Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Hi all you Ossy lot:D I 'respectfully' submit a poem written by a chap called Eric Bradshaw. It was sent to my mum some years ago on a tea towel(pot cloth) If it has been posted before please feel free to delete. I am sure most will be aware of the poem at least.

O Stands for Ossie, a town that's known by a few.
Some says why? If tha blinks an eye, tha'll miss
it as tha goes through.
S Stands for t'spinnin Mills
theers nay but one or two left
but theyr'e workin away neet and day
up to theer knees i weft
W Stands for't White Ash
weer thowd tip used to be
Now tha con watch em aw
chasin a ball
on any old Saturday
A Stands fo Accrington bus that comes
every fifteen minutes or so
tekin young uns ta'mills and thowd uns upt'hills
but Black Dogs furthest tha can go
L Stands for local library top o Tinkers Brew
If tha fancies a read tha must use thi heed
and go and pick a book or two
D Stands for t'Duckworth Hall
they say theers ghosts up theer
and just up yon is thowd Britton
wheer Ave supped many a pint o beer
T Stands for t' Tinker Brook
that's runnin reyt through t'town
it looks reyt good when t' brooks in flood
when t' rains bin pourin down
W Stands for t' War Memorial bottom o Rhyddings Street
yon sowdjer looks brave that tryin to save
his mate whose led at his feet
I Stand fort' Immanuel thowdest church ot' lot
there must be many a pair thats buried up theer
as wishes they were not.
S Stands for t' Showder one o thighest pubs in t' place
I've seen many a mon sup 12 pints i yon
and fall down flat on his face
T Stands for t' Twenty Steps where thowd steam trains went fast
Id wer worth a walk to see all't smoke
but now thats all in t' past
L is fo t' lanes that lead to t' moors
where ive walked on many a Sunday
Ive come back worse for wear fell asleep int' cheer
and not woke up till Monday
E is for everything around us and tha might think this sounds bossy
but if tha like me and likes what tha sees
theres no place on earth like Ossy

For those who have not seen this Poem. Enjoy
For those who have. Hope it brings some memeoies back
Cheers Terry

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

I used to know a chap called Binbo from Ossy who sang this poem.
Is Bimbo - Eric Bradshaw the same person?

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Great Poem, how old is it?Anyone know what the Fertilizer Factory was called at the top of Ozzie?Probably long gone now?



I am told Oswaltwistle is Anglo Saxon and means " a piece of land owned by Oswald!" now is that right me wonders?

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

I was told it meant Oswald's Boundary but according to Hyndburnlife it is something to do with the fork in two rivers.

Love the poem.

Where are/were Twenty Steps?

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Twenty Steps (not really 20 I've counted 'em) are in Church, on Blackburn Road immediately on the left after you go under the railway bridge past Blythes. They lead via an overgrown path to White Ash Playing Fields passing by the western edge of Hill Street.

Immediately in front of Hill Street facing the railway is a big meadow which use to be a football pitch (I've played on it for Spring Hill WMC). I believe that Oswaldtwistle Rovers use to play on it in the Accy Youth League.

The area around there is steeped in history from the early 1800's and there are some funny walls and openings on Coach Road which use to lead to a farm and a manor house.

If you look at the map at

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environ...cc/accwest.jpg

You'll see the area in some detail. When you look at the area marked 927 - 1.134 at the building at the rear of Hill Street and on Foxhill Bank, this is Foxhill Bank House, which still stands to-day (I know cause I stay there when I'm over).

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Your spot on about 20 steps, home to 2 of the best teams in the whole of the area in the late sixtys Ossy Rovers and Ossy Colts, is there any more ex players out there?

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Thanks for the map Darby. I know the steps you mean but didn't know them by name. All the years I've lived in Accrington and I'm still learning a lot from the AccyWeb.

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Early 70's I played for the Ossy Nippers and later for Ossy Rangers. Bazf do you remember the Sunday league they used to have? Mini league and Cup for under 11's with team names Rangers, Rovers, City and Vale etc. I still have the little trophies that I won. I have very good memories of playing at the 20 steps field including the only time I was ever sent off, age 11 and ordered off for throwing a mud ball at the ref, it hit him full in the face and I remember him laughing as he showed me the red card.

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Yes Bagpuss I do remember them but I was a little older at the time and playing for Ossy Rovers on a Sat afternoon.

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Well Willow,but where are the two rivers in Ossy?There is one brook and we used to catch trout up there too,but there ain't no rivers!

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Do you mean Metcafes Kestelx ???

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Hyndburn as usual do not know their a*** from their elbow. There aren't two rivers, just the Tinker Brook. The name comes from King Oswald of Northumbria, and Ossy marked his boundary, which in Anglo-Saxon was "twisla". So "Oswald's Twisla" became the Ossy we all know (apart from Hyndburn) and love.

You can get a teatowel from Ossy Mills with the poem on it - also one with the Rules of the mill - glad I didn't have to work there.

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

Hi, I used to work at the fertilizer factory years ago. Iwas one of only 3 women working there at the time. Sorry dont remember the name.

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

This is an old thread Shaz, it was Metcafes I think.

Re: Oswaldtwistle. Poem.
 

It was Metcalfe's.

When we lived over Stanhill when the wind blew the stink over the fields towards us we knew we were in for good weather.

An ill wind blew good fortune in those days.