Ritchie, Sandy
Fan ae left i squeel in i simmer o 1944 a wis fyoweerteen eers aul, ae wis teen on as a appreentiss vricht wee Alex Strachan aat 6 Fordyce Terrace New Deer. I pey wis ten bob a wik aan i oors o wirk wis een less aan fifty in i simmer aan fortyfyower in snavie days, wirken fae Monday tae Setterday aat dennertime.
Be-in aan appreentiss loon ye were aabodies skivie aa kine o a livin machine, wirk wis aafa teuch, nae fly cups, bit if ye wis wirkin aat somebodies hoose ye wid aften get a cup o tae aan a peece. Wir wirkshop wisna verra big. Ye cwidna maak a henhoose enside, it hid aan earthen fleer if ye cwid hae seen throwe i spells aan sawdist, aye side o i reef wis corrigated irne aan i idder wis reed tiles wee puckles o spacies aat at i snaa blaw throwe.
Et aat time comm tae i em o i waar timmer wis aa hame growin, fir larch, ash aan oak, iss wis bocht fae Wilson Pine's aat i village sawmull, I wid be sint up wee a haun cairtie tae taak i wid i Boss hid bocht doon tae wir wirkshop. Et wid be maestly boords, sax bi twa inch plunks aat idder times a hale laarik tree wid be sliced intae foywer, three, twa, aan inchin a haaf slaabs, iss wid aften taak aa day tae shift, ae wid get a haun fae Wilson tae get emm on tae the cairtie aan a shove oot o i yaird tae i tap o i knowe faa er it doonhull aa i wye, mair aan aften I cwidna haud it baak an wid be flat oot gyan doon i terrace aan et took ma aa ma time tae turn intil i lane aat no 6, maistly aa wid hit i neepor's dyke, skellin half o i timmer, bit is wisna affa faar tae cairry it ben tae i timmer rack, yon big laarik plunks were coupit aat i gable em aan sett on ere edge till ehh waar nott.
Ma day as a loon wis aften teen up rippen up 6x2 plunks intae fraimin fir maakin henhooses, as weel as rippen sax inch boords intae laps aat wid be eesed tae pit ower i jints o i boords on i henhoose waas. Faan eer wis a gie puckle rippen tae be deen ye pit the twa steels oot i the close afore i hoose winda, lay oot an mark yer plunks, get yir haun saw an aat wis yir darg till ye hid eneuch tae maak a shed or henhoose, efter aat wis deen ye hid tae roon ower the taps o fower stracht rails be jack plane fir i reests.
Een o i hardest jobbies wis rippen oot cairt shafts, i pattren wid be draawn ontae a foiwer inch thick laarik plunk aan for i neist twa oors it wis flat
oot tae rip up ae side, ye hid tae keep i saw plumb aan on i line- cis efter ye cut it oot ye hid tae dress (plane) it, so i tichter ye sawed i eesier tae plane, it wis i same fin maakin barras nae a straucht parreraal bit in a barra.
Fullin a cairt wheel wis affa sair wirk, bit ye hid a great feelin o smeddum fin ye saw emm rung in i smiddy. i wirk wis affa hard, bit it wis a great groundin, aathin deen bi haun- maakin doors, windaes, beds, tables, bakin boords aan lots mair, ye hid tae cut squaar plane fair tae takk oot the twists an thraws oot o i timmer, nae ye canna lam aat kine o skeels wee machines. En aat days time aan siller wisna i beginnin aan i ein oo aathin.