(Painting: William Irving)
THE BLAYDON RACES
The lyrics (by Geordie Ridley) as first published in Allan’s book of Tyneside Songs in 1862:
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 Brown;
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 boys, for riders."
(Chorus)
George Ridley was born in Gateshead on 10 February 1835 and began working as a trapper boy at Oakwellgate Colliery when he was just 8 years old. He later went on to work as a wagon rider for Hawks Crawshay & Co but was forced to look elsewhere for employment due to a severe leg injury.
George turned his talents to songwriting and became a popular entertainer, writing and performing his own songs.
The Blaydon Races ballad was first performed by George Ridley at Mr Balmbra's Royal Music Saloon in Newcastle's Cloth Market on 5 June 1962 as part of a benefit concert for the famous oarsman Harry Clasper.
The song was next performed at Blaydon Mechanics Hall on 9 June and it is thought that this performance is probably when the last verse was added.
The Blaydon Races song recounts a trip from Newcastle to Blaydon to go to a horse race meeting that was held at a race course on Blaydon Island. All of the places mentioned in the song did exist and it is thought that all of the characters mentioned were real people.
