Ullans March article

Did ye iver feel doon-harted an’ as if ye cud eat an egg ; whan iverythin’ seems tae go wrang, an’ luck goes deid against ye ; whan yer very pipe’ll no’ smoke properly, an’ ye eate yer nails an’ pik yer teeth, an’ think ye hae the teethake, an’ ye hae nae appetite for work, an’ naethin’ ‘ll lie on yer stomak bit a bit o’ guid meat, or maybe a bottle o’ beer — a sort o’ disease that’s ca’ed let-the ould-woman-dae-the-wurk-o’-mania ? If ye dinna know hoo tae spen’ yer time, jest tak a wak doon the toon tae the corner, an’ stan’ at it, lissen an’ sae little, bit keep yer e’en an’ ears apen, an’ tak’ notis o’ the caracters ye’ll rin akross.

What is that boady ravin aboot A hear yese sae, weel tha wurds abane ir naw mine but they ir frae a boady wha scrieved in tha papers awa baak in 1913. Maist o yese bae noo wull hae hard o ‘Tha Aul Han’(John McFall), wha awa baak afore tha First War wha gien tha hale o North Antrim an Cuilren a chance tae read in thaur ain Ullans tongue in tha local papers. But efter tha sad demise ‘tha aul han’ alang comes a boady wha caa’d himsel Erchie Nuhan an conteenued scrievin in Ullans.

Sae why am a tellin ye this, weel its lake this, there is somethin that A dinnae know an it is this, wha wus Erchie Nuhan an whaur did he leeve? It wud jest square tha circle for maesel an ither Ullans taakers for A think its only richt tha wae fin oot aa wae kan aboot oor forefeythers afore its ower late. If oayboady knows onythin aboot tha boul Erchie cud they maebae let the paper ir tha Ullans Centre know and A wud bae deeply indebted tae them for thaur bother. Noo as weel as that hoo wud it dae if aa tha Ullans taakers wud sherpen thaur blak pencils an scrieve in thaur ain tongue an stert sennin in a wheen o articles in tae tha papers, for mine ye A get a brev bit o redicule for daurin tae try mae best pit forrit mae ain tongue.

Noo afore a scunner yese wae ony mair requests A wud jest lake tae maak onyboady wha disnae already know Santer that is presented bae oor ain Anne Morrison-Smyth is baak for anither rin on tha televeesion an is weel worth anither luk.

Tha Poocher Feb 2011.