When we moved to the Wigan area, many years ago, I couldn't understand a word that the old people, in particular, were saying. They used such a lot of dialect words, such as "I'm fair clempt" meaning that they were hungry, that it was almost like living in a foreign country! Each little district had their own way of speaking, and people knew instantly where you came from, even if it was only a couple of miles away.
I gradually became 'tuned-in' and loved listening to th'owd fauk and their tales. Sadly, television has killed off most of the old accents and expressions.