Billy Kay - Born In Kyle

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast, Ali spoke to writer and broadcaster Billy Kay to hear about his memoir Born In Kyle: A Love Letter tae an Ayrshire Childhood, but the conversation turns to so much more. Billy talks about his lifelong passion for Scots language and culture, and explains that the roots of this are to be found in that Ayrshire childhood, which he sets out in detail. The two then talk about Billy being the public face, and voice, of the Scots leid for so long, the changes in attitudes towards it, and public perception of its use, over the years, the new generation of Scots speakers and writers, and why education is key - and was once a big part of the problem. They also discuss their shared loved of Sottish culture, and literature in particular, deliberating over and celebrating favourite books and writers. Billy also gives a couple of short readings from Born In Kyle, and he wanted me to include the passages here so you can read along: “Whit’s for ye, will no gae by ye.” This is a dreich expression o Scots fatalism – that nae maitter whit ye dae, nae maitter hoo guid ye are, nae maitter hoo muckle ye prepare tae mak siccar somethin bad disnae happen, if ye’re fated tae thole somethin happenin tae ye, weel, ye jist hae tae accept it and haud gaun. Ma mither yaised it an when ma Portuguese wife João heard her guidmither say it, she spiered naively, “if it could also refer to a good thing not going by you, Mummy Kay?” Mammy Kay’s repone wis short and tae the pynt. “Naw”, she said. An even mair dowie ensample o this wis “Ye maun dree yer weird” – owerset intae English “You must suffer your fate.” “Ye need a stoot hert for a stey brae,” or jist “A stoot hert for a stey brae,” – you need a strong heart for a steep hill. This ane wis popular amang the Kyle colliers, wha aften had tae howk coal oot o nairrae seams on a sair dook or a stey brae. Afore the muckle industrial pits were sunk – an ma granfaither wis a skeely pit sinker by profession – there yaised tae be a wheen wee local mines that were accessible via an Ingaunee – leiterally an ingaun ee, in English an “in going eye” – an access tunnel that wis dug oot a field on the surface and then there wis a stey brae slope gaein doon faur eneuch tae rax the coal seams nearer the surface. Billy Kay has long been an inspiration for Scots Whay Hae! and this was both a pleasure and a privilege to be able to converse with him in such depth - literally talking about Scottish culture so you don’t have to... For full details, and all the ways to listen, head to scotswhayhae.com