2025
We've hed oor fust meeting ovt'year ower at Blencogo Village Hall.
We larned aboot upcoming changes tu the committee. Mer on that efter oor AGM in May. Hev a think if thu'd like tu be part ovt'committee. If thu wants to finned oot mer, thu can gee oor Secretary a message wid details ut bottom oft'pyage.
Tim Barker then performed his Shakespeare fer Shepherds, lairning us al' aboot thu plays, but in oor myak ov tark. Fra Richard III, Romeo and Juliet (whiched he thowt wuz a laal bit like Brighton in 1960s but widdoot Lambrettas und motorcycles), A Midsummer Neet Dream, Black Bess (wheel un actor cannet mention thu real nyame) tu Henry V. Tim even fund tyam tu dya yan ovt lowcal tyales bee Wendy Campbell aboot Spaytree.
Efterwards we hed traditional raffle, tea, und cyak, und a natter wid oor marras.
2024
Born in a little cottage at the bottom end of Thackthwaite in the Lorton Valley, he moved with his family to Beck House on the Buttermere Road at the foot of Whiteside six months later. It is there that he spent his childhood with parents Joe and Mary Jane (nee Swinburn) and his siblings; Grace, William, John, Betty and Mary, attending Loweswater School and later Fairfield Boys School in Cockermouth.
He left school at 14 in 1941 and went into farming as a hired lad. Firstly, on his uncle’s farm at North Row, Bassenthwaite; catching a bus in Cockermouth to travel the few miles to his new home – but it was further than he had been in his life other than for Sunday School outings to Silloth.
Farm work around the west of the county followed – from Low Arlecdon Farm near Frizington to Godferhead, Jenkin Farm and Beech Croft, Mockerkin before he took his motorbike and crossed to Westmorland; to Widewath Farm at Helton and finally Wreay Farm at Watermillock. It was there that he met Jessie, the daughter of Laurie and Mary (nee McDonald) Woof, and the pair were married at Dacre Church in 1957.
They had two children – Margaret and James – and lived happily in Watermillock for 60 years first at Leeming New Lodge, then Leeming Farm and then Gowbarrow Cottages from where he moved into Penrith in 2014. In 1960, Tommy left farm work and joined Ullswater builder Len Horn, helping to build the dormitory block at the Ullswater Outward Bound Centre, and a number of bungalows on the Gowbarrow road. He eventually joined the Outward Bound Trust as the estate man in 1969 ,where he stayed until he retired in 1992. Sadly Jessie died within weeks of his retirement.
His immense practical knowledge and experience of farming and country ways was valued by many. He gave freely of his time to organisations and causes, raising money for charity and helping out practically in any way that he could. A lover of singing and entertaining, he took part in an International Folk Dance Festival at the Albert Hall in London in the 1950s (where participants bumped into Carlisle United supporters who were also in the capital for a match that weekend), and he was a stalwart of the Mellfell Players in Watermillock, performing for many years in their pantomimes and plays.
He regularly took part in Hunt sing-songs or Shepherds’ Meets around the county from the 1960s to the 1990s, as well as being an active member of the Mens’ choir (3Ms) at Penrith Methodist Chapel. For him, the culture and the singing were one and the same.
From the 1960s to the 1990s carol singers would tour Watermillock homes and hotels at Christmas, offering festive cheer around Bennet Head, Lamb Gill and Gowbarrow and from 1973 he took on the organising, raising thousands of pounds for many different charities. Then, in 2007 he started arranging Merry Neets with friends at the Auction at Penrith Mart, raising more than £12,000 for charities including Hospice at Home for Carlisle & North Lakeland, the Air Ambulance and Macmillan Nurses. These Merry Neets celebrated his great loves – singing and the dialect of his home county and Tommy was a hard-working member of the Lakeland Dialect Society for many years, joining the committee and becoming chairman in 2004. In 2014 he stepped down as chairman and became vice-President then President, a position he held until earlier this year when he passed on the mantle to Jean Scott-Smith.
The dialect society owes a great debt of gratitude to their former president. He was always a great supporter of the dialect, celebrating and promoting it wherever and whenever the opportunity arose. He helped to put on sell-out shows at Keswick Theatre by the Lake, again raising thousands for charity as well as publicity for the society. He worked with other dialect societies to establish the National Dialect Festival and encouraged Young Farmers’ Clubs to enter dialect competitions as part of their field days.
Other interests and responsibilities during his time at Watermillock included being a church warden, on the parish council, a representative on the Lake District National Park Authority, a member of the village hall committee and helping out at Patterdale Dog Day for 50 years. He aimed to visit every show every summer – as a competitor showing his wood working and walking stick making skills, or just catching up with friends and acquaintances.
He retired as a church warden at Watermillock in 2011 but continued to take care of the churchyard there until he was past 90. He was among the first to set aside areas for wildlife in the church yard – a practice now widespread.
In 2020 he published his life’s story, Tommy’s Tyale, again raising money for the Hospice at Home. In it he details a way of life disappearing even as he was growing up – a simple life which began in a living room with floors of riven slate covered by prodded rugs;water brought into the house in buckets from the beck across the road and hot water boiled on the fire.
His early farming experience included working on small-holdings where 12-15 cattle would be milked by hand daily, hay piked and corn and oats cut with a binder and stooked. Most families would keep a pig, to be slaughtered at home and every piece used for food – apart from the bladder which would be blown up to be used by children to play football.
He recounted sharing school with evacuees from Newcastle and South Shields during the war, as well as seeing soldiers dig trenches to practice in land next to Fairfield, being billeted in the old workhouse. He met tanks on the road at Portinscale and witnessed the aftermath of RAF plane crashes during training flights over the fells.
Vice President of the Lakeland Dialect Society, Louise Green, helped him to edit the book. She said that not only the society, but many groups and individuals owe Tommy great appreciation for his generosity of spirit.
“Tommy had a remarkable ability to welcome such a wide range of people into his friendship circle,” she said. “Anyone fortunate enough to fall into his company would come away feeling richer in so many ways.
“He claimed to be able to knock on a door in any village or town in Cumbria and greet a friend – and I’m sure that’s true. His interest in and understanding of Lakeland and its people grew through the years and never diminished, something that readers of the letters pages of the Herald will recall. The loss of his knowledge of country ways and memory of times past is profound.”
Earlier this year he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services todialect and heritage – a hugely deserved award which marked a lifetime of work on behalf of his home county, its unique people, places, landscapes and creatures.
He is survived by Margaret and James, their partners Peter and Lizzie, grandsons, Robbie and Luke and companion of 30 years, Doreen Lund.
Sue Wilkinson presented a lecture on the Grasmere Dialect plays at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside.
We learned about how Eleanor Rawnsley put the plays on in the early 20th Century, and the local and national coverage that the plays received.
Jean Scott-Smith and John Campbell from our Society provided the voices for extracts from the play, in what was an entertaining and informative evening.
We finished this years calendar of events at Lamplugh with our Members Day and the contest for the Len Hayton trophy.
We started wid a brussenful ov tea und cyak fur lunch, und a chance fur a natter wid oor marras.
Donald gave the Welcome, and Jean gave her first address as President of the Society. Linda showed us the Word Cloud of Cumbrian words she has created, which we hope to print on polo, t-shirts and huddies.
We had 8 folk competing for the Len Hayton Trophy. A good variety of Tales, Song and even Scripture. The winner was decided by the longest applause, with Louise being the time keeper.
Congratulations to Dick Gargett who won with his performance of the Wedding at 18 Clinque Street, which he translated from Mike Hardings original Lancastrian into Cumbrian.
Oor marras ut Northumbrian Language Society held this 'eers National Dialect Festival ower in Newcastle. Ah wuz ower wid 5 other fowk fra oor Society und we hed a barrie tyame.
Thur were 3 trophies tu gar fur. Phillip fra oor society won Bill O'Bows fur best writing in inny English Dialect wid his roawd trip. T' Eric Topping (best performance in inny English Dialect) und Sam Laycock (best writing in host dialect) wer beeth won be Graeme Bell fra Northumbrian Language Society.
Adam Mearns fra Newcastle University lairned us mer aboot dialect und how different words faired ower tyam und country int'Roland Bibbie Memorial Lecture.
Ont' Satduh neet thu Society's did thur best pieces fur Far Welter'd Trophy. Lancashire winning clapometer ont'neet.
Ahl pass thu ower tu John fra host society und he'll lairn thu mer aboot event.
Wey hinnies warra fligarishon wuv just hed at thi Coonty Hotel in the Toon. Aa thowt aa wes at thi Big Meetin’. Instead o pit yackers there wes yackers fra aal ower the country come to celebrate thor tung. Lakeland, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Devon and Lincolnshire wez aal represented. A gadgy even cam aal thi way fra Sooth Shields! Wey yu cud a been a thi Hoppins! Folk singing, playin thi fiddle, tellin stories and knockin things aboot. We joined in for a bit pop an scran an aal so wu really got ti knaa each uther by the finish. Wu hed sum good crack an myed new marras so aal wuz champion by thi finish.Wor lads dun reely weel cos Farmer Bell wun twa cups! It must hev been aalreet coz we aal ganna de it again next yeor in Blackpool!
We had an interactive talk by Neil Hutchinson on Dialect Research in Schools. Attendees were given whiteboards to write down dialect words to answer Neil questions.
We learned about which words seemed to be decline in surveys across the years between the 1993 an 2003 surveys, but more positively about the longer list of words on the up. The picture on the right is an extract from the table showing these words in Neil's article Fell Talk in the September 2023 emagazine.
I asked Neil if his students could come up with new Cumbrian words, such as one for a mobile phone. You can see the results on the New Words page!
Efterward we hed oor brossenful of tea and cyak, the raffle und a chance fur a natter wid oor marras.
Our President emeritus Tommy Coulthard received a well deserved British Empire Medal from the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria on the 20th August.
The medal was for his service to Heritage and Community in the Lake District.
As well as being a member of the Society since 1977, and our previous President, he has worked in agriculture and at the Outwards Bounds centre in Ullswater. He has been a Parish Councillor for Watermillock, and represented Eden District Council on the Lake District National Park Authority.
The afternoon included the presentation of the British Empire Medal, an excellent afternoon tea, and there were readings and speeches, including by our current President Jean, and Dick Gargett.
Oor marra Eddie, who leuks efter the dialect Fyacebeuk group, wuz fair capped tu tell us thut we reach 1000 members.
Eddie reckons thut aboot a third are lowcals interested in oor twang, a third are English fowk gan tu live abrowd und want tu feel a but less yham sick, und anudder third are fowk fra all ower t'spot who hev an interest in dialect. (When ah tekken' a deek ut oor Website Stats fur t'last month, China wuz spyot whear we got myost visitors fra!)
If you want to join the Fyacebeuk Group fur a laal bit ov crack, just click on the Facebook Icon at the foot of the page.
When I attended the AGM of the Lakeland Dialect Society at Lowther Parish Hall on 16th March 1974, I never imagined that day would see me elected to the committee, and never in my wildest dreams could I ever have imagined that one day I would be President!
My mother had attended the first meeting at Tullie House in 1939 with her friend Mary Clark, she joined a few years later, and became a life member, so dialect journals were available to read as I grew up, and some articles would be read to me. I grew up in a dialect speaking household, and I attended some meetings with her - so long as they were accessible by bus. It was at a meeting in Kendal in 1971, that I met Ted Relph, he was the speaker; later when I wa sinvolved with the committee, Ted became a firm friend. My mother died in 1973, and I joined the society that year, keen to keen my interest in dialect alive.
The Committee and officers in 1974 numbered 26, many of them long standing members. It was very obvious that they were keen to encourage younger members, so when I joined the committee, I met and made friends with Pru Bousfield, who was a similar age, both of us well aware that we were being 'trained for greater things' in the future. We both had young children, whom we took to meetings, where they were fussed over by older members and fed sweeties. We were often referred to as 'the lasses'. Those big committees continued for many years. We now number around a dozen.
The year after I joined the committee I was given the position of press secretary, so I dealt with publicity, designing posters by hand and writing reports of meetings to send to the local press. For a short time in the mid 1990s I assisted Ted with preparing the journal, until the Society was in need of a secretary when Irving Graham, stood down, this was a job I was well qualified to do, so that was my role for the next 27 years. I also took the accounts under my wing to computerise them when John Holmes needed to step back; this was in order to make it easier to hand the Treasurer's job on in the future. So over the past 50 years, I have had a go at most of the jobs.
So now, 50 years almost to the day of that first AGM, I was elected as your new President, and co-incidentally at the same venue too. I made it my mission in the those early days, to promote dialect wherever and whenever I could, and this continues to be my aim.
I have made a great number of good friends through the Society, and dialect has offered me some amazing experiences; radio and television interviews, invitations to write articles for national publications ,recording a talking book, taking to the stage at Theatre by the Lake and being involved with BBC2 Blood of the Vikings series, when Ted and I were filmed with the archaeologist Julian Richards of 'Meet the Ancestors' fame.
Dialect's summat weel worth presarvin', sea use it as oft as ye can, and tell yer fren's aboot t' society!
Jean Scott-Smith
A society tradition. Praising God in oor ahn myak ov tark, wid a tyam efter fur fellowship wid oor Marra's fra t'Society.
Prayer, Reading, Hymns und Liturgy, al'translated inta Cumbrian. Yan oft'Readings wuz on Pentecost, when alt'fowk in Jersulem herd t'wurd int'theer ahn tongue.
Thur wuz alsa tyam t'tek mind oft' life ov oor former President Ted Ralph, who hailed fra Crosby Ravensworth.
Our friend Eddie who runs our Fyacebeuk pyage wanted to responded to our Chairman's call at the 2023 AGM to recruit new members to the society.
When Eddie was back home in Cumbria (he currently lives in the US) he put on a Merry Mwornin' ower in Threlkeld. The speakers were Ken Stuart, a former champion fell runner and excellent singer of local songs. Willie Tyson, a recently retired farmer. A second retired farmer, Mike Naylor frae Wasdale was number three. And last but definitely not least, they had Jean Scott-Smith from Shap, our brand-new LDS President. To fit in with a theme about the very local, wonderful dialect poet John Richardson, Jean recited the famous ‘It’s Nobbut Me!’ and one of his other poems.
They had hoped to get 20 people to the event but were delighted to get 40 on the day. 19 of which signed up as members. One showing dedication with a lifetime membership!
If thuz al'tekking a deek ut this, ah welcome thu all tu the Society. Hev a deek ut oor Diary pyage und ahl mebbe see thu at yan oft'events.
Ray Griffiths lairned uz all aboot t'history ovt' Mountain Rescue, wid tyales und auld pictures ov hoo things hev changed ovver t'eers.
Ray also shared hoo the team foond fowk und got thum doon fra t'fyell side.
It wuz oor fust meeting oft'eer, und efterwads we took chance fur a laal bit ovt'a natter ovver tea und cyake.
Nine months ago, our Society started using a Facebook group to help us promote the interest and great enjoyment to be had from Cumbria’s various versions of dialect. And since this began, things have happened better and faster than we had dared hope.
After just nine months, the group has now exceeded 500 members and it gets new posts (topics and discussions) every day, with plenty of fun, dialect quizzes, too.
We invite all existing members of the Lakeland Dialect Society, as well as anybody else who is interested, to come and visit this extension of the LDS to have a lot of fun.
If you’ve never used Facebook before, simply click on the following link and follow the cues until it asks you to ‘Sign Up’ for an account (it’s all FREE). If you have problems and need help, just contact this website’s manager and he will put you in touch with someone who will guide you through it. It is definitely worth it, and it is also a great way to get new, and younger new people involved.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/955149792566979/
The Featured Page for January had a receipe on how to make the Cumberland National Dish - Tattie Pot.
At the back end of 2023 after we roked our hands in the briers blackiting we also featured the recipe for a Traditional Cumberland Blackite Broonie.
If thats mekking the mooth watter click on our Recipes page (under Dialect) und divvent mislikken ta say Grace afore the gits yer brossenful!
2023
Our very own Jean Scott-Smith has been writing in the Dec 2023/Jan 2024 - Discover Britain Magazine.
If you want to read about 7 of the most unusal Cumbrian Traditions you can go to their web-site: https://www.discoverbritainmag.com/cumbrian-traditions/
The magazine itself also includes the article - In a Word - on our Lakeland twang.
We met ower ut'Victory Hall in Dalston fur a grand dowin' und crack wid fowk.
Efter we hed oor brossenful we hed yan ur twa wurds ov business afore competion started furt' Len Hayton trowphy.There were tyales, breks und poems. Langest roond of applause won und this 'ear it wuz fur John Hindson, wid his brek aboot a farmer und a poem aboot Eden Beck.
T'phowto shas John gittin t'Len Hayton Trowphy fra last 'ears winner Dickon.
Members ov oor Society wer fair capped at' chance tu gah t'seaside at Bridlington und hev a barrie tyam wid fowk fra al ovver England tarking ther ahn twang.
Sum ov us competed int' Bill O'Bowes und Eric Toppin trowphy und alt'oor society's marras wah med it to Bridlington hed a part in a sketch fur t'Fair Weltered Trophy ont'Satduh neet. But it wuz oor friends fra t'Northumberland Language Society thut kept hod ovt' trowphy furt' second year int'row.
Here are oor pictures oft'judges and winners. T'Fair Weltered Trowphy ist'yan ont'reet
Ah'll pass the ovver t'Edward fra the host society who lairn the mowre aboot t'event.
We ‘ad a reight gooid do at t’Expanse ‘otel at Bolliton for yet another National Dialect Festival. Abaht sixty fowk attended all together. There were three trophies on offer. Brendan ‘Awthrone from t’Black Country won t’Bill O’Bowes Trophy for writing ‘is own dialect poem. Anne Lamb of Durham won t’Eric Toppin for a gradely performance of another’s dialect work. Judy Barker from t’Eeast Riding won t’Sam Laycock Trophy for ‘er own poem in Yorkshire Dialect. They call it t’Sam Laycock Trophy ‘cause, mich like Sam Laycock, it moves about from area to area.
Ast'flyer promised - we al hed a barrie tyam ut this 'eyers Dialect Competition up 'et Silloth. Ta agyean to Silloth Rowtary Club fur being grand hosts tul uz al und Christ Kirk fur t'venue.
Thethra prizes wur up fer grabs fur the nue writing.
Dot Tudhope won best newcomer.
Dick Gargett won most humorous.
Mike Naylor wuz Best Ovveral.
Keep a deek oot' fur a turbo charged grey fergy tractor. It mebbe Mike Naylors shot t'hev a gah driving it!
We hed a grand time up ut' Loweswater Village Hall on Satduh 16th September. Chance fer a good bit of scran, tea and a natter.
Judith Benn telt us al' aboot Loweswater und Lorton dales fra back int' dya. If the thowt life on't farm wuz all tups, yows, hosses und coos, then hev a deek at this phowto.
There wuz a tyale aboot a la'al Shetland hoss too. Und whilst I can think on me Mudder and Fadder wid stories oft gas lighting on Cockermuth Myan Street - Ah didn't ken thut mains electric didn't git to Loweswater until t'early 1960s.
On Saturday 1st July, twenty members gathered for a summer outing to Threlkeld Mining Museum. This had been arranged by our Chairman Donald Angus, who gave an introductory talk about the quarry before everyone boarded the little train for a trip into the quarry itself, viewing many old examples of equipment on the way. The train was hailed by a diesel engine driven by Dickon Chaplin-Brice one of our members. Back in the engine shed Dickon gave a history of the engines at the quarry including a steam locomotive 'Sir Tom' which was undergoing some maintenance. Everyone then returned to the museum for refreshments and a look around the fascinating displays.
Our president Tommy Coulthard presented a tree to the Sunbeams Music Trust at Redhills near Penrith. This was to mark the King's Coronation; he officially planted the tree watched by Annie Mawson MBE founder of Sunbeams and users of the facility. The tree chosen was a Cumbrian species of Apple - A Keswick Codling. A few Society members attended and had some fun activating the large sound installations on the lawn; xylophone, trumpets, drums etc.
Lovers of dialect from all over England gathered in the glorious setting of Shap Wells Hotel for the National Dialect Festival weekend. This year's event was hosted by the Lakeland Dialect Society which is now in its 83rd year.
The annual event was started in 2009 by Lancastrian dialect expert Sid Calderbank, with the first two events being held in Lancashire, since then it has been held in Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Devon, Lakeland, Black Country, Yorkshire, Cornwall and Blackpool. Regions represented at Shap included Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Northumberland and of course Lakeland. The last event was held in 2019, so this was the first time many friends had met up for a long time.
On the Friday evening a concert of dialects by the Lakeland group and friends. The President, Tommy Coulthard, welcomed everyone before reading one of his own poems. The MC for the event was Donald Angus the Chairman.
Performers mainly came from the society, and opened with Dickon Chaplin-Brice singing the well-loved poem by John Richardson, 'It's Nobbut Me'. There was some stand-up comedy by Dick Gargett before he took part in a sketch with Jean Scott-Smith, 'Husband and Wife' by Tom Twistleton. Kim Bibby-Wilson from the Northumbrian Language Society explained the features of the Northumbrian pipes, and played a traditional piece.
Donald delighted the audience with the Stanley Holloway classic 'Three-Ha'pence a Foot'. Jean then recited a 19th century dialect poem by Anthony Whitehead of Reagill 'An Address to Tourists' which mentioned staying at Shap Wells.
Tim Barker from Silloth gave a recitation from his Shakespeare for Shepherds collection - as he transported everyone to Agincourt with his dialect version of Henry the Fifth.
Alex Fisher from Lancashire gave a background to clog dancing and then performed a dance accompanied by Julie Proctor on fiddle.
Dick returned with a few more hilarious tales, before Donald performed another monologue, 'Albert and the Lion'.
The final act was by Mark Carruthers from Wreay who sang his own song 'Joss Naylor - Iron man'.
The main events took place on Saturday with competitions for four trophies.
The morning began with a keynote speech by Professor Rob Drummond, from Manchester Metropolitan University about his research work with Manchester accents and voices. It was accompanied by maps and recordings, which illustrated the diverse mix of speech to be found in Greater Manchester.
The Eric Topping Trophy for performing any English dialect piece saw seventeen entries, and was won by Sally and Ron Williams from Ramsbottom, with their account of a hazardous trip on a boat.
The Samuel Laycock Trophy for original writing in the dialect of the host area performed by the author, attracted six contestants; Donald Angus, Philip Gate, Jean Scott-Smith, Pauline Mole, Dick Gargett and Mark Carruthers.
The winner was Jean Scott-Smith with her poem 'Shepsters et Darknin' describing the starling murmuration around her house.
The Bill o' Bowes Cup for original writing in any English dialect performed by the author saw entries from Lancashire, Northumberland, and Yorkshire; this was won by Bill Rhodes from Chorley who told a tale about not fitting in.
The judges for these competitions were Professor Rob Drummond, Tim Barker and Louise Green the Society's Editor from Ireby. The trophies were presented by Sid Calderbank, founder of the Dialect Festival.
In the evening there was a concert performed by visiting groups, competing for the Far Weltered Trophy, which was judged on audience reaction.
One brave person represented Lincolnshire, before a small group flew the flag - quite literally - for Yorkshire. A large group showcased Lancashire talent with song, dance, music and recitation. The Northumbrian Language Society, a team of three wearing traditional black and white plaids, entertained with their well known songs that the audience could join in, a talented musician, singer and a great story teller, concluding with a challenge to the audience in a session of 'Whoa's Tellin Hoafies' where they gave three definitions for several Northumbrian words.
The final result saw the Northumbrian Language Society take the trophy which was presented by Mr Angus.
Throughout the weekend delegates had been able to explore the hotel grounds resplendent with autumn hues. On the Sunday morning there was an opportunity to visit Shap Abbey before everyone departed for home. The visit was led by Jean, who is a local historian, who ended the visit with another of Whitehead's dialect poems 'An Address to Shap Abbey'.
Next year the event is to be held in Bridlington, Yorkshire.
Festival delegates in the sunshine at Shap Abbey.
Winners of the trophies with the founder: Bill Rhodes, Jean Scott-Smith, Sid Calderbank, Sally and Ron Williams. Donald Angus is at the rear.
Secretary: Mr Phillip Gate, Workington
Email: pg-cumbria@gmx.com
Journal Editor: Mrs Louise Green, Ireby
Phone: 01697371710
Email: louise.green2608@gmail.com
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