Now that my new non-fiction book ‘Surviving Family Care Giving: coordinating effective care through collaborative communication’ has been published by Routledge and is now on the shelves in USA as well as UK, e.g. at Waterstones,  I’m enjoying working more now on various other projects….

Over many years I’ve enjoyed writing stories and poems in Doric as well as in English and have also been a member of TMSA (Traditional Music and Song Association (Scotland) for many years – the Association exists to ensure that the wonderful heritage of Scottish music and song and story telling will continue.  And I’m delighted that recently Diane Anderson – currently working with Education Scotland on a new project to encourage writing in local dialects such as Doric -asked me to help with this project.

I’ve been surrounded by Doric all my life – living here I know that many, if not most, people are bi-lingual, often using Doric among friends and family while speaking ‘proper’ English in other situations where people might not understand Doric.   And I’ve always loved hearing Doric spoken e.g. by my father’s family, by class mates when I was at school in Keith, by many friends. Doric can be very expressive in a way that more formal speech often seems to lack.

An example – one day I got caught in a thunderstorm.  It didn’t last long – and at least a few creatures actually enjoyed the result of the very sudden shower (or Shoo’er) which soaked me completely….

Shoo’er

Hale watter runkling doon the lane,

Stair roddies stottin aff the tar

Branders hotterin, bubblin foo

An ma soakit feet rinnin, rinnin tae get hame.

The roadie’s dryin, risin steam.

Blin storm gies wye tae a singin, singin sky –

A splashin, splooterin draas ma een –

Starlins hae’in a dook in a reamin watter spoot.

Quite a challenge to read if you’re not used to hearing Doric spoken – Doric is written phonetically, try reading it aloud.