Fit like abdy! That’s me catching up after a busy few weeks!
The last two weeks I spent teaching Scots Songs to P5, 6 and 7 classes with SC&T Youth and tomorrow I’m going to be joining Station House Media Unit for a Wellbeing Walk and then some stories!
At the end of the week, Sheena Blackhall and I will be heading aff tae Portsoy for the Folk at the Salmon Bothy Portsoy Haal!
We’re going to be…
– Telling stories in Macduff and Portsoy Primaries during the day on Friday
– Telling spooky stories at the Town Hall at 11pm on Friday night until 1am
– Running a family storytelling/workshop session at the Harbour Side Grainstore on Saturday at 1pm
– Telling Nautical Tales back at the Harbour Side Grainstore 10am – 10.30am on Sunday morning!
Here’s the full programme and fringe events for Folk at the Salmon Bothy’s 15th Haal which takes place in Portsoy next weekend from Friday 30th May – Sunday 1st June. Final tickets still available from Bob Philips bobportsoy@gmail.com
I’ve been having a brilliant time in schools the past two weeks teaching Scots Song with SC&T Youth ! The Scottish Traditional Taster Sessions have so far been in Muirfield Primary and Ferryhill Primary with Primary 5, 6 and 7 pupils learning Guitar, Clarsach and Penny Whistle as well as a “Class song” which they sing accompanied by another primary on their instruments and two songs which they sing unaccompanied but along with the other participating classes.
At the end of the week all 3 classes perform their instrumental pieces, class songs and joint songs in front of the rest of the school and teachers – and the two schools I’ve been involved in have totally nailed their performances!
The class songs this year were – Mary Mac, The Fisherman’s Lassie and The Bonnie Ship The Diamond. Both Mary Mac and the Bonnie Ship were new songs to the repertoire this year and have gone down very well with the pupils! The joints songs have been the classics Barnyards of Delgaty and The Wellyboot Song.
Convincing P7s that Bothy Ballads are the coolest thing on earth must go down as one of my biggest achievements of 2025!
I’ve been keeping this one to myself for a couple of months now but it’s now time to tell the world about this fantastic project I’ve been involved in!
I posted previously that I was involved in the Fae Fishie Tae Aikey project with Ewan McVicar and many others -well when The Doric Board put out the call for funding applications, I got in touch with Ewan, asking if there would be any chance of working in schools with some of the stories Goldstein recorded. Ewan almost immediately got back – “ANNIE SHIRER!”
And so began my love of the rhymes and humour of one Annie Shirer.
Annie was born in 1873, educated to the age of 13 and lived in Kininmonth with her aunt and uncle who brought her up. Along with her cousin Maggie, she became a dressmaker. But Annie had a hobby! She would escape the hard work at home – by the 1900s she was caring for Uncle Kenneth and latterly for Maggie as well – by heading off on her bicycle collecting songs for Gavin Greig but also collecting many Doric rhymes, proverbs and riddles. These were published by the Rymour Club in Edinburgh and latterly by her Great Nephew Jim Shirer in 2000.
The New Web Site:
Happily, I can now direct you to this brand new web site – https://annieshirerrhymes.co.uk/ which showcases the work in the four schools I’ve visited so far.
For the past couple of months I have had a wonderful time visiting primary schools in the Mintlaw area – sharing Annie’s life, sharing her rhymes, creating Doric vocabulary lists and then – creating new Doric rhymes! Some of these have been brand new rhymes created with the pupils and myself as a class, and some have been “New For Auld” rhymes based on Annie’s original collected rhymes.
The results have been fantastic and I’ve been fair tricket to be involved in such a project! Now the web site is to be launched (along with https://annieshirercollector.com/ which tells more about her collecting for Gavin Greig and the Rymour Club) and I’ve also put together a wee exhibition of the pupils work. It will be on display at the Aberdeenshire Farming Museum, Aden Country Park from Saturday 3rd May to Sunday 18th May during Museum opening hours Thur-Sun 11am-4pm).
I’ll end this post with some rhymes and images from the pupils and my thanks to Ewan McVicar for introducing me to Annie Shirer and to the Doric Board for supporting this project!
Some Rhymes:
Kittlens, dugs, yowes an shelties They are the best o craiturs Bit wi dinna like wee beasties Like midgies, flechs an slaters!
I widna hae a fisherman ava va va I widna hae a fisherman ava va va For he’s a bowfin moustache Has a yokey rash He guffs o fash He’s got nae cash And I widnae hae a fisherman ava va va
Skweel is ower, simmer’s here We’re aa on holiday We’ll climb up trees, an brak a leg An humsh oor gulsh aa day An aa the loons an lassikies Can camp, an sweem an play
Gies ma breeks, ma bunnet, my tackety beets and sark, I’ll loup on my sheltie an ride aroon at Aden park!
Annie’s makkin marmalade Pittin oranges in a pot She pit it on the stove tae bile An get it gweed an hot
A wifie spak “Pit in a neep” Spiert Annie “Are ye kiddin!?” It tasted mingin, the fowk cried “Gadz!” An it endit in the midden!
Here’s mi – playing catchy uppy with the socials again!
I had a wonderful visit to Balmedie School last week! The P4 classes have been learning all about the Vikings – so I went along to tell some stories and show the pupils some materials from Viking life.
The pupils enjoyed hearing about Thor’s wedding and how he got Mjolnir back from the ice giant Thrym and the stupid death of Sigurd the Mighty
Thanks for inviting me along Balmedie Primary School!
I’m chuffed to be able to post about a project I’ve been working on for the past few months with Ewan McVicar (Writer, folklorist, songmaker and publisher) and some of my favourite North East singers – Natalie Chalrmers, Scott Gardiner, Christine Kydd and Tripple.
Ewan got in contact last year to ask if I’d be interested in listening to and re-telling some of Lucy Stewart’s stories which were recorded by American Ken Goldstein during his visit to the North East of Scotland in 1959/1960. I quickly learned that Lucy’s stories were just the tip of the iceberg. Not only did Lucy turn out to be a source of ballads in addition to the stories, but Goldstein interviewed many fowk during his stay and recorded songs, ballads, stories, rhymes, snippets of folklore and old wives tales.
Many of these recordings were shared at the time with the School of Scottish Studies. (Ken had introductions to many of his subjects through Hamish Henderson.) These recordings are available by searching “Ken Goldstein” on the Kist O Riches web page – https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/ . However many recordings were stashed away at the Ole Miss – the University of Mississippi in the USA – unavailable except to interested visitors. That all changed when Ewan spoke to Ole Miss archivist Greg Johnson and with Greg’s help support, Ewan has worked to identify and share song titles, information about singers and storytellers, and their communities.
Part of the project involved creating, collecting and sharing New For Auld songs and stories – Natalie Chalmers got to work contacting local singers and musicians who recorded some of the ballads and tunes Goldstein collected. Click here for Natalie’s recordings of songs taught to her by Elizabeth Stewart – along with a couple of Elizabeth’s recordings – https://goldsteinandscotland.com/elizabeth-stewart
To share Goldstein’s collections with the world, Ewan has created two new web pages https://goldsteinandscotland.com/ – which tells of Goldstein’s visit and the treasures he recorded, and https://faefishietaeaikey.com/ – which focuses on recordings from the area around Mintlaw – Aikey Fair, Fetterangus (Fishie) and in particular the Stewarts of Fetterangus.
On the 3rd of May I’ll be sharing some of Lucy’s stories along with the others involved in the project –
Ewan says “On the 3rd May 2025, there will be an informal celebration of the Fae Fishie Tae Aikey project in the Aden Museum theatre, Mintlaw, from 1.30pm onwards. Christine Kydd, Natalie Chalmers, Pauline Cordiner, Scott Gardiner have all promised to come. Hoping Andy Shanks will make it. Tripple send their apologies. Or come earlier and look into the museum.
All folkies welcome. First forty get home-made shortbread. If you represent a folk club or festival ask for the pack of booklet copies as a fundraiser. The Fishie project is funded by TRACS.
Well that’s World Book Day week over for another year! It really should be World Book Week because we storytellers are aye so busy that week!
Hey at least we get another shot of it for Scottish Book Week in November!
Anyway, I had a busy week with school visits to @aberchirderprimaryschool and Ellon Primary School as well as a celebration of World Book Day and International Women’s Day at GREC’s Language Cafe.
Of course i forgot to take photos! But here are some pics I did take – of a book I spotted in a P7 class which was a memory from my own childhood; the most delicious school denners of Fogie; and a couple of pieces of work from story and character workshops.
Tomorrow, I’ll hopefully report on a new project I’ve been working on!
I’ve got a couple of weeks for working on upcoming projects, working at GREC‘s Language Cafe and visiting some schools! So no public events coming up in the near future.
Instead, I’d like to share this amazing CV in Poem Form written for me by the wonderful Sheena Blackhall, fa’s praises I canna sing highly eneugh! Photie taen on the wiy tae last year’s Portsoy Haal!
Thanks Sheena!
The Pauline Cordiner Rap– A Scottish Storyteller
Hae ye heard o a quine fa’s tales can be scary? Wi a frien that has attitude, Fizzy the Fairy Up at Banff Castle, sic jinkies, her ploys Hae bubbly bairns fair kecklin wi joys
Princely puddocks, a gargoyle fas christened Marischal Her hoose is fair hotchin, wi broonies incredible Her hair it is reid as a Halloween flame An a coo, contermacious whyles jynes in a game
Her events are excitin, fun an educational Her traditional stories are verra inspirational She can sing ye auld ballads or a cornkister Wir you at Forvie fun day? Ye’ll be sorry ye missed her
Nature tales an folklore, tho the rain did doon pelt Aden’s Fantasy Festival , her Vikin Tales telt As an audience o littlins an drookit Alpacas Stude in the doonpish an shook their maraccas
At the Northern Frichts, dragons heezed bi the score At Tillydrone Librar there wir littlins galore Fizzy’s fun pairties, Rhynie wifies, a crone, The kelpie café aa cam intae her zone
Banchory St Ternan fair, Orkney’s Skara brae Saw history cam alive far the stormy clouds stray Castle Fraser, or rinnin adults’ ghaistie toors Storytellin is oorie at the witchin oors
Dobbie’s Busy Beasties, Yuletide special day Fur siller tae help fund a bairns’ charity She’s run broomstick trainin skweels, fur trainee witches An wizard hat craft – usin glue, glitter stitches
Her face peintin’s legend, wi speecial tattoos She’ll makk the dourest bairn shakk aff the blues She is fully insured, wi a PVG chitty Is a member of equity, sings a mean ditty
Here’s a roll call of some of her festival showing Cambridge and Glastonb’ry, reviews are glowing Stonehaven and Girvan, Belladrum Tartan Heart The Wizard performance, next, Science and Art
Spectra, Across The Grain, Banff’s bracin air Strathern, Aiberdeen, an Perth Prehistory Fair Glen Nevis, Portsoy, the Broch, Tarland as weel The Doric Film Festival, a wide appeal
BBC Radio Scotland, an Radio fower SHMU, Banchory Museum, the Maritime Tower Aden , Drum, Crathes, an Fraser’s stoot waas She cams intae her ain in historal haas
Muir of Dinnet , Arbuthnott , Duff Hoose, Peterheid Turriff, Macduff, Duthie Park, jewels indeed An the skweels! Tullos, Scotstown, Arduthie, Kaimhill Robert Gordons, St Margarets, Banchory Hill
Skene Square an Auld Machar, Lairhillock, Meethill Ferryhill Primary, Bracoden, Newtonhill Ontae Projecks an ither community wirks Pitscurry, an Mastrick, the quine niver shirks
Maryfield West Care Hame, Albyn Rainbows North East Sensory Services, her talent shows Persley Castle, the Phoenix Club, Inchgarth -nae lack Future Choices, an Hilton, they aa wint her back
Dyce Caravans, Inchgarth, an Roxburgh Hoose The Garioch, Inchmarlo, she’s couthie an douce Portlethen, Kinellar, an Northfield’s rainbows Pauline an Fizzy spreid joy wi their prose
Syne there’s Grand Circle Tours, tag team tales an the jyle The World Storytelling Café, her stories beguile Musica Workshops, Elphinstane’s Institute Her sessions are thrillin’s a Cadona’s shute
Peacock Visual Arts, an the Bairns’ hospital Hogmanay at Stonehaven, this quine musical Wi her puppets an sangs she’s performed tae the best The Seven Incorporated Trades , wi sic zest!
Shell Uk, Charles Michies, Diageo, Drummuir Hidden Aiberdeen; she is a whizz at a tour James Hutton Institute, Scottish Kids Show Standard Life, an the Stompers, she’s rarin tae go
Aiberdeenshire Geocaching …noo there is a thing She’s a haun on the pulse , fit the future micht bring Sae dinna be blate…ye maun rin oot an book her As fairyfowk gae, Pauline Cordiner’s a looker!
I had a couple of wonderful audiences for my sessions – I told stories about snakes – as it’s now the year of the snake and various monsters of the sea. The storytelling took place in the Duncan Rice Library at Aberdeen University who currently have an exhibition called Imagined Norths – all the weird and wonderful beasts that our medieval ancestors imagined lived in the seas and lands to the north!
It has been some time since I last posted properly! December and January have been full of staying inside, keeping warm and research, research, research!
I’ve not just been researching new stories, but have been working on a couple of projects – both of which I’ll post about soon. But in the meantime, here’s what I’ve got coming up!
Activities will be split across the Elphinstone Hall (Chinese calligraphy, dress up, face painting), Zoology Museum (museum open and visit from the Critter Keeper) and The Duncan Rice Library where I’ll be telling stories and you can also visit the Imagined Norths exhibition. I’ll be telling stories from 11.30am to 12.30pm and again from 1.30 to 2.30pm.
I’ve been brushing up on all my favourite sea monsters – Jormungandr, The Mester Stoorwurm, Cetus and the sea serpent that attacked my g-g-grandfather in 1892! So come along for some tales of Myths, Monsters and the Year of the Snake.
From Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th February I’ll be telling stories at Spectra light festival once again with my pal Lindsey Gibb. The theme this year is “Journeys” so we have some amazing stories planned. We’ll be in the Cowdray Hall from 6 to 10pm each night with stories starting at 6, 6.30, 7, 7.30, 8, 8.30, 9 and 9.30pm. Come join us! Entry will be on the corner of Schoolhill and Blackfriars Street or if you have an accessibility wristband, I expect entry will be the same as last yar – through the Art Gallery. TBC.
After Spectra, my next public event will be at Portlethen Library on Saturday 15th February – this will be a family storytelling session targeted at children aged 5-8 years on the theme of Space! Moons, Suns, Stars and all sorts of celestial tales for all the family!
Here’s the full programme and fringe events for Folk at the Salmon Bothy’s 15th Haal which takes place in Portsoy next weekend from Friday 30th May – Sunday 1st June. Final tickets still available from Bob Philips bobportsoy@gmail.com 
Pauline Cordiner - Scottish Storyteller 