Doric verse champions announced
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The three winners of this year's annual Doric poetry and verse contest have been announced.
Entries were sought earlier in the year as part of the 2023 Keith Traditional Music and Song Association Festival, which is being held from July 9-11.
The Ian Middleton competition is for young poets aged under 12.
Its winner is Oonagh Blake, a 10-year-old Keith Primary School pupil.
Here's her poem 'Puddles':
I love tae dive fet first in a dubby puddle
A pit ma beets on
An rin oot side n fil ma beets wee dubby water
A'ter am soking n weet
A cozie masel up wee het coco n plunk ma sel doon in front o the fire
A love a drich afternoon
The Charles Murray contest was created to encourage Doric to be passed down through the generations.
It's been won this year by Lesley and Luisa Watt, a mum and daughter team from Newmill, with their prose piece 'Far We Bide'.
Second in the category were Linzee and Kenna Johnston from Keith with their poem 'Oor Papa'.
The Aultgowrie competition is for adults – which is classed as anyone aged over 13.
Its winner is Jim Brown from Fettercairn who wrote a poem titled 'Global Warmin'.
Acting as judge was the renowned Doric expert Gordon Hay, a retired solicitor who grew up as a farmer's son in the Banffshire parish of Inverkeithny.
Commenting on Jim's winning poem, Gordon said: "Hard hitting and using Doric as it should be: dealing with a serious subject and not 'tae get a lauch'."
Second in the same adult category was Richard Bennett with ‘The Galls'.
Third was Carolone Fowler from Buckie whose poem was called 'The Apprentice'
Highly commended this year was Brian Thomson from Edinburgh for 'Cadgers Howe'.
Organiser Joyce Dawson said: "Thank-you to everyone who took the time to enter and support our annual written poetry and verse competitions."
All the winners will be invited to perform their poems on the last day of three-day festival.
That will take place at St Thomas' Hall on Chapel Street, from 6.30pm on Sunday, June 11.
A poetry contest will also be held at St Rufus Church from 10am onwards during the morning of that same day.
Participants are invited to recite a Scottish poem in the traditional style without notes.
This year's upcoming Keith TMSA festival will see most of the town's pubs, plus many of its shops and churches, acting as venues for more than 40 musical performers.
Full details to follow.
