SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Uploaded atlast! My little contribution from St Mark's.

wsmith wrote: I found this in Saint George's Field cemetery (which might itself make a good subject for one of your features). It was nice to see the words of this forgotten poet shown again in the place of his burial, although a little more information about the poet might be nice, like, a name or something!Does anyone know anything more about this poet? Hi wsmith! I asked around a few friends at the University & was told that St. George's field contains the bones (somewhere) of one THOMAS BLACKAH, a poet who wrote in the Yorkshire Dialect & was popular in his day - forgotten now.It's a pretty unusual name, so let's see what we can find out about him. Reclaim a Leeds poet and bring him back from the forgotten past.Let's see if we can get one of his poems up here, & even a picture.Re-remember your Secrets.Unforget your City.

     Coom, don on thy bonnet an' shawl             a fine thomas blackah poem for your perusalCoom, don on thy bonnet an' shawl, An' straighten thy cap an' thy hair; I's really beginnin' to stall To see thee sit dazzin' i' t' chair. Sea coom, let us tak a walk oot, For t' air is as warm as a bee; I hennot a morsel o' doot It'll help beath lile Willy an' thee. We'll gan reet throo t' Middle Toon, As far as to Reavensgill Heead; When thar, we can sit wersens doon On t' crags close at side o' t' becksteead. An' then, oh! hoo grand it'll be To pass a few minutes away, An' listen t' birds sing on each tree Their carols for closin' the day. An' all aboot t' green nobby hills, T' lile daisies their beauties will show; An' t' perfume at Flora distils Like breath o' the mornin' will blow. Then don on thy bonnet an' shawl, An' coom let's be walkin' away; I's fairly beginnin' to stall To see thee sit dazzin' all t' day. Thomas Blackah

the man himself

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Hey up there Munki lad,!                                     I've just latched onto this page. Doin' a bit o' browsing. Are you certain that Thomas Blackah wrote in the Yorks dialect.? Because reading his words seems too easy to be written as pronounced, here in Yorks. It all really seems 'geordie' to me. And I DO talk funny as it is.!

Agree with that farbank. Round about Ashington I'd guess. And I speak as a formerly adopted Geordie, soon to be re-adopted if things go to plan!

Hello Jancee,                    I hope your'e being adopted to somewhere warmer. But my daughter-in-law is Geordie, and 3 grandsons all living up there in Coxlodge. And they all think it's ME that talks gormless.![Jocks with their brains kicked oot!]

Can't afford the villa in Spain just yet unfortunately. Don't know whether I should say it on here but Geordies have the best accent. Sorry fellow Loiners. [not really]

Bloody Helli dont know how i missed this about St Marks in Woodhouse.Not so much the exhibition in the church but actually been able to get in.I am doing my family history and part of my family used this church from the very beginning of its opening as they lived and died in Woodhouse from around 1730.I have been copying monumental inscriptions in the churchyard and always wanted to get inside to see where my great great grandmother was christened,where her grandfather ,his father and his grandfather were buried.Damn!