Ullans

A mine gane tae school an waakin frae tha wee cottar hoose whaur wae leeved at Mostragee doon tae tha schoolhouse aboot less nir a mile aff.

Lukin bak noo, tha wee hoose is awa as weel as tha twa wee hooses up abane is. A mine mae moather tellin me afore A set aff in tha moarnin, stye alang tha bunker an stye oot o tha trinkets an doon aff tha dake.

Noo A set aff daein mae best tae behave an bae a guid as A cud, but deed A wus in tha trinkets an on tha dakes monies a time.

Tha waak tae school tane me up by tha twa hooses nixt tae is, roon a sherp corner an by tha raa whaur wae had leeved for a shoart time. A wud whiles hae stapped at raa an wus gein a biscuit bae oul Florrie wha leeved hir lane nixt dure tae whur we yince leeved.

A wud hae dannered on up ower tha wee nerra gage brig that wus there in them deys, on by tha Stranocum Statshun Hoose whaur mae Granny an Granda leeved. A niver caa’d in wae ma Granny on mae wye tae school for mae moather had bid mae naw tae annoy hir, for she dinnae keep ower weel.

On roon by tha enn o tha high road A wud hae went by twa big fermyerds an doon tae tha school hoose.

Onywye that wus weel ower saxty year syne an Florrie is awa, tha brig’s awa an mae Granny an Granda an thaur Statshun ir awa as weel.

But tha mair lukin baak kan gie mae a sore hert whiles, A hae guid memories o tha school that haes noo bane coped an a gran new biggin stans in its place. Hooiniver mae deys wur shoart at tha school for oor femilie flitted lock stock an barrel awa in tae tha toon o Cuilren on tha banks o tha Bann.

A hae sojourned there tae this dey an there is naethin wrang wae Cuilren but A still hae love for tha place o mae childhood an tha Ullans tongue thaut wus spake bae yin an aa roon North Entrim. Sae mine an bae proud o Ullans becaase its oor ain tongue an mann bae preserved for oor future generashuns.

Tha Poocher June 2015