Civil Servant gets bored at work !

[Rooster]

By David Gordon
Thursday, 23 October 2008

The Government's Ulster Scots voicemail line is still awaiting its first message — despite being well into its fifth year of existence.

The special telephone number was established in 2004, to allow people to contact the Northern Ireland Civil Service in Ulster Scots.

But official figures have shown that it has yet to be used once in all that time.

A similar Irish Language line has had 29 messages in total over the same period.

It has been confirmed that the messages tally to the Ulster Scots number — 028 9025 8924 — still sits at zero.

The Belfast Telegraph checked the number yesterday, without breaking the service's duck and actually leaving a message.

A message in Ulster Scots could barely be heard on a crackly line. Callers are asked to leave their query “if ye dinnae mind” and are promised a reply “brave and quick”. But they are also advised to contact the civil service and speak in English if their case is urgent.

The voicemail facility is provided by the Linguistic Operations wing of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), the Stormont department headed by the DUP's Gregory Campbell.

According to Tony Blair's Downing Street chief of staff Jonathan Powell, UUP leader David Trimble raised Ulster Scots during the negotiations that produced the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

Mr Powell's memoirs state that Mr Trimble's pitch for funding “left us in hysterics once he left the room”.

[Solid Air]

A group of cows are standing in a field near Ballymoney. How do you know which one is planning a holiday?

"Tha yin wi a wee calf"

[Bruce]

[quote]it has been confirmed that the messages tally to the Ulster Scots number — 028 9025 8924 — still sits at zero.

The Belfast Telegraph checked the number yesterday, without breaking the service's duck and actually leaving a message.

A message in Ulster Scots could barely be heard on a crackly line. Callers are asked to leave their query “if ye dinnae mind” and are promised a reply “brave and quick”. But they are also advised to contact the civil service and speak in English if their case is urgent.[quote]

Rumour has it that there have been over 10,000 messages left but after investigation they were traced to an F.Baik and an L.Laird simply going round in a circle. As a result the line will be locked and a "fan club" dedicated to Ulster Scots will replace it with a small membership fee securing a host of additional benefits!

[Rooster]

it has been confirmed that the messages tally to the Ulster Scots number — 028 9025 8924 — still sits at zero.

The Belfast Telegraph checked the number yesterday, without breaking the service's duck and actually leaving a message.

A message in Ulster Scots could barely be heard on a crackly line. Callers are asked to leave their query “if ye dinnae mind” and are promised a reply “brave and quick”. But they are also advised to contact the civil service and speak in English if their case is urgent.

Rumour has it that there have been over 10,000 messages left but after investigation they were traced to an F.Baik and an L.Laird simply going round in a circle. As a result the line will be locked and a "fan club" dedicated to Ulster Scots will replace it with a small membership fee securing a host of additional benefits!

Good one Bruce, must confess tried several times to phone it last night but it was always engaged

[fermain]

thas qware crack sham.

[Alister Scott]

It has been confirmed that the messages tally to the Ulster Scots number — 028 9025 8924 — still sits at zero.

A've bin ringin' 028 9025 8942

nae wunder nae yin gat bak tae me

[ColinM]

Ah hink ah need til laeve a wee meesich fur them cuvil service til spake a bit louder on theyre phoane fur ah can harly make em oot on thon messich.