My book about Bradbury Lane and Hednesford

This book has now sold out and is out of print. I hope to do a similare book with new drawings that have not been seen before however all the old drawings will still be there.

Hednesford Man

as recorded by the Staffordshire Men folk group

Hednesford Man

I was born in Hednesford town.

I’m A Hednesford man.

Bradbury lane and Takeroo.

Is where I played and ran.

Walked the length of Cannock Chase

The fields and meadows too

Caught King Geordie sticklebacks

While above me skylarks flew

Pye Green and Brindley Heath

And the village in the wood

 Bilberries and blackberries

Picked them when we could

Station Road and West hill

Littleworth were the Schools

Hednesford Park to play in

Built on filled in Pools

Walked to Hazel Slade

And Wimbleberry too

Rawnsley, on to Heath Hayes

Worn out many a shoe

My family worked beneath the ground

At fives and Cannock wood

On the bonk and in the Dark

Did the work they could

In world war one and two

The family did their bit

Some were lost some returned

Again went down the pit

My history it is lost now

My house has long since gone

Bradbury Lane and Takeroo

Where the bright light shone

Come sing with me this song of joy

Sing out loud and clear

To Hegeford of the past and present

And then give a rousing cheer

I was born in Hednesford town.

I’m A Hednesford man.

Bradbury lane and Takeroo.

Is where I played and ran.

By Alan Baker

Owd  Hedgefud  words

As a "Hednesford Lad" born and bred I remember the way we spoke in the 40s and 50s with the accent going back even further into the mists of History. With TV and people's broader horizons the accent has mellowed a little and some of the older words are fading from use.

I live in London now but my accent comes back as soon as I speak to any one from Hednesford and I have never really tried to change it.

I did have to modify the accent sometimes. People from other parts of the world could really struggle to understand me.

Enjoy the trip back to the past if your accent is a bit posher but for the rest of us just remember.

Ost cha – not strictly a word but it was something all the old miners seemed to say as they swung a pick, sledge Hammer or an Axe. Sometimes used to accentuate a slap to an older child.

I have even heard this when some one got into a fight. I suppose it was on the Bruce Lee principle of noise to concentrate the force of a blow.

 Kay-lie  -- This seems to be perculiar to just to the West Midlands because all the people I met in the army it was only those from our area that knew that Kay-lie was sherbet. Some other areas did use the word to mean drunk as in “He was Kaylied”

Blartin  -- Crying

Moggie  -- What we called a mouse. In other areas A moggie was a cat.

Our Wench – Your Sister or a man might call his wife our wench. We always called girls wenches but in the sixties it died off as the girls thought it was common and demeaning.

Mardy – Miserable or crying. (Not restricted to the midlands)

Bostin -  Great

Bostid – Broken

Bost – Broke

Yohw or Yo= You

Dohw = Dont

Wohw = wont

Kor = Can’t

War = wasn’t

Day  or Daint =  did’nt

Kotch    = catch

Ahr =  I

Goo = Go

Hazel Slade would be referred to as “the Slaird”

A peggy rug. This was made with an old Hessian sack and small bits of cloth poked through to form a snug rug or mat (see Fig 1 and 2)

Fig1

fig 2

A common joke was

I ad er on the rug in frunt uv the fiya last night for fowa

Ow- waz.

Un we nearly finished mekin it  n-air-w

Loff = Laugh

Allies or glarnies = marbles

Pon cairk    = pan cake

Bonk = Bank as in sitting on the bonk

 "Working on the bonk "was working at the pit above ground

Pulling Meagrams = Something my Gran said if you were pulling a face.

Gongusala  = This word is actually in the large version of the Oxford dictionary but It was something my Gran said if you were being idle and I  rarely heard it any where else. It came from Narrow boat and canal culture late 1800 early 1900.

Snap  = food usually sandwiches

Snap tin = what you took your sandwiches to work in

Snappin  =  time at work when you ate your sandwiches

Chaze = Cheese

Mate  = Meat

Fair = Far    as in “It ay fair yoh con worck its just up the row-ed

( its not far you can walk its just up the road)

Yoh am ahy yah    =  you are aren’t you

Yoh cor con yah  =    you can’t can you

Yoh wull whoa yah =  you will wont you

Doh give er that er cor ave it     =  don’t give her that she can’t have it

Its ern  =  Its hers

Its is-en = Its his

We-ah  yoh gooin   =  where are you going

Suck  = Sweets

Mekin a cup of tay = making a cup of tea

There are lots more and some time soon I plan to compile a few more lists