Yorkshire Dialect: Cobblers
Mike Shaw’s Yorkshire characters reflect upon a throwaway society.
Me an’ Jack Bamforth wer sittin’ in t’ sunshahne at t’ bowlin’ club t’ other afternooin wen ‘e gate on abaat chuckin’ stuff away asteead o’ mendin’ it.
“It’s wat they call a throwaway society,” ‘e sed. “Ther’s loads o’ stuff naahdays ‘at’s just thrown away.
“Tek awl these empty cans of ale an’ pop ‘at are liggin abaat ‘ere, theer an’ everywheeer.
“I’ yar young days we gate a penny a bottle if we tuk ‘em back to wheer we bowt ‘em sooas they could be used ageean.”
Ah filled up mi pahpe wi’ baccy an’ sed it wer a sorry state of affairs.
“It’s t’ same wi’ shoes,” Ah telled Jack. “Once in a day ivverybody ‘ad ‘em soled an’ ‘eeled wen they were wearin’ thin.
“They dooan’t bother abaat that naah. They just chuck ‘em in t’ dustbin an’ bah another pair.
“That’s whah sooa monny cobblers ‘ave shut up shop. Tom’s th’ ooanly one left raand ‘ere an’ Ah reckon wen ‘e pops ‘is clogs nubdy’ll want ter tek ovver.”
Jack reckoned Tom’d been in t’ cobblin’ trade fer 50 yeears or mooar.
“Dosta remember wen Jooa Sugden deed a few years back? ‘Is son, Simon, wer gooin’ through awl ‘is stuff wen ‘e fun one o’ Tom’s shoe repair tickets,” sed Jack.
It wer fahve years owd an’ Simon reckoned ther’d be nooa chance o’ gettin’ t’ shoes back, but ‘e called in at Tom’s wi’ t’ ticket, just in case.
“Wen ‘e went inta t’ shop an’ ‘anded ovver t’ ticket Tom sloped off inta t’ back an’ came back afta a few minutes an’ telled Simon ‘e’d fund t’ shoes.
“They wer browt in fer solin’ an’ ‘eelin’,” he telled Simon. “Awl beein’ well they’ll be ready next Thursday afternooin.”
