(55 years ago – somewhere around 1960)
Up past Sunnyslack to “Watterfalls,
Past Maisies dad’s farm and Coldwells,
And past lonely barn stood there forlorn,
Right up through heather to very top,
Here was smallpox hospital so they said,
Not today just a farm with bordered wall,
With Linnet and Twite singing in the sun!
With Lapwings dive bombing and fluty,
And giant Curlews “warbling” away.
Those are the memories as a kid to keep.
(somewhere around the year 2015)
Up past Sunnyslack to Watterfalls,
Now a new built detour past Coldwells,
And John’s got Mr Booth’s owd farm,
Lonely barn is a house with other buildings built around it,
And reaching top of Watterfalls,
Owd Smallpox hospital is still theer, but
Where’s the Linnets and the Twites,
Where’s the Lapwings? I miss their fluty calls,
Still the odd Curlew about, But a bit barren!
Wow! Whats that I can see not far away?
Lots of poles with big blades turning fast!
Reeping the wind to make the Electricity.
Now a new built detour past Coldwells,
And John’s got Mr Booth’s owd farm,
Lonely barn is a house with other buildings built around it,
And reaching top of Watterfalls,
Owd Smallpox hospital is still theer, but
Where’s the Linnets and the Twites,
Where’s the Lapwings? I miss their fluty calls,
Still the odd Curlew about, But a bit barren!
Wow! Whats that I can see not far away?
Lots of poles with big blades turning fast!
Reeping the wind to make the Electricity.
(somewhere between the 1980s and 2010)
From Grane Information Centre and crossing two moors,
One called Haslingden, and one called Oswaldtwistle,
And trying to dodge them peat bogs and dykes,
With ancient silver birch trophies in that washed peat,
O’er to Dry Hill to watch the Dotterel trips and
Never far away those special “big” Wheatear,
Making their path from Africa to Greenland!
And calling off here for their rest!
Somedays up past Priestentax – a lovely name!
And on to Thirteen Stone hill, to dream its history,
One day startled by a Osprey carrying a roach from the res,
Watching him devour his wriggly catch on that very hill.
Watching Snipe “drumming” at dried up Warmwithens
And later flushing Snipe at nearby Snipe Holes.
One called Haslingden, and one called Oswaldtwistle,
And trying to dodge them peat bogs and dykes,
With ancient silver birch trophies in that washed peat,
O’er to Dry Hill to watch the Dotterel trips and
Never far away those special “big” Wheatear,
Making their path from Africa to Greenland!
And calling off here for their rest!
Somedays up past Priestentax – a lovely name!
And on to Thirteen Stone hill, to dream its history,
One day startled by a Osprey carrying a roach from the res,
Watching him devour his wriggly catch on that very hill.
Watching Snipe “drumming” at dried up Warmwithens
And later flushing Snipe at nearby Snipe Holes.
(Today – 2nd June 2015)
Well it was all great fun while it lasted!
Thank you for those special memories……….
Thank you for those special memories……….