Ooor Venchie

Oor Venchie

When ah wis a bairn, ah went tae the Venchie
Cos that wis the place yer mither ayeways sent ye
Jist tae get ye oot fae unner her feet
Ye never said naw - or ye'd get a skelp fur yer cheek!
she'd say:
"Go when ah tell ye, take a packed lunch
There's spam oan the breid an' a aipple tae munch
Ah've no' goat nae money, so there's nowt until the night
So ye better eat it - a'right??!"

An' aff we'd go through rain, snow an' sleet
Tae the one place that kept ye oaff the street
We'd climb up the ropes and slide doon the wire
Then see hoo many o' us could hing oaffae the tyre
Ah wis aye at the Venchie, well, me an' mah pals
We hud a great time, baith the guys and gals
Wi' the legend'ry Ron Aitken leadin' us a' oan
The Venchie wis magic, there never wis a moan!

We hud a big playground, wi' choppit doon trees
We learned a' aboot bruises, sair cuts and skinn't knees
Wir Tarzan wis boarded, four at a time
But fur a shot oan the pulley, we a' queued in a line
An' then there wis the discos, where ye a' wore yer best
Claes fae Peggy Duncan's - an' me ... in a dress!
Aye, they wir the days, saicint tae none
Cos gaun tae the Venchie, wis nuthin' but fun!

An' still tae this day it brings children joy
Jist ask the staff, the girls an' the boys
It's a' thanks tae people like Susan an' Simone
An' Billy an' Peter, it's like a home fae home
They treat ye like a faim'ly, an' you'll be gled you've been
Jings! Ah better mind ah cannae forget Tasha and Pauline
There's sae many memories, tuckit away in mah mind
O' the the yin place in Niddrie that isnae herd tae find!

An' though ah'm noo much aulder, wi' grandkids in tow
The Venchie's still the best place where Craigmillar kids go
Sae here we a' are gaither't wi' fifty years past
The changin' face o' the Venchie an' the memories that last
Another fifty years? Well, that's a' that we kin ask
So dip yer hands in yer poackits, an' help us wi' yer cash!


© Diane Heron 2011
(Craigmillar Makar)
with grateful thanks to Heather Turner for her valuable assistance.