A poem by Samuel Hill 1864 ~ 1910

Only a Cranky Owd Foo'

Aw wonst know'd (as a lad) An owd friend o' mi dad; He liv't - well, it matters not wheer,
But he'd ways ov his own, Un' when they geet known, Th'foaks abeawt thowt it wur queer.
Neaw, foaks i' these days Han sich different ways, An' don't do as th'owd 'uns use't do;
So his nayburs combin'd An' becoom o' one mind, An' they co'ed him a cranky owd foo'.

This funny owd brid Very funny things did; Some neets he'd be starin' at th'stars.
An' aw've yerd him mysel' Th'earth's distances tell Fro', Jupiter, Venus, an' Mars;
Th'dimensions o' th'sun, What comets had done, An' aw'll bet he believed it wur true;
Meteoric expulsions, Atmospheric convulsions; But, then, he wur cranky, th'owd foo'.

He gather'd yarbs up, An' brew'd 'em for t' sup, An' th'doctor ne'er went to his heawse.
lf a cauve had gone sadly, Or a tit wur ta'en badly, Or owt fro' a moke to a meawse,
Foaks 'ud run to his place, Begin pooin' ther face,Till he said, "Aw'll try what aw con do,"
An' seldom he failed To tell what they ailed, An' cure 'em, this cranky owd foo'.

He'd some brids in a case, Stuff'd with tact an' sich grace, Aw'd use't for ta think they wur wick:
There wer things, too, he'd shot, Not far fro' th'owd spot, An' some 'ut he'd kil't wi' his stick.
Ther'n a cuckoo, aw know, A kingfisher, an' o', A snipe, an' a weasel or two,
A green-legged wayter-hen, An' a wee stumpy wren, O' winged by this cranky owd foo'.

He'd a fern-case, where grew His pets - not a few - Polypodiums, dryopteris, an' th'rest;
While a gronfeyther tooad, Pick'd up fro' some rooad, Kept deawn th'little insects wi' zest;
Cystopteris frigilis, Osmunda, regalis, Weel tended, they flourished an' grew,
An' wur'n often admired Bi thoose who satired Ther grower, the cranky owd foo'.

He'd friends sometimes coom, An' they'd ceawr i' th'front room, An' talk into tweeleet an' Past,
Till th'moon rose i' th'sky An' beamed fro' on high, An' th'gable-eends long shadows cast;
But - th'meetin's are o'er - They'll hob-nob no moor; Th'owd brid's flown away into th'blue,
For it's well aw remember, One dreary December, King Death summon'd th'cranky owd foo'.

In a corner 'ut's still, Close to th'church upo' th'hill, 'Neath a meawnd o' coltsfoot grown clay,
Six foot deep at least, Th'owd brid's in his neest, An' his fithers are meawtin' away;
If it's true what foaks sen, Ther are one or two "men" Neaw slowly descendin' loife's broo,
Who visit that spot - Maybe true, maybe not - For the sake o' that cranky owd foo'.

Further Reading

Richmond Hill Dairies, Pemberton - These pages contain some personal memories from my youth and my association with Richmond Hill Dairies, a local business I grew up with and remember with some affection. A well known and important feature of the local community in its day and part of the heritage of Pemberton, this is my attempt to commit some small snapshot of its history to print, I hope these pages paint a worthy picture.
Mind Your Language - A humorous poem by "the bard of Haydock" George Anderton, inspired by memories of a trip to Bad Canstatt, Stuttgart Germany with the Haydock Male Voice Choir in 1975. This publication will bring a smile to the faces of not only those members who were there at the time and know the people involved but the wider population of Haydock as well who speak the language.
Wigan and the American Civil War - Wigan Coal and Iron Company, The Right Honourable John Lancaster MP for Wigan, the Confederate Raider Alabama, USS Kearsarge, Cherbourg and the yacht Deerhound all feature in the last great sea battle of the American Civil War.
Wigan Old Bank 1792 - A tragic boating accident on Windermere and a surprising journey through the social history of Wigan during the reign of Queen Victoria, highlighting the relationships between four families who played an important part in the commercial development of the town.
The Brocklebank Line - Daniel Brocklebank (1741-1801), shipbuilder and mariner, a brief biography, and some background detail of his family and the shipping line he founded.
Little Ships at Zeebrugge - An account of a heroic attempt to block the port of Zeebrugge during the first World War, to protect supply routes into the UK by denying enemy submarines based there access to the open sea.
A Cricket Calypso - A short biopic of cricketer Cyril Washbrook and a snapshot of his career including his role in the West Indies tour of 1950 recorded in the lyrics of the Cricket Calypso.
Not Much of a Warrior - Wigan RLFC in the fifties and sixties, through rose coloured glasses. A golden age of legendary players and memorable moments, along with some personal memories.

Farthingale Publications:... Is a hobby web site containing articles of local interest to Lancastrians, some favourite walking and cycling routes, selected words and poetry, and some writings of more general nature as well as the authors own picture gallery. Access is available via the homepage and menu at the head of the page.
Local Interest: A Cricket Calypso; A Lancashire Lullaby; Dust Upon God's Fair Earth; God's Choir; Isaac Watts 1674 - 1748; It's a Funny Life; John Byrom 1692 - 1793; John Lancaster Wigan MP; Jubilee Park Memorial, Ashton in Makerfield; Little Ships at War 1918; Mind Your Language; Not Much of a Warrior; Peveril of the Peak; Private Thomas Whitham VC; Richmond Hill Dairies; Scot Lane School Wigan; The Brocklebank Line; The Farewell; The Holy City Liverpool; The Lindsays of Haigh; The Nurburgring 1960; Thomas Aspinwall Miners Agent; Thomas Aspinwall Obituary; Thomas Linacre School Wigan; Upholland Telephone Exchange; Wigan Advertisements 1960; Wigan Old Bank 1792; Wigan Soldier Missing in Action.
Walking & Cycling: Abbey Lakes to Coppull Moor; A Lancashire Linear Walk; Blackrod or Bust; Chorley Ice Cream Walk; Cycle the Monsal Trail; Cycle the Sankey Valley; Douglas Valley Dawdle; Freshfield to Crosby; Haigh to Borsdane Wood; Irwell Valley Trail (Bury to Rawtenstall); Irwell Valley Trail (Bury to Salford); Moss Eccles Tarn; Three Counties Cycle Ride; Wigan Circular by Bike
Words & Poetry: A Lancashire Mon; A Legend of Montrose; A Wet Sheet and a Flowing Sea; Aw've Turned me bit O' Garden O'er; Boat Song; Calm is the Sea; David Copperfield; Dombey and Son; Dover Harbour; Dust upon God's Fair Earth; God Bless these Poor Wimmen that's Childer; High Flight; Hymn Before Action; Jeff Unsworth's dialect poetry; King Cotton; Martin Chuzzlewit; Martyrs of the Arena; Mind Your Language; Only a Cranky Owd Foo'; On Th' Hills; Redgauntlet; Rogue Herries; The Antiquary; The Armada; The Bride of Lammermoor; Th' Coartin' Neet; The Cottage; The Darkling Thrush; The Donkey; The Fair Rosamond; The Fair Rosamond Comic; The Family Man; The Glory of the Garden; The Heart of Midlothian; The Pickwick Papers; The Rolling English Road; The Wanderer; The Wreck of the Hesperus; Toddlin' Whoam; Tommy; When Winds Breathe Soft; Wisdom.
Wallgate Chronicles: A Tale of Two Cities; A Walk in the Hills; Barnaby Rudge; Bookcase; Cat Bells; Desert Island Discs; Eay Times Uv Changed; Fidelio; Frank Whittle and the Jet Engine; Fun with Trigonometry; Hard Times; Hugo Boss comes to Wigan; In the footsteps of the Manchester Rambler; Ivanhoe; Little Dorrit; Lohengrin; Nicholas Nickleby; Our Mutual Friend; Rob Roy; Romance on a Budget; Semele; Surprise at the Philharmonic; The Battle of Solferino; The Bohemian Girl; The Fair Maid of Perth; The Force of Destiny; The Getaway Car; The Marriage of Figaro; The Old Curiosity Shop; The Ravioli Room; The Spectroscope; The Switchroom Wigan; Travels in Time 1960; Travels in Time 2010.

The Langdales from Moss Eccles Tarn