A nice set of verse, dody - I especially like the first one!

Just to maintain the flow:-
A student of mine has just sent me this poem, in East Lancashire dialect. It took me a while to fathom it, but I only had to ask for translation of two words in the end.
I guess dody won't need even that! But how do the rest of youse get on wi'it?


Childhood I'Bongs

'Wheer as t'bin, mi Johnny lad,
Ah thowt they'd ner cum back;'
'Ah've bin a walk wi Tum un Ned,
O'er Withins, then up Shack;
Past Pilwood Pit, reauwnd Cumbermere,
Clod bricks in t'water faw;
Yeard Mother Hulme's donkey,
Shrikin' eauwt he, haw.'

'Ah'm werrit t'dee'uth, mi Johnny lad,
When tha seets off unknown;
Last wick tha geet a pastin',
Wilt not bi towd er shown?
Tha went deauwn t'bank, seet off o'er t'rucks
Past Gin Pit, Meanleys, Nuk;
Thi feyther welly kilt thi,
They'd fawn in t'yellow bruk.

'A fortnit sin, mi Johnny lad,
Tha ner cum whoam til dark;
Feeshed in t'moat reauwnd Dicky Beefs,
Pogged a neestin lark;
Stopped i'Shutt Street playin swap,
hen they 'ad a feight,
Fergeet tha'd birds eggs i' thi cap,
Cum in, un stunk mons height.

Just like thi Dad, mi Johnny lad,
That's like thi Granny ses;
Just doo'in things thi feyther did,
Same places, moo'r er less;
T'Bluebell Hollow wander off,
Fotch'er back sum flar's:
As 'er loved 'im, so whey love thee,
God bless thee las, tha't 'ars.'

Jimmy Jones