School Competition 2009

Dumfries & Galloway School Scots Language Competition 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burn - Scotland’s National Bard

 Over 600 entries were received and judging proved extremely difficult.

However the winners have been announced and the hardback book published which is available for purchase
from the Burns Howff club priced £10 + p&p 

A copy of the book has been sent to all schools in Dumfries and Galloway

Book review by Murdo Morrison, Past President, Robert Burns World Federation

“A wee Kist of Verse, mainly in the Scottish Dialect”

Being normally one of the growl and groan fraternity with apprehension of the coming Christmas,my mind was diverted totally on receipt of an early present. Not just an ordinary book but an extra special one. Hard backed blue cover with an etching of the Globe Inn on the front cover but for any book it is what is between the covers that really matters.
This is one does matter for a number of reasons, one being this is a superb souvenir to have related to the Year of the Homecoming events run by the Burns Howff Club of Dumfries.
Between the covers of this book is a treasure chest of verses filtered by careful and considerable adjudication from the hundreds of submissions to a special contest.
Difficult as it undoubtedly was one hundred poems had to be chosen and this is exactly what happened but those who entered the competition were all deserving of recognition.
These short poems positively glow with commendable verses as the young people of the South West look at our world through their eyes and tell us as it is. No one escapes be you a Grannie or Grandpa, the family dog, young brother, school, seagulls, everything, everywhere and anyone – all come in for mentions.
This is the strength of this book.

Lori Adamson (16) from Sanquhar Academy has a dug who she describes in her poem “To Ma Doggie”
Wee fluffy woolly mockit dog,
Whene’r am doon you’l give me a hug” Then follows a description of this much loved dog enjoying life.
How can anyone resist “Ma Grannies Dug” from Alex Broadhurst of Castle Douglas Primary School with an opening line of “Ma grannie’s dug’s an eejit”
The Ode to a Moose Loose in the Hoose shows how the home of Jamie Shankly of Sanquhar got turned upside down.
The poem “Oor wee bairn” earned James Rabbie Butters of St Joseph’s College the first prize in the secondary school section. 8 yr old Tyme Milligan of Wallace Hall Primary School wants, in verse to be a Space Hopper.
The reader is led with curiosity and interest from page to page of this book. This is a book of achievement and not only in the quality and indeed the quantity of poems but the encouragement to write in their real genuine local language. The Scots language takes yet another blow towards extinction every time a parent or anyone reprimands a child for using a Scots word or expression by asking or telling them to “speak proper”
This book is in the language which surrounds the children and long may it continue to do so The magnificent response to this competition (600 entries were received) is a matter of pride for the competitors and the Burns Howff Club and in years to come the competitors will be able to point with pride at their special entry.

Methinks that if a large gentleman complete with a sack on his back, white beard and waiting reindeer is seen in the vicinity of the Globe in it could well be you know who collecting you know what to give out you know when so I do hope there are sufficient left for him.
It is indeed better to give than to receive – I was delighted to receive this book and as it is readable and rereadable I am going to refrain from giving it to anyone.

List of verse authors and schools included in the book

A Wee Kist O’ Verse

Mainly in the Scottish Dialect

Index of poems, authors and schools.

To Ma Doggie; Lori Adamson, Sanquhar Academy.
Rabbie’s Scotia; Ewan McCall, Wallace Hall Academy.
Ode to a Moose, Loose in the Hoose; Jamie Shankly, Sanquhar Academy.
Tae a bee; Andrew Peck, Sanquhar Academy.
To Jonty McGee; Leigh Clark, Sanquhar Academy.
Ma Braw Wee Mowpie; Kane Moffat, St Joseph’s College.
The Banks o’ the Nith; Louise Lowther, St Joseph’s college.
To The Bonnie Lad; Aoife Argue, Sanquhar Academy.
Tae Scotland; Isabel Gordon, Sanquhar Academy.
Tae me n’ ma Poem; Paul Smith, Sanqhuar Academy.
To The Rain; Claire Halliday, Sanquhar Academy.
Tae The Skill; Graeme Jamieson, Sanquhar Academy.
Hamework; Sarah Abbott Sanquhar Academy.
Tae the streets; Mitchell Hodge, Sanquhar Academy.
Tae a smile; Kelsie Littlejohn, Sanquhar Academy.
Tae Rabbie Burns; Cori Adamson, Sanquhar Academy.
Address Tae pets; Bethany Gibson, Sanquhar Academy.
To a Burns’ Habbie; Connor Stitt, Sanquhar Academy.
The Street Cleaning Machine; Josh Blackwood, Sanquhar Academy.
Getting Ready!; Marsha Jamieson, Castle Douglas High School.
Tae A Dug; Kieran Gibson, Sanquhar Academy.
Shining Stars; Joanna Turner, Calside Primary School.
Oor Wee Bairn; James Rabbie Butters, St Joseph’s College.
The Nichtmeir; Georgina Moorhead, St Joseph’s College.
The Bright Stars; Kaitlyn Thomson, Calside primary School.
Th’ Shinin Mune- Kenning; Alanna Galloway, Calside Primary School.
I wish I wis a deil; Jeremy Chetrit, Wallace Hall Primary School.
Scottish Food and Drink; Rory Marshall, Portpatrick Primary School.
Walking wae ma Grandpa; Sarah McMillan, Kelloholm Primary School.
Pluto; Morgan Johnston, Hecklegirth Primary School.
Ma Dug Sam; Nathan Watson, Twynholm Primary School.
Dandelion; Julia Halliday, St Andrew’s Primary School.
The Speck Of Dust; John Price, St Andrew’s Primary School.
Ma Hame; Mathew Sherwin, Castledykes Primary School.
The Tale O Wee Timmy –Thomas; Elizabeth Pritchard Castledykes Primary School.
Farin; Daniel Forsyth, Shawhead Primary School.
Ma Grandfaither; David White, Shawhead Primary School.
Scotland; Shona Lindsay, Wigtown Primary School.
Magick Kist Poem; Scott McKenna, New Abbey Primary School.
The Woodpecker; David Wilson, Brownhall Primary School.
I wish I was a Space Hopper; Tyme Milligan, Wallace Hall Primary School.
Super Sam the Shooter’s Cat; Fergus Hiddleston, Wallace Hall Primary School.
Owen Octopus the Optician’s Cat; Amy McKeand, Wallace Hall Primary School.
Netball; Laura Platt, Hottsbridge primary School.
Pesky Naigs; Owen Brown, Caerlaverock Primary School.
Summer and Winter; Abigail Graham, Eaglesfield Primary School.
The Haggis’s Homecoming; Anon
I wish I wish a keyboard. Eloise Coombs, Wallace Hall Primary School.
Alien; Alastair Murray, Calside Primary School.
What would Robert Burns Do?; Ewan Patterson, Hecklegirth Primary School.
Fish and Chips; Ellie McQuistin, Portpatrick Primary School.
Sea Creatures; Todd Lines, Caerlaverock Primary School.
Oor igloo; Amy Farrer, Cannonbie Primary School.
They Gulls; Jacqueline Stewart, Calside Primary School.
The Alien; William Black, Calside Primary School.
Aliens; Murray Watson, Calside Primary school.
Ice-Cream; Jonathon Riddick, Caerlaverock Primary School.
Ice-Cream!!!; Tommy Gray, Kelloholm Primary School.
Guddlesaurus; James Holt, New Abbey Primary School.
I wish I wis a Jewellery Box; Amy McKean, Wallace Hall Primary School.
The sun; Emily Murray, Calside primary School.
Haiku; Megan Houston, New Abbey Primary School.
Twinkle, twinkle, little Mars; Kenan Shek, Calside Primary School.
Ma Faither; Holly Forsyth, Shawhead Primary School.
River Nith; Kyle Clark, Kelloholm Primary School.
The Dugs. Samuel Johnstone and Craig Campbell, Lochrutton Primary School.
The Hackit auld wumman; Emma Black, Hottsbridge Primary School.
Paris Hilton; Janet Anne Morris, Hottsbridge Primary School.
Star Kenning; Erin Hyles, Calside Primary School.
The fair seasons haiku; Fraser Cutt Strachan, New Abbey Primary School.
Ma Freends; Amy Anderson, Eaglesfield Primary School.
Stars!; Erin Craighead, Calside Primary School.
Ma Family; Stephanie, Eaglesfield Primary School.
Kenning An Alien; Emily Hewitson, Calside Primary School.
Tae Cure Wee Brithers. Aileen McColm, Port William Primary School.
If Rabbie Burns could see s noo Whit would he say?; Ryan McGaughie, Hecklegirth primary School.
Comin Hame. Chelsea Marshall, Loreburn Primary School.
The Baby Girl; Allie Johnstone, Portpatrick Primary School.
Rabbie’s Birthday: Alice Byar, Loreburn primary School.
The Screamer; Ellie McQuistin.
Scottish weather; Murron Bisset, Caerlaverock Primary School.
The Cuddy; Kelsie Waterson, Brownhall Primary School.
Ma Winter Wonderland; Samantha Connor, Caerlaverock Primary School.
Moose in the Hoose; Drew.
Rabbie Fae Aboon 2009; Ainsley Stott, Hecklegirth Primary School.
Robert Burns Haiku; Billy Walker, Kelloholm Primary School.
Tod; Kyle Moore, Carrutherstown Primary School.
To Ma Bike; Mark Fyfe, Portpatrick Primary School.
Dancing Dug; Emily Spence, Caerlaverock Primary School.
Draigons; Josh Mackenzie, Hottsbridge Primary School.
Ma Faimly; Fioan Walker, Kelloholm Primary School.
If Burns can see us noo; Emma Suttie, Hecklegirth Primary School.
Gulp; Lauren Currie, Kelloholm Primary School.
The Bautie is Loose; Laura Platt, Hottsbridge Primary School.
Rabbie Burns; Aimi Blenckinsop, Hecklegirth Primary School.
Alien; Connor Stenton, Calside Primary School.
Im Feart o The Baths; Daniel Smith, Hutton Primary School .
I wish I wis a tiger; Kieran Watson, Wallace Hall primary School.
Fabulous Frank the Fashion Editor’s Cat; Kieran Watson, Wallace Hall Primary School.
Scottish Work Poem – Janitor: Jonathon Sykes, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Wanted Tae See; Jordan Graham, Shawhead Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Alan Little, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Joss Thompson, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Alice Bell, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Conor Smith, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Mathew Greirson, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Michael Budde, Castle Douglas Primary School.
Scots Haiku; Rohanna Barbour, Castle Douglas primary School.
The Mune; Jake Hunter, Calside Primary School.
The Sun; Caitlin Lee, Calside Primary School.
Ma Grannies Dug; Alex Broadhurst, Castle Douglas Primary School.

Our thanks go to the Create team for their assistance with this competition

The Creative Education Arts Team
Lochside Education Centre Annexe
Lochside Road
Dumfries
DG2 0EL