BLEGGIN’ TIME

Words Christine Thistlethwaite Music Graham & Bernadette Dixon (Troble at’ Mill)

Will ter come bleggin’ today wi’ me Maggie?
We’ll go up bit’ quarry-there’s allus some theer
An’ mebbe we’ll find a few crabb apple windfalls
So Mam can make some into jelly this year
An’ ‘appen Ah’ll tell thee a secret Ah’m keepin,
For though art a friend as Ah know Ah can trust
Ee Maggie it’s filling me so with excitement
If Ah don’t tell thee soon Ah declare Ah shall bust

Thou remembers Ah allus were sweet on Tom Greenway
How often Ah’ve mooned oer his merry brown eyes
Well! Ah saw last neet and he said “Hello Mary!
Are ter goin’ my way?” Ah fair blushed with surprise
So we walked on together- don’t ask me wheer to lass
Fo me feet never seemed to touch pavement at all
I chatted to much and Ah laughed far too loudly
While Tom stood beside me so handsome and tall

1st verse again

We came to spot were thick brambles were growin’
Wi’ fine glossy berries all juicy and sweet
Says Tom “Come on Mary, let’s pick a few blackspice
There’s some on em ripe and just ready to eat”
So ah scrambled up banking and reached out to get some
When mi foot caught in’t thorns I cried out in alarm
I felt myself fallin’ I was sure ah were done for
But I landed so safe in a strong pair of arms

Instrumental break

Then sunshine and sky all went wheelin above me
Wi a wild dizzy feelin’ like ah’ve never known
Then brambles and’t blackspice were somehow forgotten
And sweeter than fruit were Toms lips on my own.
The Song can be heard here Bleggin' Time

From a poem by the late Christine Thistlethwaite
‘Bleggin’ = Picking Blackberries
Black spice = Blackberry

GD