Robbie Shepherd S Doric Columns

Reflecting on current affairs, books and films, Robbie Shepherd's weekly column in the "Aberdeen Press and Journal" has long enjoyed an enthusiastic following. Written in Doric, and prefaced by a quote from a Doric poem, each column discusses contemporary events in a tongue that, though still spoken today, is also evocative of the past. Delighting local readers, clippings of Robbie's articles also find their way all over the world, reuniting relatives and friends with the memories of their homeland and their mother tongue. For the first time, over fifty of Robbie's "Press and Journal" columns have been brought together in one collection. With superb illustrations by Graham MacLennan, this book will appeal to Robbie's long-established fans, as well as to those as yet unfamiliar with his wry observation and humour expressed in the Doric tongue.

This book brings together academics, writers and politicians to explore the range and nature of the media in Scotland. The book includes chapters on the separate histories of the press, broadcasting and cinema, on the representation and construction of Scotland, the contemporary communications environment, and the languages used in the media. Other chapters consider television drama, soap opera, broadcast comedy, gender, the media and politics, race and ethnicity, gender, popular music, sport and new technology, the place of Gaelic, and current issues in screen fiction. Among the contributors are David Bruce, Myra Macdonald, Brian McNair, Hugh O'Donnell, Mike Russell, Philip Schlesinger and Brian Wilson.

When Sir Harry Lauder left a concert on Deeside he was mystified that his kokes had not got the response received elsewhere. It perked him up when, from the spilling audience, he heard a voice say, 'Fit a gran comic. It took me aa ma time nae ti lach.' The Humour of the North-east is found at less celebrated levels too. There is the tale of the middle-aged couple who had courted each other for almost thirty years, but had never got round to marriage. One day Jock decided to voice his thoughts on the matter, for he was worried that people were speaking about their phenomenally long relationship. 'Jean,' Is it nae time the twao's were thinkin' aboot getting mairrit?' 'Behave yersel, Jock,' said Jean. 'Fa wid hae ony o's noo?' The humour and dialect of the North-east forms a unique and hilarious blend. In this book, packed with anecdotes and stories covering childhood, work, love and marriage, the kirk, the school, old age and several others, Robbie Shepherd and Norman Harper provide a fascinating tour of the wit and wisdom of the North-east of Scotland. This book, the third in the series, presents the best of the two previous volumes - A Dash o' Doric and Anither Dash o' Doric - as well as a whole range of new material, making it the best introduction to the wit and wisdom of the North-east of Scotland available.

Frontcover -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- Part One: Travels and Travellers -- 1 Introduction: Life Before Departure -- 2 Athens, Aegina and the Morea -- 3 Asia Minor, Sicily, Albania and Italy -- 4 Visions of Hellas -- 5 The Spirit of the Time -- 6 Homecomings -- Part Two: Letters -- Introduction to the Letters -- The Letters -- Appendix 1: Sources -- Appendix 2: Biographical Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

With one of the richest archaeological records and most complicated histories in the Mediterranean, Sardinia provides an important laboratory for studying the interaction of indigenous societies and outside forces in a partly isolated geographical context. Stephen L. Dyson and Robert J. Rowland, Jr. use both material culture and written documents to reconstruct the social and economic processes of an island society that showed both cultural creativity and continuity but responded to invasions from the Phoenicians through the Romans to the Aragonese. This first accessible reconstruction of island archaeology provides a balanced picture of the sweep of Sardinian history.

Ever been lost for words or just completely mystified by what you hear? This is a new series of pocket books designed to introduce some of the wealth of the spoken and written word in Scotland to those who may not be familiar with them. For the 600 selected Doric words, as well as a simple meaning, the context and background to the word will be explained, along with examples of use (and, as required) a pronunciation guide. Forget about worthy dictionaries, this is a series dedicated to the enjoyment of language.