Derek James recalls memories of dialect book Broad Norfolk

This was all about the Norfolk dialect which Harry thought would be coming to an end and he wanted to publish a lasting memorial to “Broad Norfolk.”

Following an appeal it took just three weeks for all the letters to arrive giving Harry the material he wanted.

Previously the Rev Robert Forby, whose Vocabulary of East Anglia was published in 1830, also believed the Norfolk dialect would die out with the spread of literacy.

Well, fast forward to 1949 and a certain Jonathan Mardle (Eric Fowler) produced the first follow-up to Broad Norfolk also written by the readers of the EDP…a pocket-sized gem.

It was on January 21 we received a little letter to us containing a list of local names for wild birds….it started an avalanche of dialect.

Despite the fact there had been two world wars, the “friendly invasion,” almost 80 years of state education, buses and cars, the BBC, and films from America, the dialect was far from dead.

When the editor closed the correspondence, for fear it was becoming wearisome, on March 19, 1949 there had been no less than 420 letters and Mr Mardle was given the job of sorting through them and producing a second Broad Norfolk which attracted some wonderful advertisements.

Fast forward to 1973 and another edition of Broad Norfolk, edited by George Nobbs and produced by Alan Dean of Wensum Books, by our Jonathan hit the streets and this time it was brought to life with enchanting and highly entertaining illustrations by Joe Lee, one of Britain’s foremost newspaper cartoonists whose work delighted EDP readers.

Coming up

There was one poignant poem in the 1949 issue written by a Norfolk Prisoner of War in Singapore which makes us wonder – did he survive the hell and horror suffered by the FEPOWs?

Bird names

As for those bird names…according to GH Durrant of Windy Nook, Cromer, they included.

Green Ulf (Greenfinch), Furrow-Chuck (Whinchat), Guleham (Yellow-hammer), Draw-water or King Harry (Goldfinch), Aberdevine (Siskin), Hedgeman (Hedge-sparrow), Hhayjack (Whitethroat), Develin (Swift), Fulfer (Fieldfare),  Wood Dow (Wood Pigeon), cat owl (Little Owl).

And that was just the start… S.G.C was quick to point out that a Norfolk native was more likely to call a Missel-Thrush Fulfer, which is actually Fulfar, west of the Ouse.