Yorkshire Words Of The Week
READING the “My Yorkshire” column by Stephanie Moon recalling going to Hellifield reminded me of my great-grandad, who in the days when swearing was confined to men only and never in front of ladies, would say if he was astonished: “Well, I’ll go to Hellifield.”
My grandad who worked on the railway would say: “I’ll go to Elsecar” and grandma would say: “The foot of our stairs.” Any more variations on this? On the subject of “ruddle stone”, your correspondent from Batley who remembers his mum buying from a handcart, this would most likely have been “Ruddle” Annie who I think lived in Batley Carr. I was told she was left a widow with children and sold the ruddle stones to keep body and soul together. Has anyone else heard of her?
From: Alan Beck, Dearne Hall Fold, Low Barugh, Barnsley.
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Hide AdWHEN I was nobbut a lad, I came across this poem in, I believe, a copy of Punch magazine from the 1920s. It may be necessary for your southern readers to explain that Slaithwaite is pronounced “sloughwhit”.
I work a one man farm in Slaithwaite,
My farm has but one field,
I plaithwaite,
In saxon linchests to allaithwaite,
Proper crop rotation,
Naithwaite bears beet, peas, wheat grass,
And one caithwaite won’t support two,
And a saithwaite it has nine piglets,
‘Ee by gaithwaite is by the sweat of my
Braithwaite shows a profit,
Haithwaite does,
Caps all t’farming chaps I’Slaithwaite.
From: Anne Whittaker, Sheffield.
My dear mum aged 88 suffers from Altzheimer’s dementia.
She recently said “You never know your luck ‘till you take your barrow back”. It’s a phrase that we have never heard her use before or heard of ourselves and wonder if anyone can help with its origin and meaning.
From: Audrey Bemrose, East Riding Dialect Society.
Our next meeting, Thursday June 16, 7.30pm is at the Rose and Crown, Little Driffield.The following evening there’s a Yorkshire Dialect Evening at Skipsea Village Hall starting at 7.30pm, admission £5, including light refreshments. Publications and CDs on sale. Tickets available at Skipsea Post Office or on the door. Phone 01262 673995 for information.