Weel duin tae Moat Brae wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Project o the Year in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The Scots Language Awards are in the Johstone Toon Ha, Johnstone on 16th September at 7pm. Tickets fir the ceremony are available tae buy here: https://handsup.link/SLA-BuyTickets.
We askit Natalie Smith o Moat Brae thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
Moat Brae is the birthplace o Peter Pan, and Scotland's National Centre for Bairns' Books. Oor trustees saved Moat Brae fur the nation wi the help o the guid fowk o Dumfries. It's a bonnie hoose and a gairden by the Nith, whaur J. M. Barrie played when he was a wee laddie at the schuil. When Barrie wis an aulder chiel he said Moat Brae wis really 'Neverland' and it was whaur Peter Pan was born. Weans o ony age can visit Moat Brae a year roond and find a warm welcome here, wi events an exhibitions an a sorts o ploys.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
Itchy Coo books! We asked James Robertson an Matthew Fitt and a the guid folk at Itchy Coo if we could mark their 21st birthday wi a programme celebratin a their buiks in Scots, fae 'The Gruffalo' tae 'Paddington'. Oor local visitors a uaise Scots and they were fair chuffed tae hear it in the centre. We uaised Scots buiks in a wir groups fur weans. We read 'The Gruffalo in Scots' at the Big DoG Bairns' Buik Festival. We did a wee exhibition a aboot 'The Eejits', an in that we telt oor visitors a aboot the Scots leid. We even hid a 'Chocolate Breakfast' wi Wullie Wonka an the Oompa Loompas – it selt oot saw fast we hid tae hae mair!
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Fowk uaise Scots here in Dumfries every day, it widnae be richt tae let on fowk uaise English only. That's how we hae sae much Scots in wir programmes.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
Lang may yer lum reek.
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
James Robertson and Matthew Fitt, fur the buiks at Itchy Coo they've owersettit intae Scots.
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Oor ain team uaise Scots in the hoose here every day! We think fowk here uaise a lot o Scots. Mibbe weans less?
Ony particlar career heighlichts
It's no a career heighlicht but a heighlicht for Scots at Moat Brae was when a faimly asked if we could come in an read 'Paddington in Scots' at their wean's birthday party. We hid a wee tear in wir een!
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
We hae plans for new weys tae support screivers fur weans in Scots, English and Gaelic. An mair events in Scots, o course! We'd like tae find oot mair aboor J. M. Barrie's scrievens in Scots tae.
Read more about Moat Brae
http://moatbrae.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoatBrae
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moatbrae/
The Scots Language Awards are in the Johnstone Toon Ha, Johnstone on 16th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://handsup.link/SLA-BuyTickets There wull be some grand entertainmint oan the nicht tae, includin a recital fae Renfrewshire’s poet laureate Shaun Moore,wha wis appointit as the region’s Tannahill Makar last year. talks fae weel regairdit Scots scrievers Cat Cochrane an Shane Strachan, alang wi musical performances fae celebratit multi-instumentalist brithers Euan and Lewis McLaughlin, an sangster Iona Fyfe.
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