Sledging

The green spaces and places of Leeds
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MargaretC
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Joined: Tue 07 Jun, 2022 8:11 am

Sledging

Post by MargaretC »

The Big Hollas and the Little Hollas between St Marks Road and Shay Street

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blackprince
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Joined: Tue 04 Sep, 2007 2:10 pm

Re: Sledging

Post by blackprince »

That's a Leeds dialect word I haven't heard for a while ( like in the last 60 years).
I have never seen it written before. If I had to write it down I would have guessed 'oller , definitely no "h" pronounced.
Our 'ollers were patches of uneven rough ground where we used to ride bikes , light fires, build dens, throw stones and play games. Every year a feast would set up on one of them. My guess is it just means "hollows". Any other ideas about the derivation?
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

jma
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Re: Sledging

Post by jma »

"Feast" is another word used a lot in Leeds when elsewhere they might say "fair" or "fairground." (I've a feeling it may have been discussed on Secret Leeds before)

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blackprince
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Re: Sledging

Post by blackprince »

Using feast for a travelling fair always seemed a misnomer to me , even back in the day, because feasting implies lots of food and drink to me.
Candy floss and ice cream at a fair don't constitute a feast in my mind.
Feast corresponds directly to Fest in modern Danish, Norwegian and German. Fair sounds more French/Latin in origin.
It used to be said that the statue of the Black Prince had been placed in City Square , near the station, pointing South to tell all the southerners who've just got off the train to b****r off back down south!

jim
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Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Re: Sledging

Post by jim »

Feast days were traditionally held annually to celebrate some event, especially religious festivals. Perhaps they included fairgrounds as adjuncts, but as time went on the festivals themselves died out, but the fairs continued, hence the survival of the term.

MargaretC
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Joined: Tue 07 Jun, 2022 8:11 am

Re: Sledging

Post by MargaretC »

« Hollas » is how we pronounced it , so I’m not sure about the spelling, but the description you have used of the « oiler » is exactly that. Unfortunately my 2 brothers who used to spend so much time there have passed away and I don’t know anyone else that I could ask. Thanks for replying.
We used to use the word «  feast «  as welll.

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