Blaydon Races
Encyclopedia
Blaydon Races is a famous Geordie
folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in a style deriving from music hall
. It is regarded by many as the unofficial anthem
of Tyneside
and is frequently sung
by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club
and Newcastle Falcons
rugby club. Blaydon
is a small town in Gateshead
, situated about 4 mi (6.4 km) from Newcastle upon Tyne
, in North East England
. The actual race itself used to take place on the Stella Haugh 1 mi (1.6 km) west of Blaydon. Stella South Power Station was built on the site of the track in the early 1950s, after the races had stopped taking place in 1916.
Aw went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the ninth of Joon,
Eiteen hundred an' sixty-two, on a summer's efternoon;
Aw tyuk the 'bus frae Balmbra's, an' she wis heavy laden,
Away we went alang Collingwood Street, that's on the road to Blaydon.
(chorus)
Ah me lads, ye shud only seen us gannin',
We pass'd the foaks upon the road just as they wor stannin';
Thor wes lots o' lads an' lasses there, all wi' smiling faces,
Gawn alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races.
We flew past Airmstrang's factory, and up to the "Robin Adair",
Just gannin' doon te the railway bridge, the 'bus wheel flew off there.
The lasses lost their crinolines off, an' the veils that hide their faces,
An' aw got two black eyes an' a broken nose in gan te Blaydon Races.
(chorus)
When we gat the wheel put on away we went agyen,
But them that had their noses broke they cam back ower hyem;
Sum went to the Dispensary an' uthers to Doctor Gibbs,
An' sum sought out the Infirmary to mend their broken ribs.
(chorus)
Noo when we gat to Paradise thor wes bonny gam begun;
Thor was fower-an-twenty on the 'bus, man, hoo they danced an' sung;
They called on me to sing a sang, aw sung them "Paddy Fagan",
Aw danced a jig an' swung my twig that day aw went to Blaydon.
(chorus)
We flew across the Chain Bridge reet into Blaydon toon,
The bellman he was callin' there, they call him Jackie Broon;
Aw saw him talkin' to sum cheps, an' them he was pursuadin
To gan an' see Geordy Ridley's concert in the Mechanics' Hall at Blaydon.
(chorus)
The rain it poor'd aw the day an' myed the groons quite muddy,
Coffy Johnny had a white hat on - they war shootin' "Whe stole the cuddy."
There wes spice stalls an' munkey shows an' aud wives selling ciders,
An' a chep wiv a hapenny roond aboot, shootin' "Noo, me lads, for riders."
(chorus)
The song is now usually sung with more modern language but retaining the Tyneside dialect. For example the chorus might be sung:
Oh! me lads, ye shud a' seen us gannin,
Passin' the folks upon the road just as they were stannin'.
Thor wis lots o' lads and lasses there, all wi' smiling faces
Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races.
The song was adopted as its marching anthem by the fighting men of the Northumberland Fusiliers (a Royal regiment from 1935) of Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne.
's factory" was a large engineering works at Elswick
, which made large guns and other firearms. The "Robin Adair" was a pub
on Scotswood Road which has since been demolished. Paradise is a suburb of Newcastle.
MP presented a Parliamentary Petition to the Speaker of the House of Commons in support of the Campaign. Since August 2011, Campaign Group Members have been in ongoing dialogue with the two Councils. As at November 2011, the core campaign objective of delivering an on-street event on the actual anniversary of 9th June 2012 looked highly likely. But the Campaign Group continues to hold discussions with a broad range of other local organisations and institutions regarding additional events that they will hold to support a wider celebration of the anniversary.
is a 5.9 mile athletics race from Newcastle to Blaydon that takes place on June 9 every year and starts off with the singing of 'The Blaydon Races', as the words are used as the basis for the whole race.
Some other clubs that use this style of chant are:
Sunderland AFC
Walsall FC
Manchester United FC
Shrewsbury Town
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bolton Wanderers
Blackburn Rovers
AFC Wimbledon
Portadown F.C. (Northern Ireland)
Glenavon F.C. (Northern Ireland)
, Kevin Whately
and Tim Healy
of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
fame in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
, featuring an additional verse:
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
folk song written in the 19th century by Geordie Ridley, in a style deriving from music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
. It is regarded by many as the unofficial anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
of Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
and is frequently sung
Football chant
A football chant or terrace chant, is a song or chant sung at association football matches. They can be historic, dating back to the formation of the club, adaptations of popular songs, or spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch. They are one of the last remaining sources of an oral folk song...
by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
rugby club. Blaydon
Blaydon
Blaydon-on-Tyne is a town in the North East of England in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. The former urban district, however, extends much further, its fourteen and a half square miles constituting the largest administrative district, after Newcastle, on Tyneside...
is a small town in Gateshead
Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead
The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. It is named after its largest town, Gateshead, but also spans the towns of Rowlands Gill, Whickham, Blaydon and Ryton; suburban areas include Felling, Pelaw, Dunston and Low Fell.It is bordered...
, situated about 4 mi (6.4 km) from Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. The actual race itself used to take place on the Stella Haugh 1 mi (1.6 km) west of Blaydon. Stella South Power Station was built on the site of the track in the early 1950s, after the races had stopped taking place in 1916.
Lyrics
The song is quoted from the author's manuscript in Allan's as follows:Aw went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the ninth of Joon,
Eiteen hundred an' sixty-two, on a summer's efternoon;
Aw tyuk the 'bus frae Balmbra's, an' she wis heavy laden,
Away we went alang Collingwood Street, that's on the road to Blaydon.
(chorus)
Ah me lads, ye shud only seen us gannin',
We pass'd the foaks upon the road just as they wor stannin';
Thor wes lots o' lads an' lasses there, all wi' smiling faces,
Gawn alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races.
We flew past Airmstrang's factory, and up to the "Robin Adair",
Just gannin' doon te the railway bridge, the 'bus wheel flew off there.
The lasses lost their crinolines off, an' the veils that hide their faces,
An' aw got two black eyes an' a broken nose in gan te Blaydon Races.
(chorus)
When we gat the wheel put on away we went agyen,
But them that had their noses broke they cam back ower hyem;
Sum went to the Dispensary an' uthers to Doctor Gibbs,
An' sum sought out the Infirmary to mend their broken ribs.
(chorus)
Noo when we gat to Paradise thor wes bonny gam begun;
Thor was fower-an-twenty on the 'bus, man, hoo they danced an' sung;
They called on me to sing a sang, aw sung them "Paddy Fagan",
Aw danced a jig an' swung my twig that day aw went to Blaydon.
(chorus)
We flew across the Chain Bridge reet into Blaydon toon,
The bellman he was callin' there, they call him Jackie Broon;
Aw saw him talkin' to sum cheps, an' them he was pursuadin
To gan an' see Geordy Ridley's concert in the Mechanics' Hall at Blaydon.
(chorus)
The rain it poor'd aw the day an' myed the groons quite muddy,
Coffy Johnny had a white hat on - they war shootin' "Whe stole the cuddy."
There wes spice stalls an' munkey shows an' aud wives selling ciders,
An' a chep wiv a hapenny roond aboot, shootin' "Noo, me lads, for riders."
(chorus)
The song is now usually sung with more modern language but retaining the Tyneside dialect. For example the chorus might be sung:
Oh! me lads, ye shud a' seen us gannin,
Passin' the folks upon the road just as they were stannin'.
Thor wis lots o' lads and lasses there, all wi' smiling faces
Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races.
History
Ridley sang the song at a concert in Balmbra's Music Hall on 5 June 1862. It is likely that on this occasion the song ended with the exhortation to see Ridley's show on the 9 June, and that the final verse was added for that later performance. Although the account of the trip to Blaydon is a fiction, the heavy rain and missing cuddy (horses) were reported in the local press.The song was adopted as its marching anthem by the fighting men of the Northumberland Fusiliers (a Royal regiment from 1935) of Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Places mentioned
"AirmstrangWilliam George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong
William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong CB, FRS was an effective Tyneside industrialist who founded the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing empire.-Early life:...
's factory" was a large engineering works at Elswick
Elswick, Tyne and Wear
Elswick is a ward of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the western part of the city, bordering the river Tyne. One of the earliest references to the coal mining industry of the north east occurs in 1330, when it was recorded that the Prior of Tynemouth let a colliery, called Heygrove, at...
, which made large guns and other firearms. The "Robin Adair" was a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
on Scotswood Road which has since been demolished. Paradise is a suburb of Newcastle.
150th Anniversary Campaign
In December 2010 an on-line petitionhttp://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/blaydonraces150was launched calling for "...a clear and sustained commitment on the part of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead Councils to work hand-in-hand with the Geordie people...to help deliver an appropriate celebration of the 150th anniversary of Mr George Ridley's world-famous anthem of Tyneside." The Campaign http://www.blaydonraces150.co.ukcurrently has around 3,000 registered supporters in all media including 1,896 (Nov 2011) signatories to the petition. On November 9th 2011, Chi OnwurahChi Onwurah
Chinyelu Susan "Chi" Onwurah is a British Labour Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, replacing the previous Labour MP Jim Cousins, who decided to step down...
MP presented a Parliamentary Petition to the Speaker of the House of Commons in support of the Campaign. Since August 2011, Campaign Group Members have been in ongoing dialogue with the two Councils. As at November 2011, the core campaign objective of delivering an on-street event on the actual anniversary of 9th June 2012 looked highly likely. But the Campaign Group continues to hold discussions with a broad range of other local organisations and institutions regarding additional events that they will hold to support a wider celebration of the anniversary.
Modern race
The Blaydon RaceBlaydon Race
The Blaydon Race is a 5.9 mile athletics race from Newcastle upon Tyne, England to Blaydon that is steeped in local tradition. It takes place on June 9 every year and starts off with the singing of The Blaydon Races -- with the words as the basis for the race....
is a 5.9 mile athletics race from Newcastle to Blaydon that takes place on June 9 every year and starts off with the singing of 'The Blaydon Races', as the words are used as the basis for the whole race.
Use as a football chant
Although 'The Blaydon Races' is recognised as the Newcastle United FC supporters song, it has been adapted for use by many clubs throughout England. The geographical references (e.g. Scotswood Rd) and dialect words (e.g. gannin') in the lyrics are changed to suit the club but the tune remains the same.Some other clubs that use this style of chant are:
Sunderland AFC
Walsall FC
Manchester United FC
Shrewsbury Town
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bolton Wanderers
Blackburn Rovers
AFC Wimbledon
Portadown F.C. (Northern Ireland)
Glenavon F.C. (Northern Ireland)
Recordings
- Eightball Voodoo's heavy rock version released 07/11/2011 - http://www.eightballvoodoo.com
- The Friends of Fiddler's GreenFriends of Fiddler's GreenFriends of Fiddler's Green is a Canadian folk music group based in Toronto. The original members of the group for its first recording, The Road to Mandalay, were Grit Laskin, Tam Kearney, Ian Robb, Laurence Stevenson, David Parry, and Jeff McClintock on keyboards...
on The Road to Mandalay 1994 - YouTube recording http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PrMaVjHS74
Bobby Robson tribute
In November 2009 a charity version of 'Blaydon Races' was recorded by Jimmy NailJimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
, Kevin Whately
Kevin Whately
Kevin Whately is an English actor.Whately is known for his starring role as Neville Hope in the British television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, his role as Dr Jack Kerruish in the drama series Peak Practice, and as Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the crime dramas Inspector Morse and...
and Tim Healy
Tim Healy (actor)
Timothy Malcolm Healy is an English actor. He is best known for playing Dennis Patterson in the television series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. He is married to the actress Denise Welch.-Career:...
of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven English migrant construction workers. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site in Düsseldorf....
fame in aid of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a British cancer research charity which raises money to fund the early detection and treatment of cancer, and clinical trials of anti-cancer drugs...
, featuring an additional verse:
And now a word for Bobby Robson, hero of the Toon; A football man, a gentleman, who never let we doon; A friendly word, a cheery smile, and brave right to the end; We're proud to say your one of wors, Sir Bob... Auf Wiedersehen.