Peter Fair

Catherine Paterson (late of Cowfurrich)

`Twas on a Friday morning,

The day dawned bright an' clear,

The villagers were up betimes,

But oh dear, what a steer!

We all had breakfast early,

And each one did their job,

To clear away the debris,

And get ready for the road.

For `Peter Fair' had come at last,

And filled us with elation,

Except perhaps the mothers,

Who deemed it a vexation,

For before we got the youngsters

Arrayed in a' their best,

Oor heads were whirling 'roon a aboot,

And we felt mair like a rest.

But off we went to join the throng,

Some throng it was, I ween,

For when we reached the main road

There was plenty to be seen.

Charabancs aud motor cars,

Bicycles and prams;

The villagers piled intae a bus,

But loshtie, sic a cram.

But soon we reached the fairground,

An' mingled wi' the crowd,

We wandered roon the `stannies',

The `swings' and `dancin' board.

We met wi' mony an auld freen,

We hadna' seen for years,

But before long wi' the deavin' din,

We were near reduced tae tears.

So we joggit past the `cher-o-planes',

And made for a tea-tent

There to rest our weary limbs,

And crack to oor content.

We spoke aboot the days gone-by,

An' a' that's passed before,

For there's nae frien's like oor auld frien's

We kent in days of yore.

But as the efterneen wore on,

We began tae think o' hame,

We visited the candy stan'

An' bocht some for the Weans,

An' last ava among the `flowers'

we lost a `coont 0' time

As we swithered twixt this plant or that,

Then settled on a fern.

By then `twas time tae get the bus,

The bairnies tired an' cross,

The day had been a trying one,

But weel worth a' the fuss,

Meetin' a' oor couthy frien's,

Wi' a' their kin'ly cheer,

We shook hands wi' fair promises,

Tae meet again next year.

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