The following poem is by Agnes Murray. Thanks to her for letting us use it on the web site.

There's an aul' Burgh Toon, Rosehearty by name,
Oh! Ye'll nae find it written in the annals o' fame,
It stan's be itsel' lookin' oot tae the sea,
Nae a fancy spot, wi that I'll agree,
Bit tae be, an lots mair, fa's been born an' bred there,
It's jist hame! An' nae ither place wi' it can compare.

It got it's name, so it is said,
Fae twa weary traivellers in search o' a bed,
On being refreshed an' weel rested neest day,
Fin takin' their leave, tae their host they did say,
"We slept well, and rose hearty to-day."
It's Charter wis granted, if I richtly remember,
Dated Sixteen eighty four, in the month o' September,
It's coat o' arms cam' fae the Hoose o'Pitsligo
Wi' it's Rose and it's Heart, and 'Corde et Manu'.

Lots o' changes in oor Toon ye'll see,
If ye come along wi' me,
In Union Street first we'll wanner,
Up bye the Port, the Swings, aye an' 'Caravanners'
Then richt on till we come tae the Herber,
Eh my! Sic a change, it fair gaurs ye winner,
Nae a Baldy tae be seen,
It fairly brings the tears tae yer een,
Fin ye mine lang syne on them a' drawn up on i' shore,
'The Crown', The Marvellous', 'Ocean's Gift',
an' boats bi the score.

There's far Mac's Shop an The Pen used tae be,
An' here the new swimmin' pool for a tae see,
Ah weel! this is the age o' progress ye see.
Up North Street noo we'll look roon',
It used to be kent as 'Up the Toon'
A' the aul' hoosies are maistly doon,
Aye! Times has changed in oor Burgh Toon.

Some folks tak' aff tae 'Costa Brava' for a spree,
Bit we has the 'Wastert', that's far I like tae be,
On a fine Simmer's day the rocks are sae bonnie,
An, the sunsets we see surpass ony,
Nae pass-port or visa div ye need ower 'ere,
Fin ye gang for a walk an' tak' a breath o' it's air.

Bit let's look back on the days o' yore,
Fan maist o' oor aul 'Fisher Folk' were tae the fore,
God rest their souls for evermore,
Aul Danny, Aul Dye, Aul Cot, an' Lunks,
Aul Shochle, Aul Cockie, Aul Coe, an' Dunks,
Aul Dutch, Aul Teet, Aul Wallie, an Onch,
Corkie, an' Storkie, Oram an' Punch,
The Steadies, The Wasties, The Fyteens, an' Cromms,
The Sammies, The Lobbans, The Dongs and The Pumms,
A' respected aul' bye-names, we're prood tae relate.

They worket sae hard baith early an' late,
Fin they sheilt an' they baited an' redd up their lines,
They sang psams, Sankey Hymns an' tunes o' a' kines,
An' twice on a Sunday in the Kirk took their place,
Aye! They were a gey hardy an' God Fearin' race.
Contented an' happy aye pleased tae be,
They set an example tae baith you an' me.
An' fan they forgaithered on 'The Heid o' the Shore',
'The Topics' they discussed richt an' left bi the score,
'The Weather', 'The Folk' fa wis deid, fa's nae weel,
Fu mony boxes o' codlin's the day or fit they got in the creels,
Onything an' a' thing ye care tae mention,
Intelligent subjects o' a description,
A' were debated as at any convention.

Porritch, biled fish, cheese an' hame-bakin' breid,
Saut herrin', chappit tatties, yalla haddocks, potted heid,
Blawn poddies, hairy Wullie, currant duff,
Nae neen o' yer fancy stuff,
Tomato, oxtail, Luncheon Meat, or Spam,
Jist gweed mate, loaf-an-treacle, an' hame made jam,
Rhubarb an' brummles, aipple jeely, marmalade,
That wis the stuff o' fit they were made.

Bit times hae changed noo in oor Burgh Toon,
Fin ye cast yer e'en an' look a' roon'
In Fordyce Street by the Co-op,
It used tae be kent as 'Simmer's Shop',
Then ye've the Fisherman's Hall
Aye! Mony a happy nicht it his seen
Then ower bye the bakers that stan's on Ward Road,
Aye! lots a' sair fechts ower here hae there been
For mony a carler an' mony a clod
Changed han's atween Fisher an Newtoner Dowd,
But times are mair peacefu' noo, I'm richt gled tae say,
Ach! Bit there's nae the same fun as in earlier days.

We'll gang in throw the lane, far the Tinkers did dwell,
Aye mony a story the lanie could tell,
Bit it's pairt o' Forbes Street noo ye ken
Wi' bonnie new hooses a' the wye ben,
Then on tae Pitsligo Street, oot past the Vrichts,
An' there's the Smiddy, it wis Geordie, the Smith's,
An, on up the brae tae see the new school,
Eh my! bit it's braw,
Foo lucky the bairns within it's wa's.

Then up tae The Auld Manse, noo kent as' Cliff View'
Aye! Times has changed wi' a vengeance noo,
An' the Tennis Coorts an' the Bowlin' Green,
Far mony a pleasin' oor can be spent at e'en.
Then doon again roon Brucklay Street wye
Ther's new hosses galore,
Nae but an bens, as in days gone before,
This ye could say noo, wis oor New-new toon,
Wi' it's braw streets an' gran' hooses a' the wye roon,
All 'mod. cons.' or naethin' ava,
Aye Fegs! The Aul Times are fairly awa'.

The 'Mason's Arms' stans at the fit o' the Brae,
Established it's been for mony a day,
Fae it lots o' cronies hae gane jauntily hame!
Aye! Bit times noo are jist nae the same,
Fin the Seven Days o' Aul Eel cam' roon,
There wis singin' an' dancin' a' throw the Toon,
Oor Auld Folk, they kent fu' happy tae be,
Wi' their fun an' ill tricks an' jivality,
They hae left 'Happy Memories' wi you and wi me,
Oh! The happy aul days that's awa'.
How dear they hae been tas us a'
We aften may fret, bit we'll nivver forget
The Happy Aul days that's awa'.

The 'Young Folk' noo-a-days, far div they gang?
Wi' their jeans an' transistors an' hair great lang.
Some tae The Broch or Blue Toon repair'
Tae the dnaces oot-aboot, here an' 'ere,
Bit some gang tae "Leebie's" tae spen' their bawbees,
She feeds them gey weel on puddins, pies an' peas,
Fried fish an' chips, lemonade an' sweeties,
An' tunes fae the Juke box their ears tae please,
We needna' fear for their well bein'
She looks efter them a' for she's weel daein'.

An' here's The Squar, the center o' The Toon,
Sic a change on it, fan we look roon,
New hooses, new shops, a Fillin' Station forbye,
A' bonnie daen up tae catch oor eye,
The Post Office buildin' is noo a Hotel!
Aye! Times hae changed in oor Toon wi' a will,
Bit it widnae dae either if they'd stood still,
We've even a place some ca' "Beverley Hilld",
Altho' nae film stars reside in the district,
There's nae gettin' awa fae't, it soon's real distinctve.

An noo ma freen's, if you I've offended,
Belive me, truly it wasna intended,
I am sae prood our Aul' Toon tae belang,
I couldna help bit write oot this lang sang
Bit on lookin' back there's a lot tae be said,
For a' the 'Hard Wark','Blawn Poddlies' an' 'Potted Heid'.

By Agnes Murray

Copyright Agnes Murray. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, duplication, or distribution in any form is expressly prohibited without the author's permission.