Broomhill Reminiscence Group (Daisy Dey, aged 91)
Funerals nooadays are naething special. They're naething like as gran as they war fin I wis a quine in Inverurie. Fin Dr Cameron deed, the hale village turned oot tae see him aff. The coffin wis pulled in a glaiss cairraige wi black horses. The horses hid black plumes in their manes, oh they war affa braw.
Aa the ither doctors in the village wauked in front o the hairse, slow kyne. An a gun cairraige follaed ahin, full o flooers. The meenister marched alang at the heid o the procession. Aabody wauked tae the kirk . . .there war nae cars fur mourners at thon time. And of coorse it wis only menfowk that gied tae the cemetary fur the beeryin. Weemin war supposed tae ging hame efter the kirk, an nae watch the actual kistin. It wisna considered richt fur weemin tae staun at the graveside, ye ken.They'd tae ging hame an makk the funeral tea.
Oh the horses war bonnie, an the flooers tee! Fin the hairse gaed buy, fowk stood still ooto respect, an the men took aff their hats. Men wore black airmbands then, ye ken, tae show they war in mournin. Naebody bothers fit they weir noo tae a funeral. It's aa ower as quick as shellin piz. Nooadays, fowk jist rin up tae the crematorium in their cars, sae the funerals aa ower in five meenits an they're hame again cockin in front o the TV afore ye can blink.
We hid a toon crier in Inverurie fin I wis wee. He eesed tae wauk throw the streets o Inverurie ringin a haun bell if onything ooto the ordnar wis gaun tae be happenin. He'd wauk alang cryin 'Yer watter's gaun aff the day at 2 o'clock....yer watter's gaun aff the day at 2 o clock'. Naebody I kent hid a phone, an there wis nae wirelesses, so apairt frae the papers, the toon crier wis the only wye ye hid o kennin fit wis goin on.