Henry Chapman – Doric culture…keeping it alive

I was brought up near New Pitsligo and went to school there, we lived on a small Buchan farm called Mid-Cairneywhing where by father worked as a cattleman to the local laird George Watson. We moved to Overton farm and I used to watch the RAF Lossiemouth Buccaneer jets swoop low overhead and fly down towards the coast from about 10 miles inland to fire rockets into the sea range offshore at Rosehearty (followed clearly with binoculars); but at the grand age of 16 and a half I got my “O” Grade results, finished school and headed off to join the RAF in 1974. After 30 years of that and travelling around various places we now live and work in Norwich, but I have continued to “spik Doric” on the phone, and face to face when hame to my mum, brother and family there.

I have never found a problem switching between my everyday English conversations to Doric. It’s a bit like when my wife and I were stationed in Germany and used to drive back to the UK, the switch from driving from left to right and vice versa was seamless.

Anyway, I obviously have strong NE roots, especially Buchan, but there’s soooo… much of the NE and the rest of Scotland that I haven’t seen. ….I remember going to Aikey Brae to the travelling fair as a loon (saw the stone circle in your video but have never seen it myself)

I have a great interest in history and archaeology (hobby levels only) and have a collection of 30 or so flint arrowheads that my Granda picked up from the furrows as he ploughed with his horse at his farm at Red Moss near New Aberdour after the Great War.

So the Chapman side hails from the New Aberdour (farming) and Pennan area (fisher folk) where my grandparents and great grandparents are from and they later moved to Fraserburgh. On my mothers side (Gordon) they are of farming heritage from Upper Crudie and Fisherie Green areas near Gamrie. They later moved to live in Macduff, so a typical North East background spread of farming and coastal living.

I have great childhood memories of fishing at Cullykhan, picnics and exploring on the beach and caves or New Aberdour and of rowing boats in the boating pond at Tarlair pool….happy days.

So that’s a snapshot of me..

I also wrote a wee poem to the readers page of the Sunday Post a few years ago (in my version of Doric) after my father sadly passed away.. here it is: It’s called
“Ah canna help it.”

Fan ma Futher deet, it garred ma greet.
Bit am nae a bairn,…will a niver lairn?
Nuh, ah canna help it, it’s the wye I am, in it aye gaits wurss fin a hae a dram.
Ach it winna change, ers fowk worse aff; ..but ah canna help it, a suppoze am daft?
At’s the wye a feel, an a canna help it,
like a cotter hoose, we the gable sheltert.
Fin the win’ turns roon an’ ye feel the caull,… fin ye lose yer dad;… well, ye lose yer pal. ;/

 So you see, although I am 62 now and left hame at 16 and a half, I have a vested interest in “Doric culture and keeping it alive”….Look forward to watching the rest of the videos and pictures..thank you.

Henry Chapman

Norwich

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