A reyt good result! Dialect society clean up at festival

Their speaking skills saw them pick up first, second and third place in the dialect section at the celebration of music, speech and drama in Huddersfield.

Husband and wife Alan and Carol Walker, of Birstall, came third and second respectively with their readings. Mr Walker read ‘Dead reckoning’ by Benny Wilkinson and Mrs Walker ’Winter warning’, an anonymous piece.

But it was Christine Wilkinson, of Penistone, who scooped the top prize with her adaptation of a piece by R P Weston and Bert Lee, dubbed ‘An’ yet, ah dooan’t know’.

The Huddersfield Mrs Sunderland Festival is one of the most prestigious in the North of England and attracts performers from all parts of the United Kingdom.

The Dewsbury group, which comprises members of Dewsbury U3A, meets every Friday at Dewsbury Town Hall and has members from Kirklees and beyond.

It was set up 10 years ago by Thornhill woman Elsie Haywood along with founder members Dorothy Fearnsides and Jean Farrow.

Mrs Walker said: “The dialect is just not spoken by younger people. It may die out in a few years, but we have a lot of fun doing it.”