Aw've Turned Mi Bit O' Garden O'er

Aw've turned mi bit o' garden o'er, An' set mi seed an' o;
Soa neaw aw've done, aw'll rest a bit, An' sit an' watch it grow.
It's noice to have a little spot, Wheer one con ceawr 'em deawn,
A quiet comfortable place, Eawtside o' th' busy teawn,
Wheer one can sit an' smoke the'r poipe, An' have a friendly chat,
Or read th' newspaper o'er a bit, Or talk abeawt Shurat;
Or listen to some owd mon's tale, Some vet'ran come fro' th' wars;
Aw loike to yer 'em spin the'r yarn, An' show the'r wounds an' scars.

One neet aw thowt aw'd tak' a walk As far as th'Hunter's Teawr,
To beg a daisy root or two: Tom's gan me mony a fleawr.
They're bloomin' i' mi garden neaw, Aw've sich a bonny show;
Aw've daisies, pinks, carnations, too, An' pollyants an' o.
Yo' couldn't think heaw preawd aw feel, O' every plant an' fleawr;
Aw couldn't ha' cared for childer moor, Aw've nursed 'em mony a heawer.
But tho' they neaw look fresh an' fair, They'll droop the'r yeads an' dee;
They hanno lung to tarry here, They're just loike yo' an' me.

Dark-lookin' cleawds are gatherin' reawnd, Aw think it's beawn to rain;
Ther's nowt could pleos me better neaw, Aw should be rare an' fain!
Mi bit o' seed wants deggin' o'er, To help to mak' it spreawt;
It's summat loike a choild's first teeth, 'At wantin' helpin' eawt.
But aw'll be off, afore aw'm wet, It's getten reet agate;
An' while it comes aw think aw'll get A bit o' summat t'ate;
For oh, it is a hungry job, This warkin' eawt o' th'door;
Th'committee should alleaw for this, An' give one rayther moor.

Aw should so loike a good blow eawt, A feed off beefsteak pie;
But aw can ne'er get nowt loike that Wi' th' bit aw draw, not I!
Aw'm glad enough o' porritch neaw, Or tothrey cold potates;
Iv aw can get enoo o' these, Aw'st do till th'factory gates.
It's welly gan o'er rainin', so Aw'll have another look,
An' see heaw th'garden's gettin' on: An' then aw'll get a book,
An' read an heawer or two for th'woife, An' sing a bit for Ted;
Then poo mi clogs off, fasten t'doors, An' walk upsteers to bed.

Samuel Laycock was born in Marsden West Yorkshire the son of a weaver. He moved to Stalybridge aged 9 and in later life to Blackpool for health reasons, where he died in 1893.

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 or via one of the direct links below.

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 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; Aw've Turned me bit O' Garden O'er; Boat Song; Calm is the Sea; Classic Poetry; Dombey and Son; Dover Harbour; Dust upon God's Fair Earth; God Bless these Poor Wimmen that's Childer; 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; Poet's Corner; Redgauntlet; Rogue Herries; The Antiquary; The Bride of Lammermoor; Th' Coartin' Neet; The Darkling Thrush; 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 Wreck of the Hesperus; Toddlin' Whoam; When Winds Breathe Soft; Wisdom.
Wallgate Chronicles: Adolphe Adam; 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; 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.

Selected articles from the above listed:

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.