s aigies, broon custard, oor moos wur watterin at e thocht.

Eense mair I took a wee trippie doon memory wynd tae e day fin e cook’s helper wis aff nae weel an ma pal Wilma an masel hid tae gie a haun tae dee e dishes. It widnae be allowed noo-a-days cause o health an safety bit we hid a rare time.

Nae ainly did we get tae miss maths bit we got tae sup e juice o e pineapple aat hid been drained tae mak e pineapple unside doon puddin! Thon wur e days!

Weel bi iss time we’d aeten aa e sandwiches an funcy pieces an drained e tahpot sae we thocht we mebbe better lat sum ither body get a chunce.

Bit we’ll ging back – ye canna beat a fine fly an a blether.