James and I shared a liking of many comedians, especially the great Stanley Baxter. Here’s a description of a sketch by him from his wonderful “Parliamo Glasgow”, a book about how to speak Glaswegian. Here is a funny sketch about a barrow seller.
Stanley Baxter is walking with a friend who is tired. They meet Clara with her barrow selling vegetables. Stanley says to his complaining friend, “Wharra hellza me’er?”
She says, “Ahm tired oot, cannae ging nay fur’rer.”
He suggests, “Tak a seat on ra honnle o’ ra barra.”
His friend says, “Iz ower narra, ra honnle o’ ra barra.”
He asks the barrow woman, “Zarra tamarra on ra barra, Clara?”
She replies, “Naw, iz no a tamarra … iz a marra.”
Stanley’s tired friend, aptly named Mia Farrow, says, “I think I’ll buy ra marra fur mah farra.”
Stanley says, “Mia Farra borra marra furra farra!” – there are five sets of rolling “Rs” to get the tongue round there. Then Mia, as she puts the marrow back, accidentally knocks some vegetables out of the barrow, and Stanley says, “Oh, naw! Mia Farra’s couped Clara’s barra wi’ ra marra.”