The rascals from Raskelf? (From Gazette & Herald)

The rascals from Raskelf?

In days gone by, it used to be fairly common for the inhabitants of a town or village to poke fun at the residents of a neighbouring place.

Much of this was harmless, although on occasions some disputes could develop into quarrels and fights - but it is fair to say that residents generally considered their own home town or village far superior to any other.

That kind of logic continues to exist on a larger scale between Yorkshire and Lancashire even if it is more than 500 years since the Wars of the Roses; good humoured exchanges and put-downs are almost guaranteed in modern times when Lancastrians and Yorkshire folk meet one another.

However, I am not sure how these old verbal battles now fit into the current awareness of racial abuse or political correctness!

One of the methods of criticism adopted in the past was to compose a rude verse about a neighbouring place and many of these have survived, even if they are not widely used nowadays.

I thought it might be fun to resurrect some of them, although I hope fights and battles will not follow!

Take the small village of Raskelf near Easingwold, for example. It is known for the remarkable wooden steeple of its church but this didn't impress the versifiers who produced this piece: "A wooden church, a wooden steeple, rascally place and rascally people."

Another verse about Raskelf goes: "Rascal town with roguish people, a bursten bell and wooden steeple."

A similar verse is written about Ainderby Steeple near Northallerton - "Ainderby Steeple, Ainderby Steeple, far more rogues than honest people" and at Romaldkirk in Teesdale it is said: "Rum old church, rum old people, rum old parish, rum old people."

There is a verse about an anonymous village too - which had better remain anonymous because it says, "Ugly church, ugly steeple, ugly parson, ugly people."

Hutton Rudby, near Yarm, attracted a critical saying which goes: "Hutton Rudby and Enterpen, far more rogues than honest men."

The village of Great Kelk in the East Riding was known as "The village where God never dwelt, and honest men never rode through it" but the origin of all these verses is unknown.

The notion of others being foolish continues in a verse about more villages near Easingwold; it goes: "If you do wish to find a fool, and do

it without mistake, Take t'first you meet in Stillington, in Easingwold or Crayke."

I wonder if Crayke's inclusion owes anything to the fact that, until 1844, the village was considered part of County Durham?

Fools also appear in a verse about Cotherstone, ie "Cotherstone's where they christen calves, hopple lops and kneeband spiders" and a similar one concerns Stokesley and Great Ayton.

It is couched in the local dialect and refers to Great Ayton as Yatton and Stokesley as Stowsla, and reads: "Stowsla's larned all it knaws fra' Yatton feeals."

Feeals is the dialect for fools, but this verse seems not to be complimentary to either group of people.

Another says "Yattoners wade ower t'beck ti save t'brigg."

More alleged fools appear at Well and Snape near Bedale where a verse says: "Well and Snape, where they grin and gape, and bray hard water

soft with a clothes prop."

At Nafferton, in the East Riding, it was once claimed: "They shoe ducks bi' steam" and at Lartington it was said "Lartington for frogs, and Barney for butcher's dogs."

Barney is the nickname for Barnard Castle and at nearby Barningham there is one of the few complimentary verses; it claims, "They're all clever fowk as live in Barningham; owd schoolmaister Coates is a boy for larning 'em."

Dalton-on-Tees and Cowton were often considered clarty places, ie very muddy, and it was said "Dalton in the dirt, Cowton in the clay; if you go in two shoes, you'll only bring one away."

I'm not sure what to make of the verse about Gilling, near Richmond, because it says "What Gilling brews, Durham rues" and there is a splendid old rhyme about Reeth. It goes: "Pack 'em in, Wedge 'em in, Wack 'em in, Edge 'em in, Jack 'em in, Chuck 'em in, Sledge 'em in - anyway get 'em in."

I understand this was a references to a horse-drawn vehicle which was used for group outings, for it seemed to be the policy to pack as many people as possible into it.

The merits of some places also appear in verse, such as "Marrick church is seen the best, just as the sun withdraws to rest" while Yarm has the claim that it is "The only place that was finished when the world was created".

York also attracts good verses such as this: "Lincoln was, London is, but York shall be the greatest city of all three" although another, dating to the 16th century, says, "Yorke, Yorke, for my

monie, Of all the citties that I ever see, for mery pastime and companie - except the cittie of London."

Would such a thought apply today?

Updated: 16:59 Wednesday, May 28, 2003