F919 – Local School Pupils, 1950s.
| Title | “DOY” |
| Date | 2013 |
| Location | Guiseley |
| Written By | Brian Triffitt |
| Comment | A memory shared by Brian Triffitt of Guiseley. Has anybody heard of the word “DOY”? |
I only ever heard it as a child, and my auntie Hilda Preston of Swain Hill and then Park Road, Yeadon, always greeted me with “now then Doy are you alright?”
I once asked her what it meant and she told me.
It was “darling boy or a beloved person”.
I was looking through my scrap books for some thing and came across this little poem.
DOY
Weer is thi daddy, doy
Weer is thi mam,
What art ta crying for, poor little lamb,
Here tak this hawp’ny it ul buy thi some spice,
Rock sticks or humbugs,or summat at’s nice,
And then run of f hoam ageen,
As fast as tha can.
Theer thart all reight ageen
Run like a man.
He dried up his tears with his little crat,
He tried to say summat,
But I couldn’t tell what,
But his little face breetened
Wi pleasure all throo
Ah it’s cappin sometimes
What a hawp’ny will do.
Brian Triffitt
2013.
Additional Research
This poem was part taken from one by John Hartley from Halifax (1839 – 1915). He was an English poet and used the Yorkshire dialect in many of his works.
A ha’p’orth
Wheear is thi daddy, boy? Wheear is thyi mam?
What are ta’crying for, poor little lamb?
Dry up thi peepies, pet, wipe thi wet face;
Tears on thy little cheeks seem out o’ place.
What do they call thi, lad? tell me thi name.
Have they bin ooinin thi? Why it’s a shame!
Here, tak this orpni and by thi some spice,
Rocksticks, or humbugs, or summat at’s nice.
Then run off hooam again, fast as tha can;
Theer, th’art awreyt again, run like a man.
Hi wiped up ‘is tears wi’ is little white brat.
‘An he tried to say summat, Ah couldn’t tell what;
But ‘is little face breeten’d wi’ pleasure all throo,
Eeh, it’s cappin’ sometimes what a horpni can do.
Helen M.
14 September 2023
Previous Comments:
stansmummk1
My father Jim Lupton of The Robin Hood used to call me and my sisters doy, but I’ve never heard anyone else use it.
15 March 2014.
smbork
My Grandma, Ada Bailey nee Yeadon, Westfield Terrace, Yeadon, always called me “Doy”. I thought it was her equivalent of ‘Love.’ She kept a spice for me in the bottom drawer of the sideboard. I still have the ‘spice tin’ she used. My mum did the same as my children remember fondly. Loved the poem. Who wrote it?
16 March 2014.
budgiebri
Sorry I’ve no idea who wrote it. I just came across it one day and thought ey’up that just what my auntie Hilda used to call me, cut it out, stuck it in my scrap book and it’s just sat there all these years. I’m glad it’s caused a bit of interest. It’s little things like that, that are remembered by some of the older folk, when they have gone It’s then lost forever.
17 March 2014.
Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 31 August 2022.
Last updated: 29 October 2023 – Additional Research.
