Wigan Dialect

Youthful Memries

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Goo'int Pop Shop.

Aah con remember two pop shops wee'er mi nana used fot go.
One wuz at Ince Bar cawd Lygoes, un tuther wuz Johnny Woods i Wiggin.
Usually abeawt Wensday, which wuz known as Ballyhond day, cos thats when aw't money er'd run eawt. Wi'd tak owt we could find ter't Pawn shop.
Mi dads suit un shoes were't favrits, un any dayc'nt jackets. Then when wik eend come un aw't wages were in, Owt that were needed were redeem't.
If there were nowt else fo't tak, mi Nana would mek up a bundle wi towels, bedd'in un bits of cloo'us. Moo'er off'n than not, they were neyer gett'n back eawt.
Evetually, there were ardly owt left in't th'eaws.
Mi nana, then, would at bey moo'er stuff, which would purr her moo'er yed ore heels i debt.
A reight vicious cirk'le. Borrow'in off Peter't pay Paul. Gerr'in deeper un deeper i debt.
When mi nana dee'd, wi fon't hundrids of pop shop tickits in a bag. Stuff that er'd bin popped un never gett'n back.
See ( Three Brass Baws )

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Pick'in Coal

Th'ings come flood'in back into thi yed every neaw un agen,things tha con remember frum donkey's ears sin.
Things like goo'in er pick'in coal off't railway bank'ins deawn Platt Waz, near ter't Cut bridge.
Mi nana wi't bike un a pair of sacks, un me.
Sometimes it'd be grey't lumps er coal that er'd fawed off't waggins. 
Or a load er nutty slack or sometimes a pile of coke. 
Worreyer it wuz wi all'us geet two bags full.
Mi nana, even though her were only abeawt four foot ten would sling one sack o'er't peggles, un tuther o'er't cross bar.
Then aah'd climb on't top er't sack un her'd poosh it ow't road wom.

See ( Pick'in Coal )
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Sut on't Pro steps

 

Aah coud'nt er bin moo'er than 4 or 5 year owd.
Procial hall wuz a wooden build'in that stood at top of ar backs in Tram St Platt Bridge.
They used have danc'in theer at setday neets.
Just ter't side of it in Tram St wuz Cathlic Club, where mi grandfayther used go for a pint.
Neaw thi used fot pile aw't th'empties eawtside ert doo'er un wi used sit on't Pro steps until coast wuz clear, then nip across un steyl sum er't th'ale bokkles un sup aw't bits that wuz left.

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Collect'in Pill'ins

 

Wi a couple er sacks wi'd go reawnd ter't th'eawses collect'in pill'ins.
An yo gett'n any pray'tuh pill'ins missis.
Best time wuz sunday afternoon,after thi'n aw had the Sunday dinner.
Wi'd have one sack full er pill'ins, un tuther filled wi owd stale bread.
Wi'd sling um into an wom made wooden truck which had two wheels off some owd pram it would have two lung wooden hangles . 
Wi'd then poosh it aw road up to Barons farm just past slaggy at Higher Ince.
Farmer used lerr us tip aw't pill'ins in ter't tub ar sels.
This tub wuz all'us on't beyl.
Aah con still smell it neaw when aah think abeawt it. 
He'd pay us fo't what wi'd takk'n un then he'd lerr us go an look at Sally which wuz a greyt big fat sow.

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Slaggy un Bullit Rock

 

Slaggy up Henfield Rd.

Worr an haven for kids fot play. ( It were a lot safer in them days )
Aah would tak a breawn papper bag wi a couple er jam butties, a bokkle er watt'er un mi catty un aah could stop eawt aw day.
It were like an adventure.
Tha could do a bit of meawn'tin climb'in. That would be climb'in one er't steeper faces of slaggy.To me, that wuz like climb'in't north face er't Th'eiger. 
Aah remember tha'd climb up un just as tha geet ter't top,a pidgeon er'd fly off un tha'd bi lucky if tha did'nt faw off.
Aah remember especially areawnd abeawt bomfire time.
Aah oney bowt bangers me. Aah thowt aw't thuther fireworks were mard.
One of mi favourite tricks wuz fot collect a pile of rocks un set um on't th'edge on top er't Slaggy.
Then aah'd empty aw't peawder eawt er't bangers un pile it under't this pile er rocks.
Just like thi did on't ceawboy pictures. ( Aah thowt aah wuz a ceaw boy until aah wuz 17 ) 
Then aah'd mek a trail of gunpeawder un then leet it.
Made a crack'in avalanche.

Next port of call….Bullit Rock.

Bullit Rock as it wuz known wuz a dump'in greawnd for ammunitions.
Aw't childer used fo't go and collect bullits or bullit shells.
Th'idea wuz fot mek arrows.
A piece of 5/16 dowelin,which wuz just reet for purr'in a bullit shell on't theend.
Un then tha'd throw it wi a length of string,or flirt it use'in a lastic garter.
Else another way wuz fot mek thi sel a bow.
Wi were reight ingeniuos in them days.
We were allus mek'in summut.

Trollies, Pey guns.Trundles ( an owd bike wheel wi aw't spokes took eawt)Whips, made eawt er band'in from one er't factries. Catty's, ayther a proper two leg or a couple of pegs un some strips of innertube.
The pouch wuz tongue cut eawt thi shoe.
Everythin seemed fot have it's day.
One time it er'd bi tops un whips.Then it er'd be dykes ( marbles ) then pey guns un so on.
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The Delph

Another haunt for childer.
At a cert'in time er't year, aw't ferns were grown.
Tha could spend aw day crawl'in abeawt in't ferns.
Tha'd go wom at theend er't day wi bites aw o'er the arms un legs.
Aah con remember one of mi favorite pastimes wuz ly'in on an over hang'in branch wait'in fo't watter rats un shoot'in at um wi mi catty. 
Some er't things wi did were reight dangerous when tha thinks abeawt um neaw.
Aah'd bi frick'nt dee'uth if aah thowt my chilte wuz up ter't same soat er things today.

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Brickhill

One er't moo'ist dangerous things aah con remember do'in wuz a place in Higher Ince wi cawd "Brickhill".
This wuz an owd abandoned mine shaft with a brick tar areawnd it.
Wi used fo't climb up on top er't these brick war's un balance aw't road reawnd. 
If wi'd have fawd wi'd er bin dee'ud.
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Deep Pit

Deep pit wuz a square lodge us wuz a place for feeshin un swimmin.
Durin't summer months it used fot bi laahk gooin toer't seaside.
Aw't mothers would tak aw't kids swimm'in. They'd lay aw't towels deawn on ter't floo'er un tak butties un pop.
Hindley gawf course was just ore't fence.
Us lads used fot feel for gawf baws we ar feet in't slutch un then dive under't watter fot gerr um.

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Pick'in Ackrits

This term " Ackrit " is as aah remember it. 
An Ackrit wuz a wild type of mushroom ( grew abeawt 3" to 6" tall and abeawt 1" to 11/2" Diametre )
Aah con remember goo'in a pick'in these wild mushrooms on't muck tip in between Belle Green Lone and t' ceawncil estate at Higher Ince.
Mi fayther used fot cook um in milk.
If any body know owt abeawt these. Aah would appreciate yo lerr'in mi know.