Eh up, it’s al’reet being talked about!

POPULAR . . . John Lees

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

Oldham accent earns farmer John cult status
AN Oldham farmer is proving an internet sensation after his broad Lancashire accent won him a legion of fans.

John Lees, who celebrated his 80th birthday this week, was born and raised with his two brothers and one sister on the former Barrowshaw Farm, off Ripponden Road.

The dairy farmer used to deliver milk on a horse and cart to the area but is now living and working at Park Farm, in Walmersley, Bury.

However, since recording a message on the shop’s answerphone, they have been inundated with repeat callers wanting to hear his broad Oldham tones.

Radio stations have featured his vocals, winning him an army of fans and turning him into a Facebook phenomenon overnight.

Daughter Kathryn Walmsley (42), of Chorley, said: “It all started when the phone wasn’t working and the engineer needed to record someone on the answerphone.

“Dad was the only one around so agreed.

“Since then we’ve had lots of comments every day about the message.

“People call us up just to hear his voice.

“One woman said she’d rang three times just to hear the message.

“Radio stations — including one in London —picked it up and said it was fantastic.”

Despite all the attention, the father-of-six, grandfather-of-12 and great-grandfather-of-three is taking it all in his stride.

Mrs Walmsley added: “People say he should be on the speaking clock, or doing voice-overs.

“But he’s not fazed at all by the attention, he likes talking to people anyway — I’m sure he’d be happy to do voice-overs!

“He always gives out pearls of wisdom such as ‘a man’s needs are very few, it’s his wants that are expensive.’

“And he’s always got the longest queue when he’s working on the tills in the farm shop because people want to talk to him.

“He’s had two new hips, two new knees, a new shoulder and a pacemaker — and he still gets up every day at 6am to work on the farm.

“He’s a salt-of-the-earth man. But we just know him as our dad who has always talked like that.”


:: HEAR John’s dulcet tones by calling the farm shop on 01706-823 577.