Whalley When I wur nobbut ten year owd T’Grandparents took me airt. We wentter Whalley on the bus Their fav’rite spot, no dairt As we walked raind the Abbey I ‘eard story after story An’, ‘onestly,Ah seemed ter see The site in all its glory. When t’monks med Whalley thrive an’ grow       Fer centuries they ‘eld sway Then ‘Enry th’Eighth come to the throne An’ swept ‘em all away. St Mary’s, t’parish church wur next I stood in the graveyard theer Readin’ out folk’s ‘eadstones An’ wonderin’ if they’d ‘ear I kept quiet inside t’church itself (I didn’t even cough) Until mi grandad med mi laugh An’ grandma towd me off! Fer ‘e ‘ad whispered in mi ear ‘Yon winder of stained glass Is theer to honour Samuel Brookes Nicknamed ‘Owd Stink o’ Brass’! Then off ter ‘Whalley Arches’ To look up at the trains Steamin’ over t’viaduct … That mem’ry never wains Some said a secret passage ran From th’Abbey ter t’Dog Inn I know grandad believed it ‘Cos that wur where e’d bin… … While me an’ grandma ‘ad a brew When ‘e come back ‘e said ‘I couldn’t find yon passage So I ‘ad a pint instead.’

Then grandad towd me summat (I’ve remembered every word)  ‘In eighteen-sixty-seven’, ‘e said ‘A great event occurred Aye, in the world o’ cricket This village is renowned First ever ‘Roses Match’ wur played At Station Road’s owd ground!’ ‘E also talked o’ t’Speedway Dean’s Pleasure Park‘ad t’track Wi only two bikes racin’ ‘E’d been there long years back. We went ter see ‘Alms-‘ouses’ An’ theer, mi gran towd me Yon row of tiny cottages As pretty as could be Wurbuilt fer t’ poor o’ parish They wur ones who got ‘em Thanks to a wealthy gentleman Kind-hearted Adam Cottam Last month I went ter London I stayed wi’ friends down theer They ‘ad ter show me raind the place Fer I’d get lost, I fear! We goester t’National Gall’ry In theer I chance ter see A portrait of owd Cottam …‘E seems ter smile at me Fer a moment I’m a child agen An’ ‘ear mi grandma say ‘Come wi’ me an’ grandad It’s our Whalley trip terday’ © Mervyn Hadfield 2016