Hi Peter,

Now here is something different!!! Reproduced below is a Lancashire dialect poem from David Holmes, featuring Tom Eaves who lived at Warton, near Lytham, in the 1920s, which he thought you would like for the website.

"LECTRIC LEET"

By David Holmes, of Preston.

When t'lectric leet cum to Waarton
it was a gradely seet
Mi grandfather wer' that tekken wi' id
Id wer' torned on an' off aw neet

'e codn't get o'oer t'lamp lit itsell
Wi' no wick ta torn up at aw
Tha bod 'ed ta gerrup an' puw on t'switch
An' it wer' dayleet fray waw ta waw

"Sithabod i" 'e said when t'leet cum on
"Tha con see weer t'skirtins damp"
"Yon lamp-oil fella 'll bi baht wark"
"How wiz getten t'lectric lamp"

'e wer' an aw, wer' owd Tom Eayves
Bottom dropped aewt a t' th'oil
'e thowt a sellin' rubbin' stooans
Er gooin' back ta t'soil

Bud it warn't sa bad after aw
'e fon whad aw t'fooalk neyd
An' changed ta undertekkin
An dud that till 'e deed

Thad 'lectric changed a alot a things
Put up wi', 'till then
tha cud see ta sew an read an aw
An' dudn't 'ev ta sken

Owd granfather wod o' 'ed a fit
If 'e see aewr 'newse taday
Wi' wirelesses an t'telly
I, t'lectric's cum ta stay.

(Authors note: The above was based on a reminiscence of my father who was a
boy in Warton in the 1920's. The advancing technology of electricity
supplies to every home made a deep impression on the old folk, who had only
known oil-lamps and had bought their light from the 'lamp-oil fella', who
plied his trade with his horse and cart round the villages of the Fylde).