Black Country Tales

[Northern Lass]

I am adding this as a thread

Do you have any Black Country Tales to tell?

If so post them under here

[Jackienock]

Here is a true Black Country Tale.

When I worked at Cradley Heath the company that I worked for owned a number of the terraced houses nearby. Every Monday morning my colleague Frank Maley used to visit each house to collect the rents.(I've done it myself when he was away.)

The following happened one day, long before my time. This would probably have been in the 1930's

Frank had to visit the house of a lady who made chain in her back yard.

Frank knocked on the door and the lady answered. Here is Frank's own interpretation of her announcement.

"Marely" her says, "Ay it a gearm, ar cor wirk arn bosted me ballies. Ar cor pay thee but dow thee tell im (her husband), or eel kill ma"

This story has lasted the years. Frank is long gone, as is of course the lady. True Black Country hardship in the days when the women had to work hard. Needless to say, Frank didn't make it any harder for her and accepted her plea.

Of course she was referring to her bellows, that blew up her fire, just in case the dialect escapes you.

Jackienock

[Northern Lass]

Great stuff Jackienock thank you for that!

Do post your snippetts of Black Country Tales here, not those in a Newspaper as we have a section for that.
So any little memories of others or events.....happy or sad share them with us on this thread.

[linell]

Here is a true Black Country Tale.

When I worked at Cradley Heath the company that I worked for owned a number of the terraced houses nearby. Every Monday morning my colleague Frank Maley used to visit each house to collect the rents.(I've done it myself when he was away.)

The following happened one day, long before my time. This would probably have been in the 1930's

Frank had to visit the house of a lady who made chain in her back yard.

Frank knocked on the door and the lady answered. Here is Frank's own interpretation of her announcement.

"Marely" her says, "Ay it a gearm, ar cor wirk arn bosted me ballies. Ar cor pay thee but dow thee tell im (her husband), or eel kill ma"

This story has lasted the years. Frank is long gone, as is of course the lady. True Black Country hardship in the days when the women had to work hard. Needless to say, Frank didn't make it any harder for her and accepted her plea.

Of course she was referring to her bellows, that blew up her fire, just in case the dialect escapes you.

Jackienock

That's classic BC Jackienock, wonder if they still speak with such a strong BC accent today, I haven't noticed it to be so broad when I have been over there shopping, or to the Library, don't know what it is like in the back streets of Cradley Heath though? Linell.

[Maths girl]

"Marely" her says, "Ay it a gearm, ar cor wirk arn bosted me ballies. Ar cor pay thee but dow thee tell im (her husband), or eel kill ma"

This story has lasted the years. Frank is long gone, as is of course the lady. True Black Country hardship in the days when the women had to work hard. Needless to say, Frank didn't make it any harder for her and accepted her plea.

Of course she was referring to her bellows, that blew up her fire, just in case the dialect escapes you.

Jackienock

Jackienock - I've been trying to translate the first bit - I've sorted the rest with your helpful explanation but that bit has eluded me - can you or anyone help me out?

[BC Wench]

Maths girl: Ay it a gearm means isn't it a game

[Maths girl]

Maths girl: Ay it a gearm means isn't it a game

Thank you BC Wench

[Jackienock]

Here is a complete translation for you.

"Maley", she said, "Isn't it unfortunate, I can't work I've broken my bellows. I can't pay you but don't tell my husband, because he will be very angry"

Jackienock

[Northern Lass]

Here is a complete translation for you.

"Maley", she said, "Isn't it unfortunate, I can't work I've broken my bellows. I can't pay you but don't tell my husband, because he will be very angry"

Jackienock

ha ha ha

[Jackienock]

Here's another little story, also going back to my early days at Cradley Heath.

A Gentleman used to deliver steel into the factory with a horse and cart, he often stopped to chat at the window where it was weighed in. This was usually with aforementioned Frank Maley.

Conversations covered anything under the sun and one day the topic was the way that the employers seemed to do exactly as they pleased, coming and going at will, without any thought to their employees, whose noses were to the grindstone all day.

This was the observation made by the gentleman in question.

"Thets orl thain thinkin about, these gaffers, gooin daarn to Lundun. Comin back, stoppin at Aveshum fer a samun and weartercress tay"

Quite how he arrived at that conclusion we never knew but it certainly caused some hilarity in the office.

Jackienock

[Jackienock]

And another one from exactly the same source.

This time the subject was a football match where our 'Gentleman' was a West Bromwich Albion supporter.

" Sanders (WBA Goalkeeper) shourted to we, back a that bottum gool", "Theyn weartered it". Coodn't stond, six a the Baggies on their a***es. Goolkeeper slid fower yerds on is bally"

Needless to say this tale also did the rounds.

Jackienock

[Jackienock]

In my early days working at Cradley Heath, food rationing was still in force.

Because of the nature of the work involved, about once a month, employees were entitled to a special allowance of tea and sugar. It came under the heading of Hot and Thirsty Workers.

As a lad, it was my job to fetch the blue bags of sugar and packets of Typhoo tea from a corner shop, opposite the factory. I then had to distribute it and collect the money from the workers. At this point I would mention that the office staff also got this allowance and I know my Mum was delighted to receive this extra allowance, especially the sugar, as we were always short.

Having only recently left school, Oldswinford Hospital, I had a 'proper' accent and when I took the goods round, the men would ask, "Ah much is it?"

My reply was 1s-4d (One and four pence). This obviously amused the men and they used to copy me and say, " One and foorpence, one and foorpence ?? It's wun and fower pence".

I look back now with happy memories of those early days and what lovely men they really were. Salt of the earth but kindness itself, they looked after me when I had to work in the factory as part of my training.

Jackienock

[linell]

Hi Jackienock, that tale rings so many bells with me, those old workmen lived on tea soaked in sugar, do you think it was a substitute for their beer during the day You were lucky to be educated at the Old Swinford Hospital School, is it still a School? Linell.

[Jackienock]

Hi Linell

Oldswinford Hospital certainly still is a very good school http://www.oldswinfordhospital.co.uk/

In my years there, 1943 -1949 there were only boarders, whereas today there are day boys and dare I say, sixth form girls.

I hated it so much in my first term that I ran away eleven times, once in my pyjamas. Fortunately I lived much closer than many other boys, so it was only a run across a few fields. Strangely enough, very few boys teased me for running away but there were just a few. Even stranger, every one of those few, ran away themselves later on.

Corporal punishment was the order of the day and I have witnessed myself, a boy with blood oozing from raised black weals, across his backside.
Severe? Yes, it was but it's a pity that there isn't a little more punishment like that today, perhaps not quite to that extent.

The numbers now are considerably increased and when I have read the menu for their meals on the website, I cannot believe that we had a small jar of fish paste for tea, between eight hungry boys. At lunch time (it was dinner) very often the best meal was a slice of bread, with gravy poured over it, in preference to the awful meal that was provided. It was during and just after the war, so of course things were short.

OK, it wasn't all bad and I am still in touch with three of my best friends.

I will never forget VE Day when the headmaster announced that he had managed to obtain fireworks. Because of the war and shortages generally, Wilders, the fireworks manufaturer, could only sell fixed amounts to organisations and the minimum that the school could obtain was £25 worth.

Sounds nothing now but when I tell you it took two nights to let them all off, with an enormous bonfire, you will get an idea of how good it was. Great big rockets and mortar shells that had to be fired from steel tubes buried in the ground. As we had a cadet force within the school we also had military thunder flashes that are used on maneuvers and as a 'salute', a barage of these was let off in front of the school buildings. Can't remember how many but there are recognised numbers of guns fired for special occasions and of course Victory was an extra special occasion.

Happy days but I wouldn't like to have to go through it again.

Jackienock

[Rob]

It certainly is Lin!!
http://www.oldswinfordhospital.co.uk/

We played them once at football back in the early 60's Oldbury Tec' Versus Oldswinford Hospital School.
It was like going to somewhere out of Tom Brown's Schooldays.They had Fags and there were people like Jones Minor and Jones Major!!
Oh it seems Jackienock jhas replied already.