D103 

<F La4> 

<S Bill Cross> 

<G M> 

<A 74> 

<O RETIRED LABOURER> 

<C LANCASHIRE > 

<V DOLPHINHOLME> 

<D 24-05-54> 

<I SE> 

<L CNS15: La4> 

<T 8:45> 

  

<BC Everybody called it cake, 

like. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC You know, 

a piece about that size, 

you know, 

and they used to mix their # meal in t(he) day or two before, 

then let it get to working, 

you know. 

# [!= coughs] 

Then put it on t(he) backs to make it into cakes. BC> 

|| 

<BC Well, 

it was # it was the same as in a corn, 

well, 

there were some of these have, 

but that house hadn’t one in. 

# Corner come [: came] further out than that, 

do you see? 

And it had a square +… 

# well, 

a # sheet a higher than +… 

aye, 

that there. 

About that width, 

went right across from yon wall to t(he) fireplace, 

do you see? 

# Then it were built up with a fireplace underneath it, 

# and you fired up underneath it, 

do you see? 

To get your plate hot. 

# You +… 

well, 

you +… 

some families used to throw their # oatcake on, 

they could do it, 

but some wriggled it on, 

do you see? 

# And my grandmother ‘d get it into her spittle, 

you know, 

and just put it on, 

then one spittle, 

of course, 

and it were just # right shape, 

you know. BC> 

<SE I see. SE> 

<BC And it ‘s as thin +… 

well, 

as thin as a fly wings, 

you know. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC To be good. 

# And then just let it get brown at one side, 

you know, 

they don’t turn it over. 

# You see, 

just # shove it under your spittle, 

do you see? 

And then when t(he) bottom ‘s done, 

it ‘s ready for to hanging up on t(he) xxx. 

Well, 

# this here ‘s +… 

# t(he) lad as is here now, 

is grandson to t(he) old people that were there when I were there. 

# But he ‘d be getting now +… 

# he must be getting about fifty, 

I dare say. BC> 

<SE Oh yes. SE> 

<BC Summat like that. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC # He xxx +… 

t(he) mill ‘s done away with now, 

you know. BC> 

<SE Yes. SE> 

<BC Just has [/] has [\] his own farm. BC> 

<SE Oh. SE> 

<BC They did badly, 

you see, 

after their +… 

# t(he) old folk went to get to drinking, 

you know, 

and they lost all their money, 

do you see? 

# Aye. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

|| 

<BC I ‘ll bet I ‘ve driven t(he) best horses from xxx station to xxx mill that ‘s ever walked up t(he) road. BC> 

<SE # Hmm. SE> 

<BC # Oh, 

I ‘ve sold ’em for hundreds and # two hundred and that way on, 

many a time. BC> 

<SE # Hmm. SE> 

<BC # Well, 

we ‘d a mare, 

sold her three hundred and fifty out of t(he) lorry shafts. 

# That ‘s a long while since. 

# Thou knows, 

in xxx, 

you know. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC I ‘ve had some good horses. 

# I ‘ve had bad luck with some on [: of] ’em, 

you know. BC> 

<SE Yeah. SE> 

<BC We ‘d a proper good # gelding. 

# Well, 

t(he) old man give [: gave] +… 

# I don’t know, 

he give [: gave] about eighty guineas for it new, 

it ‘d a job for to get on his feet. 

# Were brought up till he ‘d get a year old, 

and we had it # in what they call t(he) top holm, 

here down in t(he) bottom, 

xxx. 

# And they was having a tea party up at Wearside yonder, 

# and # I said to t(he) son, 

Tommy, 

like, 

he ‘s dead now, 

I said, 

+” I think we ‘d better fetch yon # young horse up afore t(he) band starts playing, 

like. “+ 

# I said, 

+” They ‘ll happen gallop. “+ 

+” No, “+ 

he says, 

+” they ‘ll be alright, “+ 

like. 

But # anyway, 

# They set off and took gallop and some on [: of] ’em jumped over t(he) fence, 

and it jumped the top of t(he) gate, 

# and broke t(he) gate and a piece took off of t(he) gate, 

right into his heart, 

you know. 

# He ‘d managed to walk down home, 

but when I pulled it out, 

he soon died. 

# That were a big loss, 

you know. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC Aye. BC> 

<SE # Did you ever have any troublesome horses? SE> 

<BC # No, 

not so bad. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC Never naught but what we could manage. BC> 

<SE # Hmm. SE> 

<BC Once there was one of them we couldn’t give a ball. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC Like, 

a # digestive ball, 

you see, 

or a constitution ball or xxx. 

# Put your hand in, 

I bet it would br- +… 

get hold on [: of] you, 

you couldn’t get one down. 

So we get a gun a purpose. 

# Put a gun +… 

We could shoot ’em down, 

that kept it. 

[!= laughs] BC> 

<SE [!= laughs] 

Aye. SE> 

<BC Aye, 

get hold of her, 

put t(he) gun in her mouth and touch t(he) trigger and t(he) ball ‘d go down her throat. 

[!= laughs] BC> 

<SE [!= laugh] 

Aye. 

Hmm. SE> 

<BC No, 

it was t(he) only trouble that ever we had was that, 

I think. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC And it ‘s t(he) only horse has ever run away with me. BC> 

<SE Was it? SE> 

<BC Aye. BC> 

<SE # Hmm. SE> 

<BC I didn’t let go, 

I went with it like, 

I stuck to it, 

but +… 

# it galopped to t(he) top of t(he) hill up there right at Green Bank Bottom, 

# and I got a bit hared like at that, 

but I stuck to it all t(he) while. 

# I pulled it up at t(he) finish. BC> 

|| 

<BC They called him Jackie Smith. 

I think he was here sixty six year. 

# And I don’t think he ever had his dogs left a day while he was here. 

# He was a horse driver, 

a dog two horses, 

like. 

# And he was t(he) last town’s apprentice there was in England. 

# Was that man. BC> 

<SE # Hmm. SE> 

<BC He lives xxx t(he) road here. 

# He ‘d a shilling a # [/] a [\] year, 

a suit of clothes, 

xxx suit and a pair of clogs. 

# For a town’s apprentice. 

# And he couldn’t leave, 

he had to stop his time. BC> 

<SE Aye. 

# Town’s apprentice. SE> 

<BC A town’s apprentice, 

then. BC> 

<SE What ‘s that? SE> 

<BC Well, 

you were +… 

If they wanted you t- # to go to work for ’em, 

you see, 

they could # demand you as a lad, 

do you see? BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC You was a town’s apprentice then. 

You had to do, 

you couldn’t leave, 

till they +… 

till you ‘d done your time. 

You had twelve month to do. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

|| 

<BC He was a man from here abouts. 

I don’t know where he ‘d be born, 

old Jack, 

# Couldn’t tell you just where he ‘d be born. 

But he was t(he) last town’s apprentice there was. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC Hmm. BC> 

|| 

<BC He used to # take his tea can home every twelve month to be washed up. BC> 

<SE [!= laughs] SE> 

<BC He had it hung up in t(he) stable and he used to +… 

upon a egg anywhere, 

he used to break it into his dinner and mix it up with t(he) fork and +… BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC A big # strong fellow. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC Oh, 

he ‘d do aught. BC> 

|| 

<BC It was a fair family. 

She ‘d two +… 

# she ‘d four lads and # four lasses, 

I think. BC> 

|| 

<BC There xxx be a family of us, 

there ‘d be +… 

one, 

two, 

three, 

four +… 

# There ‘d be about eight of us, 

I think. 

Eight or nine. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC Of course I was never brought up by my mother, 

I was brought up by my grandmother and grandfather, 

do you see. 

# I never lived at home.BC> 

<SE Oh. SE> 

<BC # I have # I ‘ve one brother liv- +… 

two brothers living yet. 

# One I don’t know about, 

I think he ‘s about Wigan somewhere. 

He ‘s a [/] he ‘s a [\] xxx xxx. 

He ‘d sooner have xxx than have his breakfast. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

|| 

<BC Oh, 

they ‘d be # [/] they ‘d be [\] over seventy # scholars at school when I were a boy. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC That ‘s a long while since I went to school. BC> 

<SE Yes. SE> 

<BC I didn’t go so long. BC> 

<SE What age were you when you left? SE> 

<BC Me? 

# Well, 

I don’t think I ‘d be twelve. 

# But I went to work when I were nine, 

I had two hay months. BC> 

<SE # Hmm. SE> 

<BC Then I went t(he) year after, 

you see. 

Well, 

I went every year at hay month, 

like, 

from being nine year old. 

Then I left school. 

I passed t(he) first standard and then I left. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC You could do then, 

you know. 

They never bothered t(he) same as they do now. 

Couldn’t ‘ve left now, 

you know. 

# Well, 

my time were over again, 

I wouldn’t leave as soon. BC> 

<SE No. 

# And what was your first full time job? SE> 

<BC # Working at t(he) shop. 

I went to be a counter jumper. 

# I didn’t take to it. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC I ‘d rather go a farming. 

# Then I went to live at t(he) top of t(he) Lxx there, 

a farm over there. 

# Just at t(he) top of t(he) hill there. BC> 

<SE Oh yeah. SE> 

<BC I lived there a bit, 

# and then my next job at xxx Bank. 

# I was getting on a bit then. 

I was second horseman there. 

# Like working mysel up, 

do you see? BC> 

|| 

<BC Well, 

I once had a good do at t(he) Kendal Show. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

<BC I think we took +… 

# Mind you, 

xxx, 

I think we ‘d four there. 

We ‘d two a year old xxx xxx. 

# And a two year old # filly. 

And a mare and +… 

# No, 

I don’t +… 

Aye, 

and a mare and foal. 

# We did terrible well that day, 

we # [/] we [\] gets t(he) second by with t(he) # colt, 

and we get t(he) first with xxx, 

and we get t(he) first with t(he) blue mare. 

# xxx I did very well. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC I know we ‘d +… 

Buffalo Bill was there t(he) same day, 

with all his menagerie. 

Of course he toured in train loads of his own, 

you know, 

do you see? 

# Well, 

we gets off # [/] off [\] t(he) ground at night to go and box. 

We should be boxed +… 

# oh, 

happen soon after five o’clock, 

I couldn’t tell you, 

something here or about. 

# But anyway, 

when I ‘d xxx it ‘d be about four o’clock in t(he) morning. 

# We were shoveling us irons up and down, 

you see, 

with Buffalo Bill going through. 

# With his own tackle. BC> 

<SE Hmm. SE> 

<BC It was a busy day, 

were that at Kendal. BC> 

<SE Aye. SE> 

  

Transcription by Juhani Klemola and Mark Jones, 1999 See http://digital.library.leeds.ac.uk/381/1/LSE_1999_pp17-30_Klemola_Jones_article.pdf and http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/ach-allc.99/proceedings/scott.html