Flet wheels an throttin pownies

Noo switherin aboot times lang gan ir affen a thing A fin maesel daein in tha lang dreath deys o wunter. A thocht o things that ir naw sae mich tae tha fore as they micht hae bane in tha airlie fifties roon aboot tha North Entrim loanins. Noo awa baak then guid folk jest cudnae step intae a kar an gae aff tae tha toon whun they wanted a wheen o messages.

Ach naw, it wusnae lake that then if a boady had a rickle o a bike in them deys he thocht he wus mair nir weel aff. A hae weel mine o oul bikes lying aboot oor hoose then, guid solid boys a British made. Maaks lake Humber, Rudge seem tae stick in mae heid, an anither thing A hae mine is that mae feyther wus foriver patchin flet wheels, sae it wus handy tae aye maak sure ye had a guid pump aboot ye.

Onywye A mine as a wean wae dinnae affen gae tae tha toon, naw deed for ye see tha toon wud hae come tae is. Noo bae that A mane ye had a soarts o yins wha wud caa wae ye maistly yince a week ir sae, yins lake tha grocery man, tha breid man, tha beef man, tha milkman, tha fish man, tha hardwiar man. Noo tha maist tha ordinary common folk lake wursel wud hae bocht oor messages aff these men wha wud hae maistly come roon in vans ir kerts as wae wud hae ca’d them. Noo deed whiles tha herrin man wud hae come roon on a spring kert pu’ed bae a guid throttin powny.

Its funny tha wye guid memories aye seem tae stye wae ye, lake tha taste o a bit o broon fish frae tha fishman ir even tha salted ling that he whiles wud hae had wae him, A think A kan smell a whiff o it yit. Aff coorse A mine guid times whun A throad up tha skool books A wrocht for twarthry year as soart o a message boy ir helper on yin tha grocery kerts maesel. Noo lukkin bak A hae naethin but guid memories o tha guid folk o North Entrim an tha hard times some them come through fifty years baak. Dae ye know this A had a thocht jest noo A micht scrieve a book caa’ed ‘Life on a Grocery Kert’. Keep it Ullans tae anither time.

Tha Poocher Feb 2014.