By Donald Clegg Image: the source of the North Tyne river, on the Scottish border by Clive Dalton, c1961 Phillip, wor youngest, thowt it wad be a good idee for the two of us, him and me, te hev worsells a weekend away, hillwalkin’, somewhere in Scotland. Aa thowt hit was a good idee an’all, … Read more
By Don Clegg One traveller who regularly visited the Kielder-Falstone area during the 1920s was know as “Dick the Cadger”. He came from the Holm (Newcastleton) in a horse and trap. He usually lodged overnight at Bewshaugh before travelling up the Lewisburn to the Forks and beyond. He brought bread and groceries in tea chests … Read more
Northumberland, farming, daft laddies, history, humour, dialect, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Startin larnin Young lads who had ambitions to join the ranks of the agricultural workers could be roughly divided into two groups: farmers’ sons who had grown up on the farm and already had vast experience of farm work, and those with no … Read more
Northumberland, farming, daft laddies, humour, history, dialect , 1950s By Donald Clegg & Clive Dalton Farming for profit or for lifestyle? Waste o’ gud munney Many farmers’ sons had never been off the farm, as their fathors thowt “it was a waste o’ gud munney to gan away to larn book farmin’ at some college … Read more
Northumberland, farming, Daft Laddies, humour, learning By Donald Clegg True Daft Laddies But the true “Daft Laddies” on farms were always the non-farmer’s sons because of the daft things they did, through ignorance or over-enthusiasm to please. Farmers’ sons seemed to know instinctively what to do, and more importantly , what not to do in … Read more
Northumberland, farming, Daft Laddies, humour, dialect, learning , history, 1950s By Donald Clegg A steep larnin curve In the first few months of life on the farm, the Daft Laddie would be faced with a steep learning curve as he discovered that mud and muck were a major part of his daily routine, and that … Read more
Northumberland, farming, humour, dialect, Fergie tractor, Daft Laddies, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Hareshaw Head Farm, farmed in the 1950s by Barty Armstrong who also owned the drift mine that was on the right side of the Bellingham to Otterburn road, just off the bottom of the picture. (D Clegg) Wor oot o’ coal – … Read more
Northumberland, farming, history, dialect, daft laddies, farm machinery, bracken cutting, 1950s By Donald Clegg Dead bracken, smothering the pasture by Kielder dam Crushin’ the bracken On another farm, with several years’ experience behind me, I was required to spend some days bracken crushing. On hill farms, good grazing for the sheep was at a premium … Read more
Northumberland, Forestry, Kielder, mechanisation, tree harvesting By Clive Dalton & Donald Clegg The first harvest When the first trees planted on Smale in 1927 were ready to be cut down 50-60 years later, the technology available to forest workers was the axe to scarf the tree and a crosscut saw to cut it down. The … Read more
Strange but true By Donald Clegg 2012 Aa was workin’ in the garden, Aa remember varry plain ‘Cos it was the only day this yeor when it hadn’t poured wi’ rain. Aa cut the grass and forked the beds, howked weeds ‘til aal was tame, Pruned bushes, sorted oot the shed…….and then the midgies came! … Read more
By Donald Clegg Don entered this verse in the Morpeth competition for dialect poetry – and won the cup for a second year along with other awards. Don Clegg with his cup and other wards for Northumbrian dialect verse Aa went to the doctor’s on Monda, Aa thowt Aa was gettin’ the flu, Aa was … Read more
Northumberland, farming, history, dialect, humour, machinery, ploughing, plough sock(shares), 1950s By Donald Clegg RocksNot all a Daft Laddie’s knowledge was gained the hard way. Some came simply by asking questions of the boss, or the old hands on the farm. I had been ploughing a field ready to sow corn, or maybe turnips, when the plough … Read more
Northumberland, farming, humour, dialect, military service, morse code, Korea, history, 1950s By Donald ClegggThe King wants a Daft LaddieFor two years I was a guest of His Majesty King George VI, followed by Her Gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse and spent much of my National Service in Korea … Read more
Northumberland, farming, humour, dialect, Daft Laddies, floods, camping , history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Draining the peat for tree plantingAfter National Service I returned to work on a farm in the North Tyne and where I had my Daft Laddie wrestle with the bracken crusher. In those pre-Kielder dam days the North Tyne River was prone to … Read more
Daft Laddies, humour, military service, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Caad wintors in KoreaKorean winters can be severe, and even in September, the ground round our camp was frozen hard as iron. Our Field Telephone Exchange (FTE) was housed in a sandbagged bunker with a canvas roof. There was a set of steps cut in … Read more
Northumberland, farming, humour, dialect, Daft Laddies, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg Don’s watch by H Samuel’s of Newcastle upon Tyne. It’s now in gentle retirement with a new boot lace to keep it safe Do you remember the H Samuel Ever-Right pocket watch? It cost all of 30/- (£1.50) in the 1950’s and was a must for … Read more
Donald Clegg(Image at left from The Northumbrian Magazine)Don organising his squirrel feeder Donald Clegg was born at Rochester in Redesdale. After Grammar school he worked as a postman delivering mail on foot to farms around the area. He worked on farms in Redesdale and after being called up for his military service and ‘doing time’ helping … Read more
Northumberland, farming, humour, dialect, Daft Laddies, tractors, haytime, history, 1950s By Donald Clegg The little grey Fergie that revolutionised farming around the world.They didn’t come with mobile phones in the 1950s! An approved driver Soon after starting on my first farm, in Redesdale, at the age of 17, I was eventually allowed to drive the … Read more
By Clive Dalton The hoose cuwBefore the days of supermarkets, fridges, powdered and tinned milk, every ootbye farm up the North Tyne and Rede had a ‘hoose cuw’, as well as a heifer timed to calve when the main cow was dried off. Shepherds and hinds were allowed to keep a cow as part of … Read more
Northumberland, farming, history, humour, Daft Laddie, machinery, dialect By Donald Clegg Set hor ganin & loup offIt’s well known that farms are among the most dangerous work places in any industry and that familiarity breeds contempt. The situation never was good on farms, and despite all the bureaucracy of today’s Health & Safety regulations, things … Read more