大象传媒

An robh cuthach an rathaid a-riamh oirbh? Eadhon air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, tha e na chunnart. Bidh na rathaidean againn air an tachdadh le carabhanaichean is camparbhanaichean as t-samhradh. Gun luaidh air caoraich!

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Tha sin a鈥� cur nam chuimhne Ali Abbasi nach maireann. Bha Ali ag obair don BhBC ann an Glaschu. Bha e ag aithris air an r猫idio mu staid nan rathaidean gach madainn. Bha e cuideachd ag ionnsachadh na G脿idhlig.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Aig an 脿m sin bha mi ag obair air Aithris na Maidne ann an se貌mar-naidheachd a鈥� BhBC ann an Inbhir Nis. Bhiodh Ali a鈥� f貌nadh, a鈥� faighneachd an robh naidheachd sam bith agam mu rathaidean air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Bhiodh fealla-dh脿 againn. Bhithinn ag r脿dh ris, 鈥楽eadh, Ali, tha aithrisean ann de chaoraich air an rathad eadar an t-Ath Leathann agus Armadal san Eilean Sgitheanach.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Bhiodh esan a鈥� freagairt, 鈥楻uairidh, bidh caoraich an-c貌mhnaidh air an rathad sin!鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Latha a bha seo, thuirt e e. 鈥楾ha aithrisean a鈥� tighinn thugainn,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥榤u chaoraich air an rathad eadar an t-Ath Leathann agus Armadal. Bithibh faiceallach.鈥� Bha mi a鈥� faireachdainn ciontach agus toilichte aig an aon 脿m!

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Chan eil fhios agam an do dh鈥檉huiling duine cuthach an rathaid an latha sin. Ach dh鈥檉huiling mi fh矛n cuthach a鈥� f貌n o chionn ghoirid. Bha mi a鈥� f貌nadh do dh鈥檜ghdarras poblach. Bha mi ag iarraidh faighinn a-mach c貌 bha an urra ris a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Cha d鈥� fhuair mi cothrom bruidhinn ri duine, ge-t脿. Chuir guth boireann eileagtronaigeach f脿ilte orm. Dh鈥檌arr i orm an duine a bha mi a鈥� sireadh ainmeachadh. Chuimhnich mi seann ainm (ged a tha mi air atharrachadh!)

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楧onald Mackenzie,鈥� thuirt mi.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥榃as that Donald MacHenry?鈥� thuirt an guth. 鈥業f no, say 鈥淐ancel鈥�.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楥ancel!鈥� thuirt mi.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楶utting you through to Donald MacHenry.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楥han eil mi ga iarraidh!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh mi. Chuir mi am f貌n s矛os.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檉h貌n mi a-rithist. An turas seo, thuirt mi 鈥楧貌mhnall MacCoinnich鈥�.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥榃as that Tommy Picolli? If no, say 鈥淐ancel鈥�.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楥ancel!鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楶utting you through to Tommy Picolli.鈥�

Have you ever suffered from road rage? Even in the Highlands, it鈥檚 a danger. Our roads get choked with caravans and campervans in the summer. Not to mention the sheep!

听听听听听听听 That reminds me of the late Ali Abbasi. Ali worked for the 大象传媒 in Glasgow. He was reporting on the radio about the state of the roads every morning. He was also learning Gaelic.

听听听听听听听 At that time I was working on Aithris na Maidne in the 大象传媒 newsroom in Inverness. Ali would phone, asking if I had any news about the roads in the Highlands. We would have a bit of fun. I would say to him, 鈥楢ye, Ali, there are reports of sheep on the road between Broadford and Armadale on Skye.鈥�

听听听听听听听 He would reply, 鈥楻uairidh, there are always sheep on that road!鈥�

听听听听听听听 One day, he said it. 鈥楻eports are reaching us,鈥� he said, 鈥榦f sheep on the road between Broadford and Armadale. Be careful.鈥橧 was feeling both guilty and pleased at the same time!

听听听听听听听 I don鈥檛 know if anybody suffered road rage that day. But I myself suffered phone rage recently. I was phoning to a public authority. I was wanting to find out who had responsibility for Gaelic there.

听听听听听听听 I didn鈥檛 get an opportunity to speak to a person, however. A female electronic voice welcomed me. She asked me to name the person I was looking for. I remembered an old name (although I鈥檝e changed it!)

听听听听听听听 鈥�Donald Mackenzie,鈥� I said.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥榃as that Donald MacHenry?鈥� said the voice. 鈥業f no, say 鈥淐ancel鈥�.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楥ancel!鈥� I said.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楶utting you through to Donald MacHenry.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥業 don鈥檛 want him!鈥� I shouted. I put the phone down.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 I phoned again. This time, I said, 鈥楧貌mhnall MacCoinnich鈥�.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥榃as that Tommy Picolli? If no, say 鈥淐ancel鈥�.鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楥ancel!鈥�

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥楶utting you through to Tommy Picolli.鈥�