Glennie, James D.
Aul Jimmy wis a cairter
The last o a hardy line
Faa caa'd twa bonny Clydedales
In the coothy days langsyne.
Lang sene in nineteen forty
A horseman cheil wis he
At Tait's for saxteen yeer he wrocht
Rale eident for his fee.
Tho jist a wee bit mannie
His strength it widnae hide
Fan he caa'd his bonny Clydesdales
Their names war Punch an Clyde.
Twa siccan bonny beasties
Een fite the tither broon
An born an bred bi Shirdy
At Lofties braa fermtoun.
Twis waarm the day he took them hame
An oot intil the park
Fegs, baith the twa war frisky
Sae baith he hid tae brak.
They shuntit doon the paper vans
Tae meet the mainline train
Aul Michie did the weighin
Jim hooket on the chine.
Sair wark it wis for horses
Tae pull wi muckle chine
Twa vans reem't fou o paper
Aye, they nott a lot o rine.
In gloamin licht they thrall't the ee'e
Sheen sparkin makkin din
Fan they took the strain in tandem
Tae get the vans tae rin.
Bit noo the time wis rinnen oot
For Clydesdales big an braa
Young cheils wintin weekeyns free
Widnae wirk wi horse ava.
They wintit Fordie tractors
At needed nae command
Bit petrol ile an watter
Tae hud the damm't things gyan.
Sae Tait's twa bonny Clydesdales
Tae the knackers yaird wir pit
Their eident wark forgotten
An fou they'd "deen their bit".
Sair it wis for Jimmy
Tae loss his bonny pair
For they'd growe'n aul th'gither
Bit noo they'd yoke nae mair.
Fin aul an deen he'd aften spik
O bonny Punch an Clyde
An the happy lichtsim days geen bye
Fan they wirket side bi side.
Aul Jimmy wis a cairter
The last o a hardy line
Faa caa'd twa bonny Clydesdales
In the coothy days langsyne.
Jim Glennie, the poet's father, was the last horseman employed at Inverurie Paper Mills. One of the main tasks for the Clydesdales was to pull vans of paper from the Mill down to the main line. C.1949 tractors took over from the horse ending an era of horsepower at the Mill.
Jim Michie was in charge of the machine that weighed each vanload of paper before it was shunted on to the main line to be taken south.
'Shirdy' Morrison was a well known farmer, horse dealer and breeder of Clydesdales. He farmed Lofthillock, KeithHall (Lofties).