Poetry

North Staffs Dialect Queen's English

Indure Boules

Wey pleene a game dine th’ village haw,

It’s cawed indure bouls.

Aw it is, yer trine yer best,

Et individual rouls.

Yer dunner neyd fer bey a pro,

(That’s wey aw plee, yer know)

Fer plee this simple game,

`Cos any lad a lass can plee,

That’s worthy a th’ name.

Yer dunna neyd go Eton Schoo,

Ner that one at Harrer,

Noo Oxford-Cambridge pass required,

Theyse things dunner marrer.

It’s awes pleed with gud intent,

With noo ‘ard feylins ever meant,

Wen theyse big men getten fawin ite,

An cawsin waas en such,

If theene cum join us in a boul,

Theed sey it dunner marrer much.

So let’s keep boulin strait on tru,

An awees keep th, jack in vue,

Sose when wey getten on our last run,

Weyne heer ar Captain sey “Well Dun”

 

 

L. Ecclestone, Mow Cop

Indoor Bowls

We are playing a game down the Village Hall It’s called indoor bowls.
All it is, you try your best,
At individual rolls.
You don’t need to be a pro,
(That’s why I play, you know)
To play this simple game,
Because any lad or lass can play,
That’s worthy of the name.
You don’t need to go (to) Eaton School,
Nor that one at Harrow,
No Oxford-Cambridge pass required,
These things don’t matter.
It’s always played with good intent,
With no hard feelings ever meant,
When these big men get falling out,
And causing fuss and such,
If you come and join us in a bowl,
You’d see it doesn’t matter much.
So let’s keep bowling straight and true,
And always keep the jack in view,
So when we are on our last run,
We will hear the captain say “well done”

Translated E. Frith