EWDS
  • HOME
  • LATEST NEWS
  • EVENTS 2022-23
  • ABOUT US
    • HOW TO FIND US
    • HOW TO JOIN
    • SPECIAL MEETINGS
    • ANNUAL SUPPERING DO
    • COMMITTEE
    • OUR CONSTITUTION
    • SPEAKER SERVICES
    • CONTACT US
  • COMPETITIONS
    • 2022 Trophy Winners
    • 2022 Winners' Photo Gallery
    • 2020 Trophy Winners
    • 2020 Winners' Photo Gallery
    • 2020 Winning Entries blank >
      • ODE TO A COTTON REEL - Sally James
      • ABSENT FRIENDS - NODDLE YED'S TALE - Betty Lightfoot
      • PiICKING COAL WITH DAD - Sally James
      • NIGHT SHIFT - Neville Southern
      • Frank Gibson's entry not published
    • 2019 Winning Entries >
      • A LUVIN’ ‘USBANT’S TREAT - Ron Williams
      • MOLLIE'S MEANDERINGS - Sally James
      • BLOOD BROTHERS - Sally James
      • THE OLD MILL STREAM - Sally James
      • Frank Gibson's entry not published
  • Edwin Waugh
    • Brief Biography
    • Waugh's Poems >
      • Poems and Songs Vol 1 1889
      • Posies From a Country Garden
      • More Poems and Songs - Full Length Book
      • Miscellany
  • Waugh's Well
    • WAUGH'S WELL WALK
    • Videos and Gallery - 2021 Walk
    • Gallery - 2018 Walk
    • Gallery - 2017 Walk
  • OUTSIDE EVENTS
    • 2018 Bolton Station Promotion >
      • Gallery - Bolton Station Stall
      • Video - Sid Calderbank with his Bones
      • Video - Come Whoam to thi' Childer an' Me
    • 2017 Nov 24 Edwin Waugh Tribute Night >
      • Edwin Waugh Tribute Night - Video of the whole performance
      • Videos of the Individual Songs from the evening >
        • Lift On The Way
        • Com Whoam t' thi' Childer and Me
        • Bide On
        • When The Sun Goes Down
    • 2017 National Dialect Festival >
      • Video - Sid Calderbank recites poem
  • SALES

EDWIN WAUGH DIALECT SOCIETY
​ROCHDALE

Picture
Edwin Waugh

​Maintaining and Increasing Interest
​in Lancashire Dialect

Picture
Dialect Writers Monument in Broadfield park, Rochdale
Welcome to our website
We trust that you will find it interesting and hopefully you will be able to contact any of us should you wish to do so,  via  e-mail or by telephone to any of our committee members. ​
Better still,  why not come and visit us at one of our meetings?  Tha'll find a gradely welcome theer.  Then, if you'd like to join us,  we'll be more than happy to welcome you as a member...
OR
if you would like the invitation in the form of dialect poem...
read on...
Ceawer Thi Deawn!
Neaw when yo' come to Eawr meetin's
    Full of poets of greight renown-
One thing we'll allus tell thi:
   Yo're welcome, ceawer thi deawn!

Hutch up an' han a listen
   To some grand owd Lanky' rhymes;
An' yor een 'ull fairly glisten
   Wi' tales of iowden times.

We'll shed a tear fer eawr kinfolk,
   An praise 'em neaw an' tgen,
Ye'll marlock, an' we'll crack a joke-
   But only if it's clen!

We'll han some local history too,
   Or a gradely tale impart;
An' we'll warble songs to poo yo' throo
   An cheer yor warchin' heart.

Whene'er eawr members stond to spout
   In eawr jannock Lanky' tung;
Theer's sayin's, an' words we corn't do bout
Like jow, an' pow, an'  thrung.

Eawr dialect's a language of its own,
   It brats eawr hearts wi' pride;
It's eawr Heritage, it's whoam-grown
   It's the SOUL of us inside.

Theer's noather lad nor lassy 'ere
   Ut shines in their own leet;
Cose we're Lanky folk, an' we revere
   A thing ut's gradely reet.

Of course, we like to swank a bit,
   We'n yeps o' talent 'ere';
Just tak' a sken ut waht we'n writ
We're th' best in Lankysheer!

So come along an' enjoy yorsel,
   Grab a cheer, an' dunno freawn,
Yo'll n]mak' a rock o' pals as weel,
   Yo're ewlcome, ceawer thi deawn!


Written by Lowell Dobbs a past member.
OR
if that hasn't persuaded you to come along, how about this one from one of our Life Members, Denis Clarke...

Edwin Waugh Dialect Society
Picture
Denis Clarke    1991 amended 1996
Brief history
​
The Society was formed in 1938 by a group of Lancashire Dialect enthusiasts.  It lapsed in 1940 due to the effects of the Second World War but restarted in 1950. It has continued to the present day.
Monthly Meetings
Meetings are held on the second TUESDAY of every month from October to June, commencing at 7.30pm
Subscriptions
​The annual subscription of £7 is due at the October meeting to help pay for our speakers, but you don't need to be  member to come along to see if you would enjoy the meetings. 
Your first meeting is a free taster session.

There is a voluntary donation requested at each meeting to help defray the cost of the room hire.
Meetings Format

A poetic version by Eric Green follows these paragraphs.

The meeting starts with a welcome to all from the evening's Chairman, followed by a rendition of Edwin Waugh's song "A Lift on the Way".

We then have a reading of a poem or extract from one of Waugh's works by a pressed volunteer and hear the 'Parish Notices' from the Secretary.

Members are then entertained by a speaker, or a performer.    You can find full details  of each of our monthly meetings on the Events Calendar page.

A vote of thanks is given followed by a second Waugh song, "Toddlin' Whoam", being the most appropriate! 

After this, in the immortal words of our previous President, Jack Lye, "Tha con aw pike off whoam neaw!" 

​The evening ends at around 9.00 pm.
​
​Now the 'slightly' longer Poetic version  (updated 2021)
​E' By Gum It's Dialect Neet​

​Gradely folks are looking forward
To the next time they all meet
At St. Andrews United Reformed Church
In Rochdale Town's Smith Street.
 
From October each year
To June the year after
You will see smiling faces
And hear their laughter.
On the second Tuesday each
Month they are in for a real treat
At the Edwin Waugh Society’s
Dialect neet.
 
They start with a bit of singing
Written by the master, so mote it be.
He wrote all seven verses,
But they sing only three.
But their melodious voices
Blend in harmony
And happily give some poor old soul
‘A lift on the way’.
 
The chairman opens the meeting
As the members he cheerfully greets,
And finishes by telling who
Is entertaining that neet.
Then the secretary gives the
Apologies from those who can't be theer
Before the ‘Waugh” is read
Or recited by a volunteer.
 
First meeting in October
Is ‘President’s Neet wi’ Friends’
Everyone is sorry when at nine
It's time to end.
There's a night of ‘Red and White Roses’
‘Rakings up from Saddleworth’, as well
With all the members hoping
That ‘something they dug up’ didn't smell!
 
With ‘Entwistle's of Foxholes’
And ‘Ramblings of Rossendales’
Folks listened so intently
As the speakers tell their tales.
it's cheap, just a copper,
For a good evening all right
With more arresting tales
To come on duty with Mr Knight.
 
There's nothing like Lancashire humour
As dialect friends you meet
Get yourself ‘sommat from Owdham’
If you want a real treat.
Cow ‘eel pie
with homemade chips
Devoured from
‘Lancashire lips’.
 
At Edwin Waugh Presentation Supper
The highlight of the year
They go ‘in and out of dialect ‘
With a slice of Lancashire.
Don't ask for a doggie bag
Or you'll be eating potato pie.
On the day of the Jarvis Street concert
On the 20th of July.
 
A vote of thanks is given
With generous applause
From each and every member
Of Rochdale's Edwin Waugh.
Another dialect meeting
Has come, and been, and gone.
In rain wind or snow off they go
All ‘fain to be toddlin’ whoam’.

 
Eric Green
  • HOME
  • LATEST NEWS
  • EVENTS 2022-23
  • ABOUT US
    • HOW TO FIND US
    • HOW TO JOIN
    • SPECIAL MEETINGS
    • ANNUAL SUPPERING DO
    • COMMITTEE
    • OUR CONSTITUTION
    • SPEAKER SERVICES
    • CONTACT US
  • COMPETITIONS
    • 2022 Trophy Winners
    • 2022 Winners' Photo Gallery
    • 2020 Trophy Winners
    • 2020 Winners' Photo Gallery
    • 2020 Winning Entries blank >
      • ODE TO A COTTON REEL - Sally James
      • ABSENT FRIENDS - NODDLE YED'S TALE - Betty Lightfoot
      • PiICKING COAL WITH DAD - Sally James
      • NIGHT SHIFT - Neville Southern
      • Frank Gibson's entry not published
    • 2019 Winning Entries >
      • A LUVIN’ ‘USBANT’S TREAT - Ron Williams
      • MOLLIE'S MEANDERINGS - Sally James
      • BLOOD BROTHERS - Sally James
      • THE OLD MILL STREAM - Sally James
      • Frank Gibson's entry not published
  • Edwin Waugh
    • Brief Biography
    • Waugh's Poems >
      • Poems and Songs Vol 1 1889
      • Posies From a Country Garden
      • More Poems and Songs - Full Length Book
      • Miscellany
  • Waugh's Well
    • WAUGH'S WELL WALK
    • Videos and Gallery - 2021 Walk
    • Gallery - 2018 Walk
    • Gallery - 2017 Walk
  • OUTSIDE EVENTS
    • 2018 Bolton Station Promotion >
      • Gallery - Bolton Station Stall
      • Video - Sid Calderbank with his Bones
      • Video - Come Whoam to thi' Childer an' Me
    • 2017 Nov 24 Edwin Waugh Tribute Night >
      • Edwin Waugh Tribute Night - Video of the whole performance
      • Videos of the Individual Songs from the evening >
        • Lift On The Way
        • Com Whoam t' thi' Childer and Me
        • Bide On
        • When The Sun Goes Down
    • 2017 National Dialect Festival >
      • Video - Sid Calderbank recites poem
  • SALES