krus_aragon
Established Member
Some while ago my father bought me a very interesting present: a copy of the third edition of Difyrion y Ffordd Haearn (Humors of the Iron Road) by Thomas Phillips of Carmarthen. It is a collection of stories and anecdotes in English and Welsh, gathered by Mr Phillips over 45 years of service with the Great Western Railway (references to the LMS puts the date of publication post 1922).
I plan to post a few of the best gems here now and again, as and when I get a few moments to transcribe them.
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A man arrived here by the 3.30 p.m. fast train asleep, stretched out on the seat. The guards and porters could not awake him. They raised him up and pulled him about, but of no avail. He was falling back on the seat exactly like a dead man. They tried for nearly half an hour to awake him. There was a crowd looking on at the performance. A man came along and asked me to clear the crowd, he would awake him as he knew him. I said "Thank you." So he went into the compartment where the man was still in an apparent deadly sleep. He whispered loud in his ear, "Jack! get up, Jack! there is a gentleman here going to stand you a drink." The man got up right on his feet on the floor of the compartment, rubbed his eyes and enquired, - "Where is he?" The Company unfortunately have to carry tons of this sample about.
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There was a shunter of the name of John Sly, who said that he would not stand out in the rain without an overcoat, seeing that the guards, signalmen, &c., were allowed overcoats. He wrote to the Superintendent in rhyme, thus:-
"Dear Sir,-
I, John Sly, beg leave to apply
For an overcoat to keep me dry.
Yours truly,
John Sly." (He had it).
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Dyn a wig ar ei ben. Gofynodd un arall, "Pam ydych yn gwisgo wig? Edrychwch arnaf fi. Dyn wedi colli ei wallt." Meddai wrtho, "Nid oes eisiau tô ar ben ysgubor wâg."
(There was) a man with a wig on his head. Another man asked "why do you wear a wig? Look at me, I'm completely bald". He replied "there is no need for a roof on an empty barn".
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
'Roedd hen wraig un tro yn myned i Quakers' Yard i roi tro am ei merch. Gofynodd y Ticket Collector am ei thocyn, a dywedodd wrthi fod yn rhaid newid dair gwaith. "Caton pawb i! Dim ond un dress sydd yn fy meddiant," meddai hi.
An old lady once was going to Quakers' Yard to see her daughter. The Ticket Collector asked to see her ticket, and told her that she would have to change three times. "Heavens above!" she said, "I only have one dress with me."
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Years ago there was an old character, a shunter, who wanted to go on holiday for a week. The Regulation of the Company was that only three days holiday was allowed, but he told his mates that he would have six days, so he made his novel application as follows:-
"Dear Sir,-
"I beg to apply for six days holiday, with passes for myself and Sally to Aberystwyth. Sally is not well, and the Doctor told me to take her for a change of air. I intend taking her to Aberystwyth to give her a dip in the blue sea. I am sure you would not like to see Sally dying and leaving me here by myself."
The Superintendent sent for him to his office to explain; but when he went to the office the Superintendent did not say a word, but looked at him hard in the face for a time, and the shunter looked at him. The favour was granted by this sort of testing.
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I was travelling in North Wales from Avon Wen to Barmouth; a young man and woman came in to the same compartment. The young man said to me "Good morning." I acknowledged the compliment. I kept reading my newspaper. They talked in Welsh very nice things: Where the honeymoon was to be spent, the goods and money she was to have from his father and mother, and even the farm they were going to reside at. They alighted at Glandovey Junction. I said to them, "Boreu da i chwi, 'nawr." (A good morning to you, now) The young woman looked scared, and blushed from ear to ear.
I plan to post a few of the best gems here now and again, as and when I get a few moments to transcribe them.
---
A man arrived here by the 3.30 p.m. fast train asleep, stretched out on the seat. The guards and porters could not awake him. They raised him up and pulled him about, but of no avail. He was falling back on the seat exactly like a dead man. They tried for nearly half an hour to awake him. There was a crowd looking on at the performance. A man came along and asked me to clear the crowd, he would awake him as he knew him. I said "Thank you." So he went into the compartment where the man was still in an apparent deadly sleep. He whispered loud in his ear, "Jack! get up, Jack! there is a gentleman here going to stand you a drink." The man got up right on his feet on the floor of the compartment, rubbed his eyes and enquired, - "Where is he?" The Company unfortunately have to carry tons of this sample about.
---
There was a shunter of the name of John Sly, who said that he would not stand out in the rain without an overcoat, seeing that the guards, signalmen, &c., were allowed overcoats. He wrote to the Superintendent in rhyme, thus:-
"Dear Sir,-
I, John Sly, beg leave to apply
For an overcoat to keep me dry.
Yours truly,
John Sly." (He had it).
---
Dyn a wig ar ei ben. Gofynodd un arall, "Pam ydych yn gwisgo wig? Edrychwch arnaf fi. Dyn wedi colli ei wallt." Meddai wrtho, "Nid oes eisiau tô ar ben ysgubor wâg."
(There was) a man with a wig on his head. Another man asked "why do you wear a wig? Look at me, I'm completely bald". He replied "there is no need for a roof on an empty barn".
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
'Roedd hen wraig un tro yn myned i Quakers' Yard i roi tro am ei merch. Gofynodd y Ticket Collector am ei thocyn, a dywedodd wrthi fod yn rhaid newid dair gwaith. "Caton pawb i! Dim ond un dress sydd yn fy meddiant," meddai hi.
An old lady once was going to Quakers' Yard to see her daughter. The Ticket Collector asked to see her ticket, and told her that she would have to change three times. "Heavens above!" she said, "I only have one dress with me."
---
Years ago there was an old character, a shunter, who wanted to go on holiday for a week. The Regulation of the Company was that only three days holiday was allowed, but he told his mates that he would have six days, so he made his novel application as follows:-
"Dear Sir,-
"I beg to apply for six days holiday, with passes for myself and Sally to Aberystwyth. Sally is not well, and the Doctor told me to take her for a change of air. I intend taking her to Aberystwyth to give her a dip in the blue sea. I am sure you would not like to see Sally dying and leaving me here by myself."
The Superintendent sent for him to his office to explain; but when he went to the office the Superintendent did not say a word, but looked at him hard in the face for a time, and the shunter looked at him. The favour was granted by this sort of testing.
---
I was travelling in North Wales from Avon Wen to Barmouth; a young man and woman came in to the same compartment. The young man said to me "Good morning." I acknowledged the compliment. I kept reading my newspaper. They talked in Welsh very nice things: Where the honeymoon was to be spent, the goods and money she was to have from his father and mother, and even the farm they were going to reside at. They alighted at Glandovey Junction. I said to them, "Boreu da i chwi, 'nawr." (A good morning to you, now) The young woman looked scared, and blushed from ear to ear.
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