For the historian — Ida H.J. McPherson(1910-1998) & Thomas S Murray (Top) (1907-1998)
Sixty years ago this couple wed,
An’ boy o boy there’s a lot to be said
Firstly think of Hopeman withoot Ida & Top
This village would come to a right dead stop.
Ida left school an’ went tae the guttin’
Frae Lerwick tae Yarmouth she did some flittin’
Kyavin wi’ packin herrin’ in the bree
Fin bedtime cam’ she wis hardly fit tae see.
Top he left school at the age of thirteen
As an apprentice joiner tae a real good freen
His employer’s name was Charlie Ireland
But Top’s joinery days got a bit oot o’ hand.
Charlie & his better half fell oot quite a lot,
So Top’s joinery days went a’ tae pot.
A’ he did wis change his pins an’ throw them intae a pail,
This joiner apprentice never even chapped in a nail.
Fin Top noo reached the age of fourteen,
By this time his hippin days were deen
He walked tae Lossie on a caul wintry day
Hopin’ tae get a berth an’ maybe some pay.
The first he wis asked ‘div ye nae hae a coat?
As its afa caul ma loon tae go on tae a boat
His reply wis “a coat? michty, I havna sheen for ma feet,
A coat tae me wid be a great treat.
However he got a berth on the ‘Spanker’ wi’ Alex Tomin
So off tae sea this joiner went bombin.
It wis a fisherman that he was meant tae be,
An’ nae doot Top has seen mony moods o’ the sea.
Later Ida and Top met up at a wadeen’ dance
Doon at the Mill they baith did prance
Top jist looked at her figure and stared intae her een
An’ said im gaun tae propose tae her afore the nicht is deen.
The proposal noo that Top did mak’
Nearly knocked Ida on her back
I, she said bit ye’d better spear at my father
In those days that wis the richt thing tae dae, I gather.
It wisna lang afore the buukin took place
Top nae takin’ his een off o’ Ida’s face
The wadeen arrangements seen began
For the marriage on the 24th o’ April 1931.
The Baptist minister of Hopeman a well standing pillar
His name was the Reverent Alexander Bremner Millar
Was then asked to wed them an’ get the knot tied
It didna tak’ long for Top tae tak’ Ida for his bride.
The wedding took place in Elgin at the Gordon Arms
Ida lookin’ lovely an’ gee’in Top a’ her charms
He couldna get her quick enough tae share the marriage bed
Next day he says “Ida dae ye ken we’re truly wed”?
One year later they got William their first son
Their sleepless nichts had noo begun
Nae family planning tae help these two
Fin one year later along cam’ Stanley number two.
Wi’ the apprentice he got at changing a nappy
One year later they got a quinie and they were happy
She was their only dachter and they ca’d her Moreen
Surely this should have been the end o’ the scene
At lease Ida got a breather for another twa years
When along cam’ Andy for these twa dears
Ida says’ we’d better stop Top we’ve got enough
Och-eye says Top I’ve deen my stuff.
They’re a’ off tae school noo but alas Ida got broody,
A hoose withoot bairns made her richt moody.
Weel, weel says Top we’d better hae another,
Nine years later the bairns got George for a brother.
Ida is happy we her bairnies aroon
Fin Top cam’ hame fae the fishin’ she wis owre the moon
An’ this special pair hed aye room for mair
Tae mony a ane she’d a bed tae spare.
Ida bein’ a singer she kent her doh’s
But gie Top a rum an’ his voice echoes
Bawlin’ oot ‘ that little word m-h, that little word m-h
He goes on an’ on till Ida could nearly kill’m
One day poor Ida for denner was stuck
Och’ Danny Coy’s will still be open we’ a bit o’ luck
Pease meal’ ll full their stomachs fine
So four bowls were filled for them a’ tae dine.
Stanley a loonie o’ nine was watchin’ this mixed
Hes twa een on these bowls were fixed
For something tae eat the rest were frettin’
Fin Stanley shouted ‘its only shit ye’er getting’
Off tae Elgin for new specs one day Ida went
Put them on an’ said, that’s money well spent
I’m seein’ better, says she, but nearly took leave o’ her senses
Fin comin’ doon Kintrae Brae she found they’d nae lenses
Top’s sicht noo was beginning tae fade
Fin ane o’ his sisters cam’ tae his aid
She geid awa tae the park for some coos dung
An’ on tae his een this dung she flung
The stench Top hed tae pit up wi’—this manure
This sister wis determined that this wis the cure
Be sure noo Top, “put it on fin yeer haein’ a slumber”
That’s foo Top at the bingo never misses a number.
If that wisna enough he still hed tae toil
He ended up we a thoom that hed a big boil
Oot cam’ the bread poltice bilin’ hot
The wardrobe mirror ended up wi’ the bloomin’ lot
Ida loved tae put a bit on the Grand National
Surely once a year this seemed quite rational
But fin her mother heard that Ida wis up on a horse
She said ‘far’ll she be next, she wis full o’ remorse.
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JAN
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