A Letter tae my Freends (In Shetland Scots)

Weel lasses,
It’s time we were tinking aboot anider weekend awa! I ken aabody will be up for more shenanigans. Eftir aa, we’re been doing it for nigh on twenty years. Dat first time we gaed ta York on da train wis a fun, but it’s only gotten better fae dan. I think we were aboot 51 dat year, were we no? An whin we got ta 60 we windered if we’d still be doing it at 70.

Aa wir bairns had grown up and mostly fled the nest, we were ready for some “wis time”. The 9 o wis wir aa at da Anderson High School tagidder, most of wis had started school tagidder in Lerwick in the 1960s, an most o wis gaed to college or university in Edinburgh. We played hockey and netball and gaed sweemin tagidder, affen in da sea. As time moved on we gaed wir separate wyes and are noo livin in various pairts o Scotland wi 3 still livin in Shetland.
Dat year in York whin we asked a guy in da pub fur directions he said,
“I don’t know about that, but there’s a Mecca Bingo round the corner”
Da cheek o it! As if we looked lik we were oot for a night at da Bingo!
Dan when Pat axed for a cloot ta clean da table in da pub, anidder guy said,
“Why do you not go home and crochet a few?”
Young men just didna seem able to handle a bunch o 50 somethin weemen oot enjoying demselves! Nooadays, wir fun nights are mostly nights in and we have a lot mair fun. And da tradition o startin da Friday night wi a champagne cocktail still stands!

So here we are nearly 20 years later in wir 70th year, still enjoying een anidders company and wi a lot o gaffing every time. Last year’s “Murder at the Manor” weekend in da Manor Hoose in Fife was een o da best eens. We kept ta da charity shop dressing up theme dat always gaed wis a fun. On dis occasion, Jane’s Prof wi da jam jar glasses, grey wig, moustache and tweed jacket was a particular hoot but everybody cam up trumps wi dir ootfits. The murder victim was a bit deformed but thanks tae a wig, boots and some cushions covered wi a white sheet it looked convincing eenoff.
Anidder een at sticks oot in my mind is da hoose on da golf course at Crail. Dat year we had tae mak a quick trip ta da nearest Co-op ta lod up wi wine cos Chris had left it at hom. It’s nae winder though, an Chris has done an amazin job o organising most o da caterin for aa dis time, just causes a giggle noo, how could she forget da wine? Dat year we dressed as Divas and some o wis attempted ta sing. What we gaffed at da singing an da very recognisable ootfits, everything fae Cher and Amy Winehouse ta Dolly Parton. Da 3 degrees were parteecularly funny, sadly Maggie couldna come, so Claire and Annette had ta improvise wi a broom. Dis broom had a curly black wig and a sparkly froak.

Whin we were aa working, it wis a rush ta git aabody dere for Friday night – ee time Chris picked up da Shetland contingent fae Edinburgh Airport – traipsing troo da terminal in her charity shop “chavs and NEDs” ootfit wi da mini-skirt, fake tattoos and multiple chains aroond her neck. She had decided ta get dressed up afore she left hom ta save time.

Every year has had its own tale ta tell and we’ve stayed in some really boanie places and interestin hooses all aroond Scotland. At 60 we gaed on a cruise aroond Italy and spent a whole week tagidder. Der wis never any fa oots, any situation wis always diffused. Dat’s always da case and we all joost want da best for een anidder, sharing aa wir triumphs and disasters. At da stage o life we’re at wir had births o grandbairns – 19 at da last coont - but I’ve lost track; weddings -maistly o wir bairns, but we were aa delighted when Shona got mairried for da first time when she was 61! She made a beautiful bride and wir theme dat year wis “bridesmaids”. We had a hen night, including appropriate hen night games but it was a bit embarrassing when da peerie plastic wind-up willies we had raced across da floor got left ahint. I’m sure it wid have amused da cleaners.

Even during da pandemic we managed ta get tagidder when Shona kindly invited da 5 o wis on da Scottish mainland ower ta her hoose on da West Coast. Da theme dat year was “A Masked Ball” wi a nod ta da masks at we had aa been wearing. Dir so mony tales fae wir weekends an aabody will hae dir ain memories. It’s joost lovely ta tink at we’re still freends and likely ta remain sic good freends eftir so mony years. We spent wir productive years as professional fokk – 2 nurses, 3 teachers, a GP, an accountant, a high-powered public relations manager and a data manager – raised 22 bairns and 2 stepsons atween wis and have all managed to stay mairied ta da sam person. Whit will da comin years bring as we enter wir 70s, will we all still be dare at 80 and dare I say 90, maybe we’ll have ta wear name tags and have extra luggage in da form o wheelchairs and Zimmer frames.

Maybe its blowin wir ain trumpet bit I think we aa deserve a pat on da back and anidder celebration o freendship dis year and hopefully for many years to come. I value every wan o you as a special freend or in dadays parlance you are my BFFs.

Yours in freendship,
Jennifer