ERNEST "Ernie" Ford is a world-famous Lancashire writer.

The Westhoughton man with poems, short stories, plays, musicals and songs to his credit has been "discovered" by the Internet and a growing band of Lancashire ex-patriots are spreading the words of the 72-year-old to a whole new audience.

But, the question is, how many of these new people can understand a word he writes?

For Ernie writes in dialect which even English Southerners often struggle to follow.

"To be fair, over the years, as my stuff has spread away from the general 'Houghton and Bolton areas I have 'cleaned' up some of the dialect," said Ernie.

"It's the artistic licence which allows me to keep my stories and poems, in particular, as Lancashire work while not alienating a wider possible audience."

This is a bit like the "regional" TV announcers and radio personalities who tone down the wider excesses of an accents for a national audience. Now, with Ernie's Internet success -- he has some of his work actually published by an Internet publisher -- the "Westhoughton Wisdom" is spreading.

Ernie's own story is full of success and possibles. After having had many poems and stories published in the Bolton Evening News he is now in danger of becoming an "overnight" success.

Let's face it, when a Brazilian musician (albeit with Lancashire roots a generation or two ago) is writing music for some of his poems "our" Ernie is in serious danger of stardom.

But, of course, from his lovingly tended old cottage in Esther Fold, Ernie is making no preparations for the Oscar Ceremony or an appearance at the National Theatre.

"I'd just like people to buy my latest book to make some money for WASP (Westhoughton Age Support Project) and Age Concern," he said.

With a twinkling eye and ready smile Ernie is a gem of "a Lankysheer lad". He's "comfy" and doing what he likes to do which is to write.

He doesn't make any money from it but he wants to help those around him so all the proceeds from his latest book, "Well I Caw'nt Speyk" are being split between Age Concern and WASP.

Ernie grew up locally and wanted to be an artist: "But the war happened and that was the end of that, I went into engineering.

"I ended up enjoying my work but I always painted a bit, and delved into local history, and wrote a bit of poetry -- it's just there, I can't stop it, nor would I want to."

There is an impressive showcase of framed book covers sharing space with his own, original, paintings but he is still thinking of others.

"I put these short stories and some line drawings together with the aim of raising some cash for WASP.

"But I couldn't find a publisher anywhere.

"Eventually I went to Age Concern in Bolton and two of the girls in the office more or less produced it themselves on their computers."

A similar book "Owdoo" sold steadily for ten years: "That's a reet good bit o' money for 'em if this 'un'll do the same" said Ernie.

The book is available from Sweetens Bookshop in Bolton, from Woods Newsagent in Westhoughton and from the local library. Anyone who can help by stocking it can contact Len Maycroft, chairman of WASP, on 01942 818763.

You can read one of his stories HERE