Steenie Steenson, well-kent grumpy old piper, returns from his ramblings, still rattling

Salutaciouns frae Primrose Knowe; it’s been a wee while sin A wis here, an it’s braw tae be back. A’ve no been well at aa, but while convalescin A wis surprised tae meet an acquaintance A never thocht tae see again, auld Rob the Ranter. A doot A wad hae kent him though, sae disjaskit he seemed, gif he hadnae played Maggie Lauder jist the wey he played it whan he won Maggie's hairt thon day at Anster Fair.

Ye’re no lookin sae guid yersel, Steenie,”  he says.

“Aye”, A says, “A’ve been wandrin roon the Lothians wi ma grandson Willie in some gey dreich weather. We met up wi his auld frein Geordie; ye ken the mannie?”

“Oh aye - we’ve had a blether or twae; he wis the man for the pinchin’, was he no?”

“Dinna git me stairted on thon business” A said, “thon chiel Scott wis roon here speirin aboot it. A telt him straight A had nae truck with that new-fanglt stuff. Guid eneuch for the Lothians mebbes, but no for Primrose Knowe - an awa he gaes, and whit dae A hear? He’s written some nonsense about ma ‘fine finger’ as if I was pinchin awa like a fancy piper. Habbie wad hae scorned me, and richtly, but nou there it is, in black an white for aw tae read an blether aboot”.

“Och, Steenie, it’s grand tae see ye’re still yer grumpy auld self, rattlin and rantin awa. For masel, A heard Geordie play the Soor Plooms, an A thocht, thon’s a grand improvement - an A telt him sae. A’ve nae doot that ilka piper will want to follae him, though they’ll no aw mak siccan a braw fist o’t.”

“That’s as maybe” A says, “A’ll haud tae the auld sangs - there’s fair a routh o them, though ye wadna think it, thir days. A cannae mind the last waddin A was at whaur A heard The Bride Has  Bonny Thing, let alane The Beddin o the Bride. Why, the last time I heard The Day it Dawis was when Habbie hissel wis playin it."

“Ye niver did Steenie, ye’re auld but ye’re no that auld; but give us a blast nou an A’ll gie ye The Laird o Cockpen, an wi the pinchin an aw, sin Geordie showed me the way o’t. An A daur ye to say A’ve wastit ma time lairnin the trick!”