Hello List-A-Kins .. I have received an article extracted from a British newspaper, by snail mail, ....... I do not know the date that the article was published. As many of us have origins in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire I thought that you would enjoy reading it. ...beginning "A LOTTERY GRANT THATS TALK OF THE FOREST .... It is not a greeting many would recognise, but in the Forest of Dean 'Ow bist old butt?' is as common as 'hello' or good morning . Now the saying, which means 'how are you, mate' is to be preserved as part of a project, to save the ancient Gloucestershire dialect of Forest. The National Lottery has awarded £89,000 to the Dean Heritage Centre, near Cinderford, which will record expressions and sayings from local people, known as Foresters, to ensure their culture never dies. The dialect is spoken mostly by older people and is thought to have emerged in the 17th. or 18th. century. Its origins are in the area's former mining industry, but it never spread beyond the Forest, which is bound by the Rivers Wye and Severn. Words include "butty" - a good friend, "vurrenerf" - a foreigner, and "vurrist" - forest. And typical phrases are " Wona bi karevul wat ha bist soyin" - you want to watch what you're saying, and " Wi bin too long in the 'oods to be vritend ov owls" - were not frightened easily. With a population of 120,000, the forest of Dean is apart of rural Gloucestershire that developed its own way of life because of its geographical isolation. " end ...... Now, I have to say that there are many of my friends and rellies question me as " ta wat i be a sayin arf the time !! ..... now I have the perfect answer. " Its in the genes 'Ole boy !! Have a Happy New Year !! Glen A. Yearsley YEARSLEY Surname List Administrator