Poet Alice Miller.
 

I knew she'd had books published, because she was a close friend of my great aunt and uncle, and we've inherited many of them, but it seems her fame spread further than this part of Lancashire, and that she even had her poetry used on the Royal Family's Christmas cards.

Alice Miller neé Bass ..... author, poet and playwright whose dedication to the Lancashire Authors' Association is remembered by many library users in Lancashire. She was born October 12th near Blackburn and her writing talent was quickly recognised by the headmaster at her school. At the age of 13 she left school to work in a cotton mill but struggled to improve her education by attending evening classes in Accrington and Blackburn. In 1937 she obtained an L.C.C. scholarship and took up a comprehensive training course at Hillcroft College, Surrey. In 1942 she joined the Lancashire Authors' Association, became editor of its journal The Record in 1949 and in 1963 was appointed a Vice President. She also became a member of the advisory and editorial panel of the International Who's Who in Poetry and a member of the sub-committee for the International Dictionary of Biography. Alice was also a part time drama tutor and producer for the Lancashire Federation of Community Service Clubs, a lecturer and speaker. Later in life she became a prolific writer of plays, poems, articles, stories etc both in dialect and standard English. She also wrote verses for hymns, children's stories and some of her poems appeared on Christmas cards belonging to the Royal Family. She was also very keen to preserve Lancashire heritage and her native dialect tongue and so joined the Lancashire Dialect Society as well. In 1954 her efforts were recognised by the then Oswaldtwistle Urban District Council when a new street of council houses ' Miller Close' was named in her honour

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Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Just fund one of her dialect poems on another site.

Pendle Nestlin’ Song

Cock-a-loo, a-laddie, O
Just thee howd thi hush an’ O;
Fer t’ neet hes lapped id shawl areawnd
Owd Pendle’s grey-blue hill.
Soa, sniggle to thi mammy, O,
Mi cock-a-loo, a-laddie, O;
An’ rest thee quate like t’ craathurs do,
When t’ dark bids ’em be still!

Cock-a-loo, a-laddie, O,
Just thee shut thi een, an’ O;
Fer up an’ deawn the siller steeors
Owd Nod ull ride a’ neet:
He weeors, he weeors green buckles, O,
Mi cock-a-loo, a-laddie, O;
An’ t’ moon ull paint a’ t’ winda panes,
Till mornin’ brings cock-leet!

Cock-a-loo, a-laddie, O,
Just thee goa to sleep, an’ O;
Fer sleepin’ time is growin’ time
Fer t’ chuckies, an’ fer thee!
Soa dunna laik abeawt so much;
A-showin’ a’ thi chaarms, an’ such –
Mi cock-a-loo, a-laddie, ay,
Mi cock-a-loo, a-lee!

Alice Miller

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Incidentally she wrote a poem to be read at the funeral of my great aunt and uncle's son, Dr. Alfred Aspinall, who was killed in Aden in 1962, aged tweny seven.

My grandparents gave money to fund a prize in his memory, for the best student nurse in the district, which was won some time later by one Margaret Pilkington!

It's a small world.

:D:):D

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Just realised Garinda, that this was the lady who jointly compiled a book I refer to many times called 'An Accrington Miscellany' first published in 1970.
There are a few of her poems in there ... not all Lancashire dialect, but beautifully written English prose plus a look at our Lancashire dialect. It's a lovely publication and great to hear a little more about her.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Thats very interesting,,,,,,,
i love dialect poetry,,,,There used to be a man from Burnley that sent many a poem to the Burnley Express,he was called Rowland Denis Kippax,,known as THOWD SYKER,,,,,,

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Yes that's one of the books we have, that she complied with fellow poet Ronald Digby.

It's a nice gentle read.

:)

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Was just Googling, and it came up with an Accy Web link, and Bob Dobson posted this...

'Reyt. I'll pass this on to mi mate. When I did this book, I modelled it on one called 'An Accrington Miscellany', which I recommend as excellent - still on sale for next to nowt in the library. It should be on every Accrington bookshelf.'

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...ure-45242.html

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

I cannot recommend this book too highly. I think it is STILL on sale in the library for next to nowt.'An Accringtohn Miscellany'

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Accrington Miscellany - AND ... just noticed the back cover of this book has ALL the answers to Retlaws question about what can be seen in the 1848 view of Accrington! Haha! so thats how you know!

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

LOL Atarah .. noticed that meself 2 days ago ... under me nose all the time. Well, only said taken from Hollin's Fields though.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

When was that book published. ?
Don't have that one in my collection.

Retlaw

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Now , you who wants specs ... read back posts ... first published 1970 .. :p

'By Borough of Accrington, Library and Art Gallery Committe'

There is a forward by Alderman W. Brownbill. Remember him very well ... what a gentleman he was.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

First published 1970.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Pendle Nestlin’ Song.

Poem Pendle Nestlin' Song

(With audio of the poem being read.)

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

I write better poetry than that.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Please feel free to share some with us.

Unless you have, and that was one.

In which case we don't want anymore.

Didn't really flow, syntactically.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

+ 1

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

This is a Hall of Fame thread.

In the correct forum section for local people who've made some mark on the wider world.

It isn't a poetry appreciation, or critique thread.

;)

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Though if you would like to share your own poems with us, in an appropriate section of Accy Web, I'll gladly critique them, and offer you my opinion.

:)

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

There is a thread here

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...oets-5579.html

And one of mine from that thread...

"Accrington Stinks,well it used to at least,
down by the river stink,really made me blink it did,
walking by the Hynburn stream,nothing fresh,just a smelly mess,
coz Accrington Stinks well it used to at least - down by the Hynburn made my eyes sting...
from the pen and ink of the Broad Oak waste pipe...chemical smellies poured out of pipes,filled the air with something ripe.
But above the factory the stream ran clear and one day went to fish in the clean cool pool,
there was a flash of silver,out dashed a trout and swallowed me worm,hook line and sinker,
That night,had a fish for tea and the Accrington stink was a fishy one - oh dear."
Kestrel X 2004.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Stinks.

Could be by John Cooper Clarke, in his first year at primary school.

There's not much more I can say.

Not something I'd waste time reading twice.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Back on thread.

Two links.

First lists Alice Miller's published work.

Second link features books connected to, or about Hyndburn, including An Accrington Miscellany.

Lancashire Lantern: Lancashire Poetry Index - Poet search results

Hyndburn Heritage Culture

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

DEATHS
Aspinall.-On July 17, 1961, as the' result of an accident on the Aden Peninsula, Alfred Aspinall, M.B., ChXB., Lieutenant, R.A.M.C., aged 27.
http://www.bmj.com/content/2/5251/593.full.pdf

I'll have a root about at home, and will try and scan what she wrote for this in 1961. (Not '62, as quoted.)

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

Cocka doodle doo I wouldn't waste my time reading that one you posted laddie so stop being a baddie you saddie! Oh you reek of arrogance you big headed little creep!:alright:

Accrington stank in the 70's and it still does of verbal diarrhoea!

Honestly there is a smell of manure that comes off the hills on windy days! ;)

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

I haven't personally given any opinion on Alice Miller's work.

She's recorded in the Hall of Fame, as a locally based published poet, known primarily for Lancashire dialect verse.

Please try and keep this thread on topic.

Re: Poet Alice Miller.
 

I knew Alice Miller in the early 1950s. She lived in a cottage in Duckworth Hall, Oswaldtwistle at the end of a row with Walkden Barn farm. I used to visit the farm every Sunday afternoon with my father and spent much of the time fishing in a stream which crossed the farm land. I would later visit Alice and her husband (and dog) and have tea and biscuits with them. She showed me how to paint and gave me a copy of a Christmas card which she said she had made for the Royal family. It was a picture of a dog in a highland type setting. She also gave me a copy of a book about 8 pages long entitled Bun-Ben-Bun which had hand-coloured illustrations. It was produced by the Yealand Studio in Carnforth and was written by Alice Miller with Illustrations by Margaret Hilton. She also gave me a copy of a poem she had written about me. It was entitled "A song for Bernard; a fisherboy I know". This poem was published in (I think) the Blackburn Times and I had the original framed.
The cottage where she lived was demolished many years ago, although when I last passed that way, the rest of the row was still standing. She moved into Oswaldtwistle (near to Miller Close I think) and I used to deliver milk for a local farmer to her at weekends.
She was a wonderful lady who, as far as I know, had no children of her own. I could never forget Alice.