Ey up, it’s time to talk dialect with Adam Collier, who shares a rhyme about an old dog, and that’s not his father.

Ey up, ist tha alreet? It’s been a long old month has March and thank goodness the clocks go forward in the early hours of Sunday and we can look forward to the hazy days of summer.

I was invited to join an evening with a group in Staxton this month, which was very enjoyable. They where a group of vintage motor bike enthusiasts and I think they wondered what was going to be said, with an undertaker about to address them, but what a good night it was.

I was at a church service the other day and listened to the words of the 23rd Psalm and it got me thinking about F Austin Hyde’s A Yorkshire Shepherd To His Dog, which I have mentioned before. It is a powerful poem and highlights the connection between one man and his dog.

The old shepherd is talking to his old friend about days gone by and what they had been through together and I think the most powerful thing to come from this poem is the sense of loss about which one of them is going to go first.

I always think it is the dog, but I could be wrong, but the last verse that always brings a tear to the eye.

It goes like this:

We’re beeath on us wankle an’ wemmly an awd,

Oor flittin-tahm’s boun ti cum seean.

Thoo’s fought a good fight,lad; thoo’s run a straight reeace.

Good Shipperd wad nivver shut t’ deear i’ thi feeace.

Nay! Aboon i’ green pasturs ‘E’ll finnd thoo a pleeace.

Ah awp at ‘E’ll finnd yan for me, awd dog,

Ah awp ‘at ‘E’ll finnd yan for me!

It does just show you that man can really love beast.

You will, on a happy note, be pleased to hear that father has got his metal detector back in good order and it is working like a new one.

In fact, last week he thought he was in the money when, going over next door’s field, he found four hotspots that sounded very loud, but very close together, so he started to dig in the four spots.

When I got there he was in a fowl temper. I said: “What’s wrang.” He shouted: “Ah towt add deean it.” I said: “Deean what,” and he replied: “Struc gowld, but insteead ahve fun a deead hoss.”

You really can’t take him anywhere.

Best go because I am going horse riding and last time I went the horse would not stop. I couldn’t find the brake, so wish me luck.

Just one last story, I was sitting at my desk last week under mountains of paperwork when the telephone rang: It was my mother.

She said: “This bloomin car weern’t ger up Sutton Bank, I hev tried fower times and it will just nut hav it”.

So I asked the question: “Well, what gear are you in?” and she replied: “Mi best driss and and good cardy.”

I will let you work that one out for yourselves.