DIALECT poet, songwriter, scriptwriter, artist, playwright or amateur historian - call him what you want, but Ernest Ford was good at it.

The popular Westhoughton author and poet died, aged 76, this week and left a hefty contribution to Lancashire life.

Ernest Ford was famed for his poetry, prose and comedy written in his home town dialect.

Ernest lived a large part of his life in Esther Fold, close to the tiny village of Hart Common, where he grew up.

His father went down the pit while his mother brought up Ernest and his four brothers and sisters - a tough but happy start to life that shaped much of his work.

It would be many years before Ernest started to write for a living, but at school his favourite lesson was always English and he enjoyed drawing, cartooning and painting., creating Lowry-like figures stalking bleak Northern landscapes.

Prior to beginning writing, Ernest worked as a sales clerk for a Wigan mining engineering firm, from where he was made redundant and devoted himself to writing, although he had begun to compose dialect poetry while completing National Service.

He began his new career by writing a musical drama called "The Oath" about the trial of Luddites accused of burning down a Westhoughton Mill.

In 1986 he told the then Bolton Evening News: "Writing dialect was almost unheard of in those days, but during the slack times I'd get out my typewriter and bash out poems."

His first dialect poem appeared in glossy magazine, Lancashire Life, and went on to be used in TV and stage sketches. One of his most popular works was Lancashire Tales of Mirth - a book of 24 comical tales based on local characters and places - which was published in 1987.

Just previous to this, though, he achieved fame of a certain level when local folk band The Houghton Weavers performed his lyrics for "Tek me on t'fair", "Awterations" and "The Howfen Legend".

Determined to be more than a poet, he joined the Performing Rights Society and the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and subsequently answered a letter written by Welsh composer Henry Huxley, which eventually resulted in the two collaborating in the musical comedy "A Libber Of Love".

The two went on to work on a TV script based on "A Christmas Carol" called "What The Dickens", a musical of the children's favourite "Heidi" and the aforementioned "The Oath".

He also went on to write pantomimes, including versions of "Aladdin" and "Cinderella".

In 1991 his pocket guide to the Lancashire dialect "Albert's Easy Teach Yourself Lancashire Dialect" - Albert was his flat-capped, silver-mufflered pipe-smoking cartoon character - was published with the aim of educating outsiders as to the mysteries of local phrases such as "Oozer theesclugs" (Whose are these clogs?). As well as a dictionary of words and phrases, it included several short stories.

In 1994 The Westhoughton Parish Players presented his play Ernie's Roses Are Red, which was set in a Northern seaside boarding house around the 1950s/1960s.

Throughout his life he remained committed to Westhoughton and formed the town's Writers' Circle, which resulted in the publication of several volumes of poetry and prose.

Such was his commitment to his home town, he even considered Bolton a "foreign territory", once saying: "If Bolton is the Klondyke of local history, people will have to come to Westhoughton for the gold.

"Historically, we've got it all - Civil War battle sites, buildings of interest, sports and entertainment personalities. It just needs to be recognised, that's all."

Aside from writing, Ernest, who died in Leigh Infirmary on Tuesday after a short illness, was also known for his outstanding knowledge of local history, and enjoyed a pint or two, gardening, and watching Westhoughton Cricket Club and Bolton Wanderers.

Mr Ford's nephew, Albert Adamson, aged 67, said: "To Ernest, there was no place like Westhoughton. He loved everything about it and was inspired by it.

"Even when we were young he was always painting or writing or making something. I think it was that creativity that drew people towards him.

"He was a real character and had a terrific sense of humour, even during his last days. I think his legacy will be seen in projects all over the town."

One of Ernest's last works was his collection of stories written in Lancashire dialect: Lowry Land Laffs, many of which were published in this paper last year.

This set the seal on a long and colourful career, which almost begun by accident.

As Ernest himself said of his humble beginnings: "I set myself thinking of my dog at home and lo and behold found myself tap, tap, tapping my way through my first completed poem.

"As I had been speaking dialect words since birth I now discovered that I had a natural flair to write them down." From little acorns...

Ow Do by Ernest Ford

Ow do I said to this owd chap
Ow do he sed un raised his cap
Neaw who tha are I've nor a clue
But any road, ow do!
Ow do, agen I sed up t' road
To a ragbone mon sat on his load
Wilt stop awhile afore climbing t' brew
Ut least for t' se, ow do!
Ow do, he sed I'm fain t' see thee
Con t' gi uz a push I've hurt mi knee
Un on top o' that hers thrown a shoe
Aye, I'm fain for t' se, ow do!
Ow do, I strained eawt out, ow do
Uz him un t' load I pushed up brew
I met a farmer havin trouble too
BUT I NEVER SED, OW DO!