[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Norma NicLeòid, obraiche sòisealta, stiùiriche comhairle, foillsichear agus sgrìobhadair. Norma, fàilte oirbh.
[Norma NicLeòid] Tapadh leat.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Abair farsaingeachd de rudan a tha sibh air a dhèanamh nur beatha. A bheil càil gan ceangal ri chèile ann an dòigh sam bith no a bheil iad gu tur eadar-dhealaichte?
[Norma NicLeòid] Uill, tha iad gu math eadar-dhealaichte ach tha ceangal, tha mi a' creidsinn, eadar a h-uile gin aca. Gu bheil iad co-cheangailte ri coimhearsnachd, ri daoine, ri teaghlaichean, ri gluasad am measg a' chinne-daonna a' feuchainn ri bhith a' dèanamh freasgairt nas urrainn dhut agus an uair sin, tha mi a' creidsinn, a' sgrìobhadh, 's ann a-rithist mu dheidhinn teaghlaichean a tha sin, agus tha gun teagamh ceangal eatorra.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Tha fhios gu bheil daoine cudromach dhuibh, dh'fheumadh iad a bhith ann an obair shòisealta.
[Norma NicLeòid] Ò tha, dè th’ ann nas cudromaiche na daoine? An cinne-daonna. Tha an cinne-daonna iongantach.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Cà' na cur thu eòlas air a' chinne-daonna an toiseach ma-thà ann an Ùige ann an Leòdhas?
[Norma NicLeòid] Ann an Ùige ann an Leòdhas ann am baile beag, Loch Croistean. Far an robh an taigh againne fhèin, 's taigh muinntir Ceann Loch nan Clachan. Agus cha mhòr nach robh sinn ’s an ath-thaigh mar aon theaghlach mòr.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Dè dh'fhàgadh sin? Dìreach cha b’ ann an sin a bha ur cuideachd o thùs, an ann?
[Norma NicLeòid] Uill, 's ann à sin a bha cuideachd m' athar ged as ann air Loch a’ Ghainmhich a rugadh is thogadh esan bha a cuideachd gu lèir à Ùige. Ach 's e a dh'fhàg sinn ann an siud gun robh m' athair ann an sgoil ann an Loch Croistean agus rugadh mise ann an sin agus bha mi ann gun robh mi còrr is naoi bliadhna a dh'aois.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Ann an sgoil bheag ann an àite car iomallach, tha e air falbh o bhailtean eile.
[Norma NicLeòid] Bha, iomallach air falbh bho bhailtean eile, gun teagamh sam bith, bha.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] 'S ciamar a bha thu a' faighinn sin nuair a b' fheudar dhuibh falbh 's ghluais thu an uair sin a dh’Àirigh an Tùim. Metropolis mòr an taca ri Loch Croistean.
[Norma NicLeòid] Uill, tha tòrr dhaoine, tha fhios agad, tha iad a' smaoineachadh gun robh Loch Croistean iomallach 's bha air sgàth nach fhaicheadh tu ach aon taigh eile, ach bha sinne a' coimhead tòrr dhaoine ann, daoine às na bailtean eile - à Cairisiadair is à Geisiadair is à Lioncleit - nuair a bha daoine a' gabhail an rathaid an uair ud agus bha iad a' tadhail ann na taighean. Bha muinntir Chairisiadair is Gheisiadair a' coiseachd a-mach à Lioncleit dhan Phost Oifis a dh'fhaighinn rudan is bha sinne a' coimhead tòrr dhaoine. Ach nuair a ghluais sinne a dh’Àirigh an Tùim, bho sgoil bheag anns an robh mu dhusan leanabh gu sgoil anns an robh suas ri ceud, bha sin, bha trauma gu leòr ann an gluasad bho Loch Croistean bhon cha robh cus fios agams’ gun robh mòran a leithid eile de dh'àiteachan ann a bharrachd air Beàrnaraigh agus Loch an Abhaich, bhon b’ ann às a bha mo phàrantan.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Cha robh sibh air a bhith shìos na taobhan sin a-riamh?
[Norma NicLeòid] Ò, cha robh, cha robh. Cha robh mise air a bhith sìos air na badan sin a-riamh, a-riamh agus 's ann às a bha an t-uabhas thaighean.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Dè bha sin aig naoi bliadhna a dh'aois?
[Norma NicLeòid] ’S ann.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] An canadh sibh gur e Ùigeach a th' annaibh ma-thà no Sìarach no dè seòrsa creutair a th' annaibh?
[Norma NicLeòid] Chan eil càil a dh’fhios agams’ cò às a tha mi!
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] À Leòdhas, tha mi a' creidsinn gum fàg sinn aig an sin e!
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2010.
[Donald Morrison] Norma MacLeod, social worker, council director, publisher and writer. Norma, welcome.
[Norma MacLeod] Thank you.
[Donald Morrison] What a variety of things you have done in your life. Is there anything linking them together in any way or are they completely different?
[Norma MacLeod] Well, they are very different but there is a connection, I believe, between every one of them. They are connected by a community, with people, with families, with moving amongst mankind trying to provide assistance when you can and then, I believe, writing, that again is about families, and there certainly is a link between them.
[Donald Morrison] We know that people are certainly important to you. They would have to be in social work.
[Norma MacLeod] Oh yes, what is more important than people? Mankind, Mankind is wonderful.
[Donald Morrison] Where did you first get to know mankind then? In Uig in Lewis?
[Norma MacLeod] In Uig in Lewis in a small village, Loch Croistean where there was our house and the house of the people of Ceann Loch nan Clachan. And it was as if us and the next house were like one big family.
[Donald Morrison] What caused that? Since that was not where your people were from originally, was it?
[Norma MacLeod] Well, it's from there that my father's people were although he was born and raised in Loch a' Ghainmhich his entire family were from Uig and ... but what left us there was that my father was in the school in Loch Croistean and I was born there and I was there until I was more than nine years old.
[Donald Morrison] In a wee school in a quite remote area , it is away from other villages.
[Norma MacLeod] Yes, remote from other towns, without any doubt, it was.
[Donald Morrison] And how did you find that when you had to leave and you moved then to Airidhantuim? A big metropolis compared to Loch Croistean.
[Norma MacLeod] Well, there are many people, you know, they think that Loch Croistean was remoteand it was because you could only see one other house, but we saw lots of people there, people from the other towns - from Cairisiadair and from Geisiadair and from Lioncleit - when people would travel the road at that time and they visited the houses. The people of Cairisiadair and Geisiadair walked out from Lioncleit to the Post Office to get things and we saw many people. But when we moved to Airidhantuim, from a wee school in which there was about a dozen children to a school in which there was up to a hundred, that was, there was enough trauma in moving to Loch Croistean since I did not know there was many other areas apart from Bernaray and Loch an Abhaich, since that is where my parents were from.
[Donald Morrison] You had never been down that side?
[Norma MacLeod] Oh, no, no. I had never been down to those places, ever and there was lots of houses there.
[Donald Morrison] Was that when you were nine years old?
[Norma MacLeod] Yes.
[Donald Morrison] Would you say that you are from Uig then or the West Side or what sort of being are you?
[Norma MacLeod] I have no idea where I am from!
[Donald Morrison] From Lewis, I believe that we'll leave it there!
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2010.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Norma NicLeòid, obraiche sòisealta, stiùiriche comhairle, foillsichear agus sgrìobhadair. Norma, fàilte oirbh.
[Norma NicLeòid] Tapadh leat.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Abair farsaingeachd de rudan a tha sibh air a dhèanamh nur beatha. A bheil càil gan ceangal ri chèile ann an dòigh sam bith no a bheil iad gu tur eadar-dhealaichte?
[Norma NicLeòid] Uill, tha iad gu math eadar-dhealaichte ach tha ceangal, tha mi a' creidsinn, eadar a h-uile gin aca. Gu bheil iad co-cheangailte ri coimhearsnachd, ri daoine, ri teaghlaichean, ri gluasad am measg a' chinne-daonna a' feuchainn ri bhith a' dèanamh freasgairt nas urrainn dhut agus an uair sin, tha mi a' creidsinn, a' sgrìobhadh, 's ann a-rithist mu dheidhinn teaghlaichean a tha sin, agus tha gun teagamh ceangal eatorra.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Tha fhios gu bheil daoine cudromach dhuibh, dh'fheumadh iad a bhith ann an obair shòisealta.
[Norma NicLeòid] Ò tha, dè th’ ann nas cudromaiche na daoine? An cinne-daonna. Tha an cinne-daonna iongantach.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Cà' na cur thu eòlas air a' chinne-daonna an toiseach ma-thà ann an Ùige ann an Leòdhas?
[Norma NicLeòid] Ann an Ùige ann an Leòdhas ann am baile beag, Loch Croistean. Far an robh an taigh againne fhèin, 's taigh muinntir Ceann Loch nan Clachan. Agus cha mhòr nach robh sinn ’s an ath-thaigh mar aon theaghlach mòr.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Dè dh'fhàgadh sin? Dìreach cha b’ ann an sin a bha ur cuideachd o thùs, an ann?
[Norma NicLeòid] Uill, 's ann à sin a bha cuideachd m' athar ged as ann air Loch a’ Ghainmhich a rugadh is thogadh esan bha a cuideachd gu lèir à Ùige. Ach 's e a dh'fhàg sinn ann an siud gun robh m' athair ann an sgoil ann an Loch Croistean agus rugadh mise ann an sin agus bha mi ann gun robh mi còrr is naoi bliadhna a dh'aois.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Ann an sgoil bheag ann an àite car iomallach, tha e air falbh o bhailtean eile.
[Norma NicLeòid] Bha, iomallach air falbh bho bhailtean eile, gun teagamh sam bith, bha.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] 'S ciamar a bha thu a' faighinn sin nuair a b' fheudar dhuibh falbh 's ghluais thu an uair sin a dh’Àirigh an Tùim. Metropolis mòr an taca ri Loch Croistean.
[Norma NicLeòid] Uill, tha tòrr dhaoine, tha fhios agad, tha iad a' smaoineachadh gun robh Loch Croistean iomallach 's bha air sgàth nach fhaicheadh tu ach aon taigh eile, ach bha sinne a' coimhead tòrr dhaoine ann, daoine às na bailtean eile - à Cairisiadair is à Geisiadair is à Lioncleit - nuair a bha daoine a' gabhail an rathaid an uair ud agus bha iad a' tadhail ann na taighean. Bha muinntir Chairisiadair is Gheisiadair a' coiseachd a-mach à Lioncleit dhan Phost Oifis a dh'fhaighinn rudan is bha sinne a' coimhead tòrr dhaoine. Ach nuair a ghluais sinne a dh’Àirigh an Tùim, bho sgoil bheag anns an robh mu dhusan leanabh gu sgoil anns an robh suas ri ceud, bha sin, bha trauma gu leòr ann an gluasad bho Loch Croistean bhon cha robh cus fios agams’ gun robh mòran a leithid eile de dh'àiteachan ann a bharrachd air Beàrnaraigh agus Loch an Abhaich, bhon b’ ann às a bha mo phàrantan.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Cha robh sibh air a bhith shìos na taobhan sin a-riamh?
[Norma NicLeòid] Ò, cha robh, cha robh. Cha robh mise air a bhith sìos air na badan sin a-riamh, a-riamh agus 's ann às a bha an t-uabhas thaighean.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Dè bha sin aig naoi bliadhna a dh'aois?
[Norma NicLeòid] ’S ann.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] An canadh sibh gur e Ùigeach a th' annaibh ma-thà no Sìarach no dè seòrsa creutair a th' annaibh?
[Norma NicLeòid] Chan eil càil a dh’fhios agams’ cò às a tha mi!
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] À Leòdhas, tha mi a' creidsinn gum fàg sinn aig an sin e!
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2010.
[Donald Morrison] Norma MacLeod, social worker, council director, publisher and writer. Norma, welcome.
[Norma MacLeod] Thank you.
[Donald Morrison] What a variety of things you have done in your life. Is there anything linking them together in any way or are they completely different?
[Norma MacLeod] Well, they are very different but there is a connection, I believe, between every one of them. They are connected by a community, with people, with families, with moving amongst mankind trying to provide assistance when you can and then, I believe, writing, that again is about families, and there certainly is a link between them.
[Donald Morrison] We know that people are certainly important to you. They would have to be in social work.
[Norma MacLeod] Oh yes, what is more important than people? Mankind, Mankind is wonderful.
[Donald Morrison] Where did you first get to know mankind then? In Uig in Lewis?
[Norma MacLeod] In Uig in Lewis in a small village, Loch Croistean where there was our house and the house of the people of Ceann Loch nan Clachan. And it was as if us and the next house were like one big family.
[Donald Morrison] What caused that? Since that was not where your people were from originally, was it?
[Norma MacLeod] Well, it's from there that my father's people were although he was born and raised in Loch a' Ghainmhich his entire family were from Uig and ... but what left us there was that my father was in the school in Loch Croistean and I was born there and I was there until I was more than nine years old.
[Donald Morrison] In a wee school in a quite remote area , it is away from other villages.
[Norma MacLeod] Yes, remote from other towns, without any doubt, it was.
[Donald Morrison] And how did you find that when you had to leave and you moved then to Airidhantuim? A big metropolis compared to Loch Croistean.
[Norma MacLeod] Well, there are many people, you know, they think that Loch Croistean was remoteand it was because you could only see one other house, but we saw lots of people there, people from the other towns - from Cairisiadair and from Geisiadair and from Lioncleit - when people would travel the road at that time and they visited the houses. The people of Cairisiadair and Geisiadair walked out from Lioncleit to the Post Office to get things and we saw many people. But when we moved to Airidhantuim, from a wee school in which there was about a dozen children to a school in which there was up to a hundred, that was, there was enough trauma in moving to Loch Croistean since I did not know there was many other areas apart from Bernaray and Loch an Abhaich, since that is where my parents were from.
[Donald Morrison] You had never been down that side?
[Norma MacLeod] Oh, no, no. I had never been down to those places, ever and there was lots of houses there.
[Donald Morrison] Was that when you were nine years old?
[Norma MacLeod] Yes.
[Donald Morrison] Would you say that you are from Uig then or the West Side or what sort of being are you?
[Norma MacLeod] I have no idea where I am from!
[Donald Morrison] From Lewis, I believe that we'll leave it there!
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2010.