READER John Short recalls some time ago, someone wondering if anyone had ever written a poem on the subject of Huddersfield.
He found the following among old documents and photographs that had belonged to his parents.
It’s in dialect and is by F A Carter and was written during the war years of 1939 to 1945. Can anyone shed any light on the poem or the author?
John adds, "As I read it several times over, I felt the writer had captured our town in its essence and that very little has changed over the years."
I wonder if you've yerd abaat
A taan called 'Utthersfi'ld;
It's nooan a showpiece soort o' spot
Wi' ancient ruins filled.
There's tall mill chimneys up an' daan
An t'river's war' nor nowt;
But graand we treyd on, ivvery inch,
Bi' t'taan itsen's been bowt.
We've spinners, weyvers, engineers
All throng as throng can be
Ready to work for t'country's gooid
Wold they can stand or see.
There's plenty wark an' plenty brass -
An' plenty muck, noo daat.
But who cares for a bit o' muck
Wi' wark an' brass abaat?
An' stuff we weyve i' 'Utthersfi'ld
All ovver t'world it's known.
Wheerivver first-rate quality
Has come into its own.
Soo if you want a bit o' t'best
Just up an ax 'em straight -
Is it thra 'Utthersfi'ld?' an' then,
If they say "Ah" - it's reight.
An' when you're stalled o' muck an' reek
O'shops an'streets an' mills
A bare hawf-haar on t'trolley bus
An' you're i' t'Pennine Hills.
Purple an' braan an' grey
You'd ommost think that t'gainest taan
Were fifty mile away.
Nor dooan't think nawther 'at us lives
Wi' wark an' brass is spanned;
We've musical societies
At's some o' t'best i' t'land.
Just hearken to t'Messiah, mun -
Nooah nightingales i' t'north? Begow,
We've nightingales enew.
We've plenty lads an' lasses naah
Doin their bit i' t'war,
I' khaki, navy, Air Force blue,
All ovver t'shop they are.
They've yerd abaat this grand new world
T'Allies is baan to build
An' hopes they'll sooin be getting' back
To start on 'Utthersfi'ld.
