I’m gey chuffed to be able to share the news that the Annie Shirer Doric Rhymes web page (https://annieshirerrhymes.co.uk/) has been updated with rhymes and illustrations from pupils at Strichen and New Deer Primary schools!
P3/4 (Strichen) and P3 (New Deer) worked with me as a class to create some new Doric rhymes about Mormond Hill, the Culsh Monument and things they did and didn’t like as well as illustrating these rhymes and some of Annie’s original collected rhymes from over 100 years ago!
The P6/7s worked with Pauline as a class to create new seasonal rhymes about coming back to school after the summer holidays, the hairst (harvest) and rhymes about farm work and the New Deer Show. They then went off on their own into groups to create new Doric rhymes based on some of Annie’s original collected rhymes. All of this came with some excellent illustrations which you can see on the web page!
Thanks must go to Ewan McVicar who has converted me to one of Annie’s No1 fans and to The Doric Board who funded this project.
If you’d like a Doric rhyme creation workshop in your school, please get in touch with me (see “contact/links” above)
Here’s some of my favourite illustrations from Strichen and New Deer!
Auld Deer, New Deer, Strichen and the Broch Syne we’ll hae a straucht road, An that will gar me hough
It’s my fifth visit to a North East school as part of the Loons an Lassikies project! The P6/7s and P3/4s at Strichen School will be creating new rhymes based on those collected over 100 years ago by the wonderful Annie Shirer (who can be seen in the photo below on the right wearing a wonderful corsage ).
It might be the weekend, but I’m busy busy busy planning upcoming projects!
First of all, I’ve been preparing my plan of action for the next 6 weeks with my Promise Group. We’re creating a story, working with hand puppets, making shadow puppets and filming it all before showing the film to their grown ups and the rest of the school at the end of the term!
I’ve also been planning ABC visits to care homes across the North East with funding Doric Books have received from Hands Up For Trad! The sessions will be based around Work, School and Home and will aa be in Doric – the Activities, the Blethers and the Community Singing. Three of the visits will be with Sheena Blackhall, so I’m really looking forward to that!
I’m delighted I’ve still got two visits to local schools funded by The Doric Board – working with the rhymes of Annie Shirer, a project thought up by Ewan McVicar – you can find out more about that here – https://annieshirerrhymes.co.uk/
And I’m chuffed to be covering three weeks of Scots Song with SC&T Youth – the songs have been chosen and the fun warm ups are being sung around the house!
I’m also planning the rest of the term’s stories and activities for the GREC Language Cafe. These are free weekly sessions for New Scots, those seeking immigrant status and abdy else learning English as a new language. Each session has a theme and there are often visitors who talk about what they do and what services they provide. My job is to tell a story and come up with ice breaker questions and activities for the Cafeistas. The cafe meets weekly (during school term time) at the Arts Centre on Thursdays between 11 and 3pm. Find out more here – https://grec.co.uk/language-support/
Oh! And the Guiding organisation in the UK has created some new interest badges for Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers. Including… the Brownies’ FOLKLORE BADGE! So I’ve had fun planning some stories and activities for that.
Back hame from Glastonbury Festival and Tattie (i.e. KCR Trad Time host Natalie Chalmers!) had a chat wi mi about Annie Shirer and the “Loons an Lassikies” project – ye can hae a listen here!
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!
Pauline Cordiner - Scottish Storyteller 