Local Poetry

Battle o'th Wutchy Rook  By Cyril Ashurst

There's bin mony famous battles
Througheawt o'th years gone by
But there's one uz ah remember
'at brings a tear to mi eye

Twer late I' nineteen forties
That time o' fog an' smook
When th' rival foes lined up to feight
I'th'Battle o' Wutchy Rook

Th' rook wer' no towerin' meawntin
Like thoose made eawt o' rock
It wer just a greight big slag heap
Between Aspull and Top Lock

But when thae geet o' th' top uv it
Thae could si a mile er two
An' it matter't nowt which road thae teawrnt
Thae still geet a gradely view

Neaw, th' battle wer'nt like th'owden days
Wheer they used guns an' tanks
Nay, wey'd owt wi could ged eawr honds on
Like bricks an' bits o' planks

Someuv eawr lads hed catapults
An'they use't drive 'em batty
Aye, yon Toppiers did'nt hang abeawt
When wey pepper't 'em wi' th' catty

Bud I'their gang they'd some tough nuts
Like th'Haddocks, th'Oakes an Doylies
An' sometimes when they chase't us whoam
They use't make us beawnce o'er th'oilies

Well wey'd some gradely leaders too
Wi' names like Wood and Stott
An they said wey'll meet tomorrow neet
An' wey'll hatch eawt a plot

Neaw th' followin' neet when wey o' met
One lad as they co'ed Joynt
Said, wey need t' ged o' th'Wutchy fust
Fer that's th' best vantage point

An when th' Top Lockers o' set off
To try t'pud us at bay
As soon as they come o'er th' cut bridge
Wey'll si 'em straight away

Well th' next neet th' plan wer' adopted
An' to ged o'er Wutchy fust
Wey o' run like mad o'er th' oil warks
Aye, thae could'nt si us fer dust

Neaw when wey geet to th' Wutchy
An' wey'd climb't to top o' broo
Wey fond some lads awreawdy theer
Fer they'd not bin to skoo

An' they'd browt some special weapons
To make th' Top Lockers yield
Aye, they'd pinch't some greight big teawrnips
Eawt uv owd Tum Collier's field

Well wey hid an' lied theer waitin'
Til th' Top Lockers coom I' view
Every mon ud getten 'is station
An'he knew just wot to do

Neaw th' Top Lockers coom an' climb't up th' rook
But when they'd getten hawf road
One mon uv eawrs jump't up an' said
Reet lads ,unleash yo'r load

Ee,yo' should 'ave sin yon teawrnips shift
They favver't thunderbowts
An'yo' should 'ave sin th' Top Lockers run
They o' favver't fricken't cowts

By gow, wey did some lowfin'
As wey stood o'th' rook that neet
An watch't o' th' Toppiers run o'er th' feiel't
'til they wer' eawt o' seet

Well th' battle it raged on an' on
It wer' fowt fer mony days
Bud it eended when o' th' lads growed up
An started t' change their ways

Th' last time as ah si th' wutchy
It wer ' cover't o'er wi' trees
Well,thae con change th' face o'yon owd place
Bud nod it's memories

Neaw, yo' con read abeawt mony a battle
If yo' borrow a lib'ry book
But yo'll ne'er find one as tells th'owd tale
O'th' Battle O'Wutchy Rook