A Dash O Doric

*The old man looked down at his lifelong friend, now lying in his coffin, and said: 'Man, there's even a smile on his face.' 'There is,' said the widow, 'bit Jock wis aye a bittie saft. He disna ken fit's happened til him yet.'

And then there was the hapless crew from Sky TV on one of their periodic visits to check Highland reactions to various news stories. Spotting a likely interviewee in Academy Street, the reporter approached and said: 'Excuse me, have you got a few words for Sky TV?' 'I have,' snapped the man. 'Stick your microphone up your nose and bugger off back to Portree.'

Or what about the Banffshire congregation who welcomed a new English member and were horrified to discover that at the end of every hymn or prayer the newcomer would cry: 'Praise the Lord and Hallelujah!'? The beadle scurried up to the new man's pew and hissed: 'Jist behave yersel. We dinna praise the Lord here.'*

Norman Harper and Robbie Shepherd are back with a third collection of stories which show the wit and wisdom of North-east Scotland at their finest. Find out inside why the ice-skating scoring system at a Donside tournament went so badly wrong; read of the forgetful railway guard at Fyvie and how the old passenger on the Culter train was celebrating her birthday; marvel at one Buchan oilman's tip for improving your love life on holiday.

It's all here, and more.

Auteur

Robbie Shepherd was born and raised in Dunecht just outside Aberdeen. He has been an avid fan of Scottish music since he was a boy and remembers his father returning home from the city with the latest hits from his favourite musicians such as Robert Wilson, Kenneth McKellar and Jimmy Shand, who Robbie had the honour of joining in the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2006. In his younger days Robbie playing the moothie in a band, and on one occasion the band was fortunate enough to support Calum Kennedy.

However, despite his passion for music Robbie became best known for his mastery of the Doric language, the medium in which he wrote a column for the Aberdeen Press and Journal. He wrote over fifty columns reflecting on current affairs, books and films, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of followers. Birlinn published Robbie Shepherd's Doric Columns as one volume in 2006, and also commissioned Robbie to co-author the Dash O' Doric series with Norman Harper.