Updating the website today 16th Sept 2009, we are sad to report the recent death of another of our much loved members of the society, Fred Knight.  Below is a brief obituary.

 

"It is with sorrow that we report the death, at the age of 88, of Fred Knight of Thornham, a former Vice-President of the Edwin Waugh Dialect Society.  Fred was a member for over 55 years and served on the committee for most of those years. In 1985 he was made a life member.

Fred Knight was one of the finest presenters of Lancashire Dialect in the Society, some of the members feel that "in the County" may even be appropriate. He entertained members with his moving renditions of dialect items over decades until failing health prevented his attendance at meetings."

 

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At the Fylde Folk Festival  on the 6th of September 2009, there was a Day (well, afternoon and evening!) of Dialect organised and presented by the new "The Lancashire Society". This is a follow-on as it were from the old Lancashire Dialect Society who used to run regular contests for writing and performing as part of the festival but  which is now defunct.

This new Society has acquired three of the trophies from the old Society and they were competed for and won on this day. Details from their website. thelancashiresociety.org.uk

We will try to put more details of their activities that we feel will interest our members and website visitors as they come available.  The big difference between the new and the old is that the competition embraced ALL English dialects with entrants from as far afield as Northumberland and Cornwall.

There will be another contest in similar vein in 2010. Keep an eye on their website.

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 STARTING AGAIN IN 2010

 The meeting scheduled for January had to be called off at rather short notice, due to the snow. Many members and our speaker, were unable to get out of their homes/streets because of the severe weather, Ice, probably being the greatest of the problems.

 On Wednesday 10th February, however, although still cold and in some places icy and even with a thin layer of snow as well, a goodly crowd made it safely to Jarvis Street. But instead of the expected Solitary figure of Sid Calderbank in the limelight, they were greeted by a veritable array of musicians and singers.  Some of us had been aware that Sid had planned a special performance of Songs written by Edwin Waugh for a Folk Festival last June and cajoled a group of enthusiastic supporters to perform it. The performance that evening was a repeat of the Festival Performance and it was splendid. Some of the songs are fairly well known in the "Dialect Circle and World of Folk" as one might describe it. But Sid had researched the original published tunes and so these were the ones performed. Sid mentioned that they had recorded the festival performance and CDs of this are available from Sid at £10 each plus £1 P&P.Sid can be contacted by email at lancashire.sid@hotmail.com (Sadly, at the moment this is not a hyperlink).

On Wednnesday 10th March, the Guest will be Brian Heap, presenting " A Lyrical Evening."  and on the following TUESDAY 16th March, will be the Presentation Supper, as usual at Lord's Celebration Suite, Market Street, Whitworth, commencing at 7 pm prompt. For anyone who would like to Join us, there is an application form on the Invitations page that you can print off and send to June, our treasurer,( By 5th March please)

 

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