The Newtownards Chronicle Jan 19th 2012

To anyone who is a regular reader of Fae tha Han o a Low Country Lad, I'm pleased to inform you that you can now read my bletherins every fortnight in The Newtownards Chronicle under a column of the same name. Of course if you're not from Gods country you can still catch up on my scrivens online at 'lowcountrylad'.

Yours
An aul han

Article - January 19th 2012

It's not long since most of us joined hands at the stroke of midnight and sang a verse or two of 'Auld lang syne'. A song which begins by asking, is it right that old times are forgotten? 'Fae tha Han o a low country lad' is my attempt at answering this question.

Since I began writing in the hamely tongue many people have contacted me about a word or a saying, in one of my posts, that they haven't heard in years. Invariably their remarks show a great fondness for the Ulster-Scots language and a longing to see more.

Like most of the people who grew up in and around the Ards I hae mine ( I remember) whun aa mae freens an femily spoke tha yin way. Except at school where talking broad  would earn you a clash roon the lug or maybe a rap roon the knuckles with a wooden ruler guaranteed to leave your hand dinnlin fur ours. 

Indeed as weans we encountered a multitude of requests that would would no doubt baffle most of today's children. Chief amongst these demands were instructions designed to ensure our good behaviour. Older residents of the Ards will no doubt remember being told to howl thur wheesht or mine oot o tha road. Indeed a weefla could get in bother just for stannin wae his twa arms the yin length.

Failure to abide by these instructions would inevitably end with gettin tha heid ate aff ye .  

 However we all knew that if caught in some wrong doing the best advice was, what iver ye say say nithin.