Owdham Footbo
by Ammon Wrigley
Ammon Wrigley (1861-1946) was a Saddleworth man. Strictly speaking Saddleworth is in Yorkshire, but Wrigley himself pointed out that for all practical purposes Saddleworth looked to Oldham in Lancashire, and in this sense his oevre belongs to Lancashire. His long life makes him as much a writer of the 20th as the 19th century and there is a peculiar vitality in his work caused by the fact that he could write in relatively recent times of things from long ago. He was celebrated during his lifetime, but shunned publicity and society gatherings, sometimes agreeing to be a guest speaker and then simply not turning up! He preferred a quiet pint with some pals in a country pub, or to walk his beloved hills and moors of Saddleworth. His observant mind, on these occasions, led to him becoming a well-known amateur archaeologist, particularly noted for his contribution to the discovery of the Roman Fort at Castleshaw and to an understanding of the distribution of flint arrowheads across the district. In my opinion he is one of the best Lancashire dialect writers.
You can link to an explanatory Glossary part of which is drawn from Wrigley's 'Old Lancashire Words and Folk Sayings from the parish of Saddleworth'.
Owdham Footbo
by Ammon Wrigley
It’s run an’ jump an’ hop an’ skip,
An’ sheawt hooray, an’ hip, hip, hip,
It’s singin’ songs an’ eytin tripe,
An’ suppin’ pints at single swipe,
An’ brass for th’ wife to buy a hat,
An’ th’ childer brass for this an’ that,
An’ beauncin’ gaily op an’ deawn,
Yo’ connut find a merrier teawn,
When Owdham’s won.
Aw lost mi brass, Awm crabbed an’ croot,
Aw lifted th’ cat eaut wi’ mi boot,
Awr ne’er as mad i’ o mi life,
Cleautin’ th’ kids an’ cursin’ th’ wife,
Awm sure mi brains han left mi yed,
Ther’s nowt to do but goh to bed,
At six o’clock o’ th’ Setturday neet,
They’re o i’ bed i’ eaur street,
When Owdham’s lost.
Glossary:
Sheawt = shout
Eytin = eating
Childer = plural of child
Deawn = down
Brass = money
Croot = crooked, probably cross and upset
Eaut = out
O = all
Han = they have
Yed = head