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D’ye Mind – Brenda Mulholland (nee McAulay) .

Written for Hopeman Junior Secondary School reunion 24 Oct 1998
on her memories of the 1950s.

D’ye mine the long hot summers
When we spent oor time at the bye’
Oor mithers sittin’ knittin’
Just passin’ the time away.

An’ d’ye mine linin’ up in oor dookers
Divin’ off the steppies at the pier
Across and ower the black hole
Watchin’ the jeely fish didna get too near.

D’ye mine the long dark winters
We played smoogle till way past eight
Instea o’ bidin’ in dein’ oor lessons
Then we wid get a row for bein’ late.

Sledgin’ doon the brae
At the back o’ the school
Curtain track for runners
We thought we were cool.

Cookin sausages at Inverugie wud
Packed intae a softie they tasted great
Then swingin’ fae the rope swing
Doon the Ludge Road past the gate.

Mine Marchhi’ Ice Cream van
Ootside the school gate
His ice cream wis smooth an’ soft
Then he’d try tae pinch yer cheek which I’d hate.

Ann Young’s shop in Harbour Street
Where everythin’ wis misured and weighed
Main’s the Bakers across the road
Their cream cakes piled on the weight.

Bruce McLennan the Butcher
The sawdust on the floor!
Then doon tae George Anderson the Chemist
Oh whit a fine aroma met ye at the door.

Across the road tae Danny Coy’s
Where he made up the boats stores
Next door but one tae Annie Stuarts
Who had fruit by the score

Ower tae Jack and Winnie Johnston’s
Who collected all the mail
And queuing for the papers
Every Sunday withoot fail.

Doon tae Willie Ervin’s
To get some skein’s o’ wool
Check that Fred Routledge the Jiner
Had plenty sawdust for sports day at the school.

Back up the road to Hutcheon Street
To May Cormack’s for a sweetie
Then to New Street ta’ Carmichaels
To spend the last o’ the penny.

Back to the hoose for denner
McKenzies fish was on the plate
Miele wis passin’ in his van
So a cone or slider, whit a treat!

Up to Mrs Town’s shoppie
Jist write it in the book!
Then awa up to Fletchers Bakers
For a lollipop to sook.

Ower to the tennis green
And maybe a game o’ puttin’
Oh that minds me
Doon to Bill Reids tae get some mutton.

D’ye mine blun William
He hid sic a beautiful voice
Mony a time he would sing for us
Jist doon by the railway brig.

And d’ye mine the railway carriages
Piled high wi’ sugar beet
The steam fae the engine puffin’ awa
As it shunted awa oot o’ sight.

D’ye mine pickin’ brumles
Doon by the railway track
Mam had aye the jeely pan on
Afore we came back.

D’ye mine collecting buckies
Prisin’ them off the rocks
Mr Young wid buy them
Probably bound for some toffs!

D’ye mine getting a fry o’ fish
Fae the boats in the pier
Or a few lobsters and partans
If Danny Main wis there.

An d’ye mine on Lassie
Although Mrs Harvey’s dog
He always came tae the school wi us
In fact he wis the school dog!

These are my childhood memories
Of Hopeman by the sea.
When I wis jist a wee quine
It wis all magical tae me.

Fae the rocks and pools where I paddled
Tae the castles we made in the san!
I reach back doon the years and clasp
That memories childish han’.

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