The Blaydon Races
The Blaydon Races, 1862, Geordie, (George) Ridley, 1835-1864, Air: Brighton
First Published In: Allan, T., George Ridley's New Local Song Book, c.1863.
For much more see my book:
An Introduction To Eccentrics and the Folk Music of Newcastle Upon Tyne Click here
Blaydon Races-Lyrics
Air—“Brighton”
Aw went to Blaydon Races, ‘twas on the ninth of Joon,
Eiteen hundred an’ sixty-two on a summer’s afternoon,
Aw tuek the bus frae Blambra’s, an’ she wis heavy laden,
Away we went alang Collingwood Street,
That’s on the road to Blaydon
Chorus
O lads, ye shud only seen us gannin,
We passed the folks upon the road just as they wor stannin;
Thor wes lots o’ lads an’ lasses there, all wi’ smilling faces
Gan alang the Scotswood Road, to see the Blaydon Races
We flew past Airmstrang’s factory, and up to the “Robin Adair,”
Just gan 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—O lads, &c.
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, and uthers to Doctor Gibb’s,
An’ sum sought out the Infirmary to mend their broken Ribs.
Chorus- O lads, &c.
Noo when we gat to Paradise thor wes bonny gam begun,
Thor wes fower-and-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.
Chrous—O lads &c.
The rain it poor’d aw the day an’ myed the groond quite muddy,
Coffy Johnny had a white hat on, they war shootin’ “who stole the cuddy.”
There wes spice-stalls an’ monkey shows, an’ aud wives selling ciders,
An’ a chep wiv a happeny roond aboot shootin’ now, me boys for riders.
Chorus—O lads, ye shud only seen us gannin, &c.
-Ridley, George, George Ridley’s New Local Song Book, T. Allan, Dean Street, Collingwood Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, c. 1863 (earliest known publication of the song)
Notation:
About the Subject of the Song
The song lists events of a coach journey from Newcastle to Blaydon. The Blaydon races were held on an island in the middle of the River Tyne at Blaydon. In 1862 the races were canceled due to a bad storm which kept the horses from coming across to the racecross. The storm is mentioned in the last verse of the song. Most of the events in the song occurred in 1861. The Blaydon races were held for the last time on September 2, 1916. The race was canceled following a riot caused by the disqualification of a winning horse.
-The Farne Archive, http://www.asaplive.com/archive/detail.asp?id=T0200602
Newspaper Accounts of the Races
Announcement of the Races
Bells Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, May 25, 1862
Account of the Races
Newcastle Courrant, June 13, 1862
Results of the Races
Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle June 15, 1862
Cast of Characters
Doctor Gibb
“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.
-The Blaydon Races
-Gale, Joan, The Blaydon Races, 1990, P.24.
“In 1839 the Dispensary was moved to Nelson Street into a building erected by Grainger. It remained there until 1928… The Infirmary was on the Forth Banks beside the Central Station. Dr. C. J. Gibb was probably the berst known doctor in Newcastle at that time. He had played a prominent part in fighting the Cholera epidemic in 1853.”
-Blaydon Races Festival Committee, The Blaydon Races Heritage Trail, 9th of June, 1962.
“Dr. Gibb lived in a fine house at the foot of the Westgate Road. It was known as Gibb Chambers (owned by the Refuge Assurance Company) Doors surmounted by carved bunches of grapes in wood. Staircase was of wrought iron and mahogany. Photo of Dr. Gibb- flowing beard and side whiskers was in the house but was destroyed. The house had doctor’s speaking tubes to allow patients to talk to the doctor. In 1862 the infirmary was at the end of the Scotswood Road near Newcastle Central Station; part of its red brick wall still stands. The infirmary was endowed by George Stephenson (inventor of the steam locomotive) The dispensary was in City Road, Newcastle.” - Gale, Joan, The Blaydon Races, 1970, pp. 25-26.
Jackie Broon
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.
-The Blaydon Races
“Jacky Brown the Bellman was the town crier at the time of the 1862 Blaydon Races. He was also the verger at St. Cuthbert’s -Church. He died in 1901 and is buried in Blaydon Cemetery.”
---Blaydon Races Festival Committee, The Blaydon Races Heritage Trail, 9th June, 1862, Gale, Joan, The Blaydon Races,1970, p. 4..
“Jacky Brown the bellman acted as verger at St. Cuthbert’s church, Wesley Place….Mr. Pickering owned an old wall clock which once belonged to Jacky Brown, the Blaydon Bellman. When Jacky Brown the father died in a little house in Wesley Place Blaydon, his son, another Jacky Brown sold all the old furniture including this clock to my father….explained Mr. Pickering..…Jacky Brown the Bellman was related to Mrs. Hall (Mrs. Martha Ann Hall of Greenfield, Ryton on Tyne born 1877) She described his residence in Wesley Place, Blaydon: There used to be a shop that sold tripe and white pudding, with a second hand clothes shop next door. It was near to the Salvation Army…He was town crier at Blaydon at the time of the first Blaydon Races 1861-62. His son, also named Jacky Brown took over the job. He was born in 1855. George Ridley must have paid Jacky Brown a fee to advertise his race-night concert. Jacky Brown II was the last town crier in England. He died at Middlesborough in 1935. His brass bell was presented to Dorman Long Museum at Middlesborough.Its ownership has been disputed over the years. The original Jacky Brown the Bellman died in 1901 and is buried in Blaydon cemetery. It lies just about twenty paces beyond the chapel, in the old part of the cemetery.”
- Gale, Joan, The Blaydon Races, 1970, p.37.-50.
|
Coffee Johnny from Gale, Joan, The Blaydon Races, p. 38. |
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." -The Blaydon Races
Coffy Johnny was a
famous local celebrity. He was a blacksmith at
Winlaton. He
appeared at all local festivities wearing his
white hat. He
died in 1900 and is buried in St. Paul’s Cemetary
at Winlaton. - The Blaydon Races Heritage Trail,
9th June, 1962.
Facts
about John Oliver AKA Coffee or Coffy Johnny
John Oliver
was born, resided and was buried in Winlaton. Born:
April
19th 1829. A son, John to Thomas and Margery Oliver.
Noted in the Parish register of St. Paul’s Church
Winlaton.
He was a
Bare Knuckle Boxer and horse racing enthusiast.
There are two explantions of his nickname, one from
his youth when he was known to ask his friends to
wait before going to school so he could finish his
cup of coffee and the other that he always drank
coffee when doing business. Tom Oliver was the
grandson of Coffee Johnny.
His crony was Raggy Harry. Winlaton, Johnny’s
place of residence was a mile up the hill from
Blaydon. He was a member of Winlaton Band. Coffee
Johnny worked at the Winlaton ironwork as a
blacksmith. He
is described public records as: “smith,
blacksmith, oddware smith and journeyman.”
Local
historian John W Bilcliff suggested that in his
later years he was a bit of a roamer and an idler,
although he worked for a while in a forge at
Swalwell.
Coffee
died at Blyth, Northumberland. April 8, 1900, at 75 years
of age of pneumonia. He died at the home of his
daughter Mary Ann. He is buried in the new ground in
the churchyard pf St. Paul’s, Winlaton in grave 107,
North West Sector, without a headstone. “The burial records show
that he needed a seven foot plot bury him, which was
the biggest plot recorded in the parish records.”
"Coffee
Johnny’s funeral the 7th April 1900 memorable.His
body was brought to Blaydon station to be met by the
Winlaton Brass Band who marched him up the hill to
St Paul's cemetery. At his request they played "When
Johnny comes marching home."
There
is some dispute about the music: “Grandson Joe
Oliver claimed the Band played the tune as they left
Blaydon station. This is disputed by John W Bilcliff
who claims they played the Dead March on the way to
the cemetery and "When Johnny comes marching home"
after the interment.”
On
June 10th 2000 a gravestone was placed on his burial
spot in site 107 in the NW sector of St Paul's
Church.
Memories
of Coffee Johnny
“Whole
stole the cuddy?” from the song “The Blaydon
Races” refers to the fact that due to a bad
rainstorm few horses were able to cross over to
Blaydon Island on the day of the race. In dialect
“cuddy” means donkey.
According
to Colonel J.A., Coffee Johnny went to every meet of
the hounds. The Colonel’s mother and father knew him
well. He was a sporting man. “Fifty to a hundred
years ago men were not turned out of one mould as is
the tendency today, and there was much more scope
for individual characters to develop on their own
lines. “
Coffee in
his old age assisted “Lord Ravensworth, the third
earl into the saddle.
Lord Ravensworth was getting near the end of
his hunting days and the business of mounting was
not accomplished without a certain amount of effot. yer
getting’ au’d ann stiff, like mesel mistor
Ravensworth Coffee tod his lordship.”
A story
from Mr. Pickering: “Coffee was drinking with some
of his pals in a public house when a farmer came in,
called for a glass of beer, and rashly pulled out a
pile of notes.
In conversation, the farmer mentioned that he
lived at Hamsterley some ten miles away up the
Derwent Valley. His new-found friends were
interested, and so was Coffee. He knew
that the men were going to follow the farmer and rob
him on his way home, explained Mr. Pickering. Coffee
waited till the farmer was at the door of the inn,
then he stood up and said- I will walk with you to
Hamsterley-you lot can all go home. As Coffee was a
noted man with his fists, and of uncommon size, the
farmer was assured of a safe passage home, with such
an escort.”
Mrs. Martha
Hall of Greenfield, Ryton on Tyne observed : “I
remember the sack racing- Coffee Johnny was in that.
A very tall man, he was. We children used to stand
watching, all eyes.”
“Mr
Pickering gave him a lift on the boot of his open
carriage on race days.”
Mr. Richard
Hurst noted: “He was a smith and a decent sort of
chap. I remember he went to every funeral there was
in Winlaton. Coffee Johny was always at the end of
the procession.
He was a very tall man, and he used to wear a
top hat, of a kind. He used to fight for prize money
at Hedley, on the borders of Northumberland and
Durham. Hands like a leg of mutton, he had, but he
was not a fighter by nature, more of a kindly sort
of man. Coffee had a grandson named Mr. Joseph
Oliver.Coffee had two sons Joseph and Tom
Joseph was
the eldest son of Joseph who said of Coffee:
“My
grandfather died when I was only a few years old s
But he was very well known, and I used to hear tell
of him often from the chaps that remembered him.
Once he was follyin’ the hounds- he was a great one
for follyin’ the hounds- and this day Lord
Ravensworth’s daughter had jumped a gate and her
horse got into a bog.
Can you
help me, John? She cried. I will try, my lady.
Then Coffee
got his back under the horse’s belly, and heaved her
and the horse out of the mud When Lord Ravensworth
saw Coffee Johnny after that he would give him a
sovereign for saving his daughter and her horse. He was a
great favorite with Lord Ravensworth. Coffee would
tell his lordship: I will be a bigger landowner than
you some day” “How’s
that?” asked his lordship- “Because when I die, it
will take seven foot of land to bury me, but less to
bury you, so I will be the bigger landowner. Coffee
told him. Coffee Johnny was six fot six in height.”
Tom Oliver
recalled: “My
father told me that his dad got the nickname of
Coffee because he was so fond of drinking coffee”
said Joe Oliver. He was a celebrated pugilist. There
was a match arranged between Coffee and the landlord
of a pub at Tanifeield, County Durham, whose name
was Krisopp. Coffee won. Krisopp walked with his
head tilted to one side until he died due to the
fight. Mr.
Tom Oliver noted that he had many friends. Oliver
remembred one day he went out in his shirt sleeves
to fetch a pail of water. In them
days, the only water was from a tap in the yard or
the street- there was no water in the houses. Well,
Coffee went out in his shirt sleeves for this pail
of water, and did not get back for a fortnight.
‘Wherever he had been….he must have met somebody he
knew and that’s why he didn’t get home for a
fortnight. He used to walk miles…”
Tom Oliver
also noted- Coffee used to drink at the highlander
publick house in Swalwell. At a
hopping week Coffee had come from Winlawton to visit
his parents and attend the fair. His father was not
at home. Johnny offered to take his mother Sarah to
the hoppings. Passing the Highlander Johnny heard
the voice of a Winlawton man speaking in the pub:
“If I could get my hands on that Coffee Johnny, I’d
break his
neck.” “Sit thee doon, Sal, and get thee pipe”
Coffee told his mother “I have a bit of an argument
to settle in here,” and he went in. Later the man
who was talking came out running.
Coffee was
famous for fighting a pitched battle on Heldey Fell
on
May 1850
against Will Renwick, another pugilist. Coffee won.
“On
May 27th 1850 at the age of 22, fully-grown, well
over six foot, with muscles developed by his work as
a smith he fought Will Renwick on Hedley Fell.
Renwick was a formidable opponent who had a
reputation as a pugilist, a poacher and a man of
violence. This was bare knuckle fighting, already
unpopular with the authorities. The fights went on
until the opponent could not stand up. Every round
ended with a knock down. One minute later the
fighters had to be on their feet ready to start
again or the fight was over. The fight lasted for 36
rounds and 1 hour 10 minutes. At the end Renwick had
to be brought home in a cart and was attended by Drs
Brown and Callander of Greenside and Scott of
Newburn. Coffee Johnny had a great reputation as a
fighter and there are many local tales of his
exploits.”
Mr
Pickering observed: "My father owned a livery stable
in Blaydon and each year he hired a landau to the
race meeting. In 1891 when I was eighteen I began to
drive the landau and used to take the race stewards
from Blaydon to the race course at Stella. I often
used to give Coffeee Johnny a lift on the boot of
the landau. He was a great big fellow and used to
get himself dressed up in a tall white hat."
Martha
Ann Hall of Ryton, born in Blaydon 1877, said:
"There used to be quoit throwing and foot racing in
the streets at Harpers Ferry Inn at the times of the
races. I remember the sack racing - Coffee Johnny
was in that. A very tall man, he was. We children
used to stand watching, all eyes."
Tom
Oliver his grandson told the story: "I heard tell of
the day he went out in his shirt sleeves to fetch a
pail of water. In them days, the only water was from
a tap in the yard or the street - there was no water
in the houses. Well, Coffee went out in his shirt
sleeves for this pail of water, and did not get back
for a fortnight. He must of met somebody he knew and
that's why he didn't get home for a fortnight. He
used to walk miles. There were no buses then."
“Coffee
Johnny was a long time follower of the The Winlaton
Brass band but does not appear to have actually
played in it. There was some confusion over this as
a Gateshead man, a trumpeter, took over the nickname
Coffee Johnny after the death of John Oliver and is
shown in photographs with Tommy on the Bridge.”
Richard Hurst observed: "He
was a smith and a decent sort of chap. I remember he
went to every funeral there was in Winlaton. Coffee
Johnny was always at the end of the procession. He
was a very tall man and he used to wear a top hat.
Family Facts
On
the April 14th 1852 in the Winlaton Parish records :
“A wedding of John Oliver to Elizabeth Greener.
Elizabeth had also been baptised at St Paul's on
June 30th 1837, the daughter of John, a husbandman
and Mary Greener. The marriage was soon followed by
the baptism of a daughter Catherine on November 12th
1852, Mary Ann in 1854, Margery in 1856, Elizabeth
in 1858, and Margaret in early 1862.
Mrs. Martha
Willford was a granddaughter of Coffee Johnny. His
wife was Miss Greener of Winlaton. He had two sons,
Tom and Joe and six daughters: Kate, Mary Ann,
Madge, Maggie, Lizzie and Sarah.
The
Olivers were blessed with eight children, all of
whom survived. After Margaret came Sarah in 1863,
Tom in 1867 and Joseph in 1869. The 1871 census
records the family as living in Church Road at
Winlaton, presumably a misprint for Church Street…..
In 1872 the baptism of Hannah is recorded and then
her death aged 8 months. The baptism of John is
recorded on August 27th 1873. On May 27th,
1875, the baptism of William is recorded, followed
by the burial of Elizabeth on May 30th and then
tragically the burial of William on June 10th aged
13 days. In the 1881 census Coffee Johnny is found
at 12 Wagtail, Holmside, Durham, at the home of his
daughter Margery, by this time married to Mark Young
with three children of her own, Isabella, Thomas and
Catherine. Coffee is registered as a widower and was
living there with the three youngest children,
Sarah, Thomas and Joseph.”
-http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DUR/Winlaton/Coffee.html.Watson,
Elsdon, The Life and Times of Coffee Johnny,
died April 5th, 1900 aged 72., Gale,
Joan, The Blaydon Races,1970, p.32-41.
Geordie
Ridley
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.
-The Blaydon Races, (See;
the song section for details)
GEORGE
RIDLEY
Was a native of
Gateshead, in which town he was born on the 10th of
February 1835. At the early age of eight years our
future rhymer was sent to Oakwellgate Colliery as a
trapper-boy. (Ed.
Note: The
“trapper
boy”- opened the doors to let the coal tubs
through the mine workings) After but a
brief stay at Oakwellgate, he went to the Goose Pit,
or, according to its more familiar name, "The
Gyuess." There he remained ten years. He next went
to Messrs. Hawks, Crawshay, & Co., as a
waggonrider, and remained there about three years;
an accident, which nearly terminated fatally,
bringing his connection with that firm to an abrupt
termination.
While
riding, as usual, his train of waggons down the
incline (upon which his duties principally lay), by
some breakage or mishap, the waggons became
unmanageable, and, being no longer under control,
rushed at a great speed down the incline. To save
himself as much as possible from the danger
threatening, George jumped from his stand on the
runaway waggons, but, in doing so, he unfortunately
got himself severely crushed and injured.
For a long
time he lay, incapable of work; and when at length
he began to recover, it was only to find his
strength so shattered that anything like regular
work he was totally unfitted for. Being thus forced
to seek a new means of earning a livelihood, he fell
back upon his powers as a singer, more especially of
Irish comic and old Tyneside songs (in which he
excelled); and thus was forced by accident into the
path which afterwards led him to such a widespread
popularity in the North. His first professional
engagement was at the Grainger Music Hall, where he
brought out his first local song, "Joey Jones."
This, with the humour with which he invested it, and
the local popularity of the subject (Joey Jones
having just then won the Northumberland Plate), was
a great success. At the Wheat-sheaf Music Hall (now
the Oxford), his next engagement, he was equally
successful; and, when engaged at the Tyne Concert
Hall (at that time just opened by Mr.
|
Ridley in his
role as Bobby Cure |
In the midst of this success, after a short public career of about five years, his health began seriously to fail. He had never properly cast off the deadly effects of the accident at Messrs. Hawks', the severe crushing he had received on that occasion undoubtedly being the cause of his illness, which rapidly began to assume a dangerous appearance. After a brief struggle of little more than three months, he died at his residence in Grahamsley Street, Gateshead, on Friday, September 9th, 1864, aged 30 years. On the Sunday following, he was buried at St. Edmund's Cemetery, a large number of his friends and admirers following his remains to the grave.
|
Ridley in his
role as "Johnny Luik Up" |
Sketch
from
1872 Edition.
Joe
Wilson, whose acrostics on so many of his
contemporaries have already appeared, did not
forget Ridley. In the following he touches upon
Ridley's successes, and regrets his early death.
ACROSTIC.
R eady
wes he wi' the "Bobby Cure,"
I n
Stanley's Hall, te myek secure
D
elight tiv a' the patrons there,
L
iked be them a',—but noo, ne mair
E
nlivenin strains frae him ye'll hear,
Y
e'll knaw ne mair poor Geordy's cheer.
George Ridley's Signature
-Allan, Thomas and
George, Allan’s Illustrated edition of
Tyneside Songs and Readings, 1891, p.446.
Ridley
first performed at the Granger Music hall,
Newcastle, singing his song “Joey Jones” about a
local horse that won the Nothumberland plate at
the Newcastle Races. Ridley
also worked at the Wheat Sheaf Music Hall and at
the Tyne Concert hall, both in Newcastle. George
Ridley never married and none of his relatives
have any souveniers of his life. All portraits
of Ridley were done posthumously. He left
nothing when he died. The first performance of
the Blaydon races was given at “Mr. Blambra’s
Wheat Sheaf Music Saloon” for a concert to
benefit Harry Clasper who was a boat builder and
oarsman.
The
Chronicle reported:
“a small boy danced remarkably well for a very
long time with full orchestral accompaniment,
Mr. G. Hoskins sang “Billy Patterson” and
recited the curious adventures of Mr. Wm. Water. A
tasteful part of the programme consisted in
imitations of classic statuary by a young
gentleman whose name we could not learn…Messrs.
Lamb and Kitchen performed a pantomimic
interlude of the usual character and they were
succeeded on the stage by Mr. G. Ridley, a noted
singer of Tyneside songs.” Mr. Ridley adapted to
a popular air a ballad descriptive of a journey
(in prospect) by road to the ensuing Blaydon
Races. While
the dialect is easily and naturally given, there
is nothing coarse in the rendering of these
songs but they are such as the most refined
audience might hear and be amused withal.”
The
Gateshead Observer did not print an obituary for
Ridley.
- Gale,
Joan, The Blaydon Races, 1970, p. 7-28
Possible
Source for the Song
Gyoztes Fustolt Sonka,
writing for the blog Tyne Folk, has
observed similarities between the Blaydon Races
and an American song of the same period: “On the
Road to Brighton.” There is no source given in
the Blog Entry of November 2011. As the author
notes, borrowing from one song to another was a
standard practice of the time. Both songs may
belong to a general category of song which may
be termed “on the road to” songs, which list
events of a journey in a linear way with a
reflective “cheer” for a chorus.
Chorus
from
“On the Road to Brighton”
“O my, you had ought
to see us going,
Two forty in the sand
and the old horse a blowing
O my, you had ought
to see us skyting
Three fast boys on
the road to Brighton”
The blog author also
points out that the tune for the “Blaydon Races”
is often given as
“Brighton”
-Wood,
William, K., On the road to Brighton,
Boston, 1858? 1859?
-
http://www.tynefolk.co.uk/folk-articles-blaydon-races.php
Further
research
has turned up one other similar song from the
period:
ON THE ROAD TO BRIGHTON.
AIR—”Rip up, Skittle me Jig.” Sung by Lew
Simmons—Banjo Solo.
Me
and my friends took a ride with a gallus horse
and wagon,
First we stopped
Cambridge, then we went to Brighton:
We passed everything on the road, you had ought to
see us kiting,
Golly, we had a gay
old time when we went to Brighton.
Chorus.
Oh, Lord, gals, you ought to see us going,
2.40 on the road, the old horse a-blowing;
Then, Oh! Lord! My soul!
you ought to see us kiting,
Two gay sports on the road to Brighton…..
-Simpson and Company, The
Canteen
Songster , Philadelphia in 1866, p.113.
Depicting
the
Event of 1862, 1903, “The Blaydon Races-A Study
From Life,” by William C. Irving 1866-1943,
William C. Irving
was born at Ainstable, Cumberland. His father
was a farmer. The family moved to Tyneside when
he was an infant.
He
attended the Newcastle upon Tyne School of Art. When
studies were completed, his teacher, Cosens Way,
recommended him for employment as an illustrator
for the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle. His work was
published in the newspaper from c. 1890 to 1903.
He worked on projects ranging from
illustrating popular news articles to portraits
of famous local characters. He drew several
popular cartoons for the Chronicle; his most
famous character was Geordie Pitman, a comic
Geordie stereotype who wore checked trousers.
Irving received two commissions to paint
portraits of Joseph Cowen, from the Chronicle
and from Cowen, himself, which enabled him to
pay for travel to Paris where he attended the
Julien Studio studying painting. Irving returned
to Newcastle and started painting in a new style
which was widely acclaimed by critics and the
public . His work was displayed at the Royal
Academy, London, and the Walker Art Gallery in
Liverpool, as well as other places. Iriving also
worked producing advertisements for local
businesses, and illustrations for their carrier
bags. William Irving died in Jesmond in 1943.
Cast
of Characters
Billy
Sup Up of Crawcrook
An
Ovingham Worthy
Auston Dobson on Ovington Worthies,
1884
“Different in kind, but connected as
closely with the country life, were his interest
in, and attraction to, the strange characters of
the neighbourhood—characters more common a
hundred years ago than now, when railways and
other facilities for intercourse have done so
much to round off the angles of individuality.
The winter-night tales of wild exploits in the
huntingfield, and legends of the Border Wars,
were a never-failing source of pleasure. By the
woful "laments," such as those for the last Earl
of Derwentwater, with whose death it was
supposed prosperity had for ever departed from
Tyneside, he was often affected to tears. Of
some of the cottagers on the fell—poor men whose
little store consisted of a few sheep, a Kyloe
cow, or a flock of geese, and whose sole
learning was derived from Holy Writ, old
ballads, and local histories—he has left
portraits which show how deeply they had
impressed him. One of these was Will Bewick, a
self-taught astronomer, skilled in stars and
planets, upon which he would discourse,
"pointing to them with his large hands, and
eagerly imparting his knowledge . . . with a
strong voice, such as one now seldom hears."
Another was the "village Hampden," Anthony
Liddell, who had formed himself entirely on the
study of the Bible, finding in its precepts
reasons for utter disregard of the game-laws,
and exulting in the jail, to which he was
frequently committed, since he gained the
opportunity of reading it through once more.
Liddell's ordinary appearance—judging from the
description of it in the "Memoir"—must have been
almost as remarkable as that of Fielding's "Man
of the Hill "—
"When
full-dressed, he wore a rusty black coat. In
other respects he was like no other person. In
what king's reign his hat had been made was only
to be guessed at, but the flipes [flaps] of it
were very large. His wig was of the large curled
kind, such as was worn about the period of the
revolution. His waistcoat, or doublet, was made
of the skin of some animal. His buckskin
breeches were black and glossy with long wear,
and of the same antiquated fashion as the rest
of his apparel. Thus equipt, and with his fierce
look, he made a curious figure when taken before
the justices of the peace; and this, together
with his always—when summoned before them —
undauntedly pleading his own cause, often
afforded them so much amusement that it was
difficult for them to keep their gravity."
A third
Ovingham worthy was Thomas Forster, called
familiarly "Tom Howdy" (midwife) from his
mother's occupation, with his stock of secret
beehives in the whin bushes; and last, but by no
means least, come the swarming old soldiers let
loose upon the country at the conclusion of the
"Seven Years' War"—old comrades in Napier's and
Kingsley's, full of memories of Minden and Lord
George Sackville—of James Wolfe and Quebec.
Bewick's strong abhorrence of war, which appears
so plainly in the later pages of the "Memoir,"
had not yet been developed, and he listened
eagerly to these weatherbeaten campaigners, with
their tarnished uniforms and their endless
stories about their prowess in the field.”
-Dobson,
Austin, Thomas Bewick and his Pupils,
1884, p22.
Blind
Bob of Scotswood
Sometimes
he rode the donkey right into this room, which
poor old blind
Bob
would be waiting to pass judgment on the ...
One day, unknown to his father, the boy bought
a considerable length of copper wire in Newcastle,
made a kite and ...
-Barrett, Ada
Louise, George
Stephenson, Father of Railways , 1948.
Nanny
the Mazer, Scotswood
Partner
of Ned White at the dances…-
Horsley, P.M., Eighteenth
Century, Newcastle, 1971, p.76. See
Song Section Above
Ned
Wright of Hawkes’s
Was he Ned
Wright or White? No one knows.
Hawkes’
was a very large iron business, perhaps the
largest of the North. They made anchors and
ship’s chains.
"Whey as
ya aal knaa it wis Aad Ned and the Fower and
Twenty o Haakses men wot won the Battle of
Waaterloo"
-http://www.blaydonraces150.co.uk/Characters.html
George
the Plunger, Durham
George
possibly represents Geordie Ridley or maybe he
derived from William Irving’s cartoon character:
“The Geordie Pitman.”
- http://www.blaydonraces150.co.uk/Characters.html
The
Swalwell Cat Among the Pigeons
Arthur
Daley a.k.a. “The Swalwell Cat”
A well
known Card Shark and Con man.
-http://www.blaydonraces150.co.uk/Characters.html
Honest
Bob,
Gateshead
ROBERT
CHAMBERS.
Robert
Chambers, the
renowned aquatic champion of the Tyne and
Thames, whose sterling integrity won for him the
happy distinction of "Honest Bob," was born at
St. Anthony's, on the 14th of June 1831. His
earlier years were spent at Hawks's, in whose
extensive ironworks on the Tyne he worked his
way up until he reached the position of a
puddler. Having a fancy for the water, and
delighting in rowing, he attracted the attention
of Harry Clasper, who saw, in his well-built,
strong, and muscular form, the elements of a
first-class oarsman; he standing about five feet
ten inches, and in rowing generally weighed
about 11 ½ stones.
His after career, under the guidance of Clasper,
was unparalleled. He rowed in 101 races, winning
89 times; he started 45 times in skiffs, and won
34 times; he took part in 45 four-oared races,
and won 40; he rowed in 19 pair contests, and
won 15. For six years he held the championship
of the Thames and was the first Tyneside oarsman
that ever won the proud title of the "Champion
of the World." Early in 1868 his health began to
fail; consumption, induced probably by the
incessant training he underwent for his various
matches, attacked him, and, after a brief
illness, he died at St. Anthony's on the 4th of
June 1868, in his thirtyseventh year.
Song:
BOB CHAMBERS.
See
song
section above.
-Allan, Thomas and
George, Allan’s Illustrated edition of
Tyneside Songs and Readings, 1891, p527.
June 4.—Died, at St.
Anthony's, near Walker, Newcastle-on-Tyne, aged
37 years, Robert Chambers, the greatest natural
sculler the world ever saw. His remains were
interred in the Walker Cemetery, on Sunday the
7th June. Rarely has the death of a local man
occasioned so much genuine compassion and
sympathy, the very name of Chambers being a
household word; and so long as aquatics are a
standard, or even a humble, recreation in
England, so long will the name of him, whose
decease we now record, be revered and honoured.
Most, if not all, of Chambers's friend were at
the funeral. Up to a certain time the public
were admitted to the death chamber, merely being
permitted to glance at the face of one who was
dear to them. Near to the head of the coffin sat
the widow of Chambers, heart-broken with grief,
and weeping bitterly. This was the must striking
and sad part of a bitter and melancholy reality.
Shortly before three o'clock, the body was
screwed down, and conveyed to the front of the
house where an impressive hymn was sung by
members of the choir, the public joining. The
pall-bearers were, Mr. Thomas White, Mr. Edward
Winship, Mr. A. Thompson, Mr. M. Scott, and Mr.
James Taylor. The whole of the local Friendly
Societies, together with members of the local
boating and acquatio clubs walked in procession.
The number of persons assembled along the whole
route, which was over a mile, was calculated to
be from 50,000 to 60,000. Such a spectacle has,
indeed, never been witnessed in any part of the
North, The deceased, whose sterling integrity
won for him the happy distinction of " Honest
Bob," was born at St. Anthony's, on the 14th of
June, 1831. His earlier years were spent at
Hawks's, in whose extensive ironworks on the
Tyne he worked his way up until he reached the
position of a puddler. Having a fancy for the
water, and delighting in rowing, he attracted
the attention of Harry Gasper, who saw, in his
wel'-built, strong, and muscular form, the
elements of a first-class oarsman: he standing
about 5 feet 10 inches, and in rowing generally
weighed about 11 stones. His after-career, under
the guidance of Clasper, was unparalleled. He
rowed in 101 races, winning 89 times; he started
45 times in skiff's, and won 34 times; he took
part in 45 four-oared races, and won 40; he
rowed in 19 pair contests, and won 15. For six
years he held the Championship of the
Thames, and was the first Tyneside oarsman that
ever won the proud title of the " Champion of
the World."
-Fordyce, T., Local
Records or Historical Register of Remarkable
Events….,1876, p.15.
Cuddy
Billy, (a.k.a. Cuddy Willy) Rowland’s Gill
Song:
CUDDY WILLY'S DEETH.
See
song
section above.
Joshua
I. Bagnall, one of the spirited proprietors of
the Oxford Music Hall, some years ago published
a small volume of Tyneside songs. Several in the
collection became popular. Since he undertook
the management of the "Oxford " (which he has
raised to a high state of popularity), he seems
to have confined his efforts solely to the
Christmas pantomimes produced at that hall,
which are understood to be from his pen.—Note,
1872.
The
"Oxford" is closed, and has been for years
(except as a free and easy), but Mr. Bagnall is
still to the fore as landlord of "The Cannon,"
Low Fell. About local songs, he appears to have
written none for many years.
William
Maclachlan, better known as "Cuddy Willy," was a
well-known eccentric of Newcastle. For years he
wandered the streets without hat or shoes, and
in clothes of the scantiest and most tattered
description. He contrived to live by frequenting
public-houses, and by playing his fiddle in the
streets. His fiddle was a curiosity, made by
himself: it was simply a fiat piece of wood, on
which he tied a few pieces of string. He was
addicted to drink; and his death was caused by
some parties most shamefully, at a public-house,
giving him brandy as long as he would drink it.
The result was, he drank to such an excess that
he died from the effects. His death took place
September 27th, 1847.
-Allan, Thomas and
George, Allan’s Illustrated edition of
Tyneside Songs and Readings, 1891, p.522.
William Martin
described him as: A simple man that goes
about….playing on a fiddle which he makes
himself form the stave of an old tar-barrel, and
a fiddle-stick made of a twig from the hedge,
with a few horse hairs tied to it…He goes
without a hat in all kinds of weather without a
shoe to his foot, and playing tunes, to the
music of which a set of idle people dance in
Sandgate.”
The Newcastle
Weekly Chronicle described him as
“wonderful example of the Darwinian theory’ a
throwback to the troglodyte”-NWC 4 Sept.
1875, p.2.
-Gregory, James, “Local
Characters, Eccentricity and the North-East in
the nineteenth Century.” In: Northern
History, XLII: 1, March, 2005, pp.
163-186.
(a.k.a.
Cull Billy, a.k.a. William Scott,) of
Newburn
Cull
Willie of Newburn is shown in the painting being
tricked by the card cheat:The Swalwell Cat.” His
hand is in the pocket to find the money to pay
the con-man.
http://www.blaydonraces150.co.uk/Characters.html
Image: William
Scott from Sykes
CULL, Alias SILLY
BILLY.
William Scott, commonly called Cull
Billy, was a native of Newcastle, where he
resided along with his mother, a poor old woman
who made her living by hawking wooden ware. She,
like her son, was an object of distress, being
not above four feet high. Billy oft excited
compassion while reciting (which he did with a
great degree
of exactness and in such a distinct and clear
manner as to surprise many) the Lord's Prayer,
several other prayers, passages of Scripture,
etc., to a numerous audience of boys, who
generally repaid his endeavours for their
welfare with a shower of dirt or stones. Despite
his weakness several have felt the power of
Billy's wit, which on some occasions has been
very severe. Once when a person of the name of
(not one of the wisest beings in the world) came
swaggering out of a tavern while Billy was
haranguing the mob at the door,—" Stand out of
the way," cries this would-be great man. "Stand
out of the way, I never give place to fools."
"But I do," cries Billy, bowing, and instantly
stepped on the pavement. Another illustration of
Billy's ready wit is found in Robert Emery's
songs. He calls it:
CULL
BILLY'S PRIZE
See
song
section above.
CULL, alias
SILLY BILLY,
Of Newcastle upon Tyne.
THIS
well known character, William Scott, commonly
called Cull Billy, a name known in most parts of
the north, is a native of Newcastle, where he
resided along with his mother, a poor old woman,
who made her living by retailing wooden ware;
she like her son was an object of distress,
being not above four feet high.
Billy,
poor man, oft excited compassion, from his
fellow creatures, while reciting (which he did
with a great degree of exactness, and in such a
distinct and clear manner as to surprise many)
the Lord's Prayer, several other prayers,
passages from scripture, &c. to a numerous
audience of boys; but they generally repaid his
endeavours for their welfare with a shower of
dirt or stones.
Oft
have they followed him around the streets,
beating and hooting him, as boys hunt a cat or
dog; and yet no notice was taken of this, until
one, more compassionate than the rest, stept
forward and interceded for him, in the following
lines, which were published in the Newcastle
Chronicle of the 28th of August, 1802, with the
signature of J. S.
Soon
after the publication of this, the overseers of
the parish of Saint John's, (in which parish
Billy resided) had him conveyed to their Poor
House, without the walls of Newcastle, where he
was kept confined until the turbulence of his
spirit was reduced.
Several
persons have felt the power of Billy's wit,
which on some occasions has been very severe.
Once, when a person of the name of_______, (not
one of the wisest beings of the world) came
swaggering out of a tavern, while Bill was
haranguing the mob at the door. " Stand out of
the way cries this would-be great man, shaking
his cane in the air, " Stand out of the way! I
never give way to fools!" "But
I do," cries Billy, bowing, and instantly
slept on the pavement: Mr____. felt the severity
of this remark, and instantly made off, leaving
the spectators of the tracsaction almost
convulsed with laughter.
-Bell, John, Rhymes
of Northern Bards…, 1812, p.312.
July
31
Died, in St. John's poor-house, in Newcastle,
aged 68 years, William Scott, better known by
the name of Cull Billy, one of the
eccentric characters of that town, and though
subject to general aberration of mind, yet he
often astonished persons by his shrewd answers
to questions when put to him. When I first knew
Billy, he lived with his mother, a poor old
woman, in the Pudding Chare, Newcastle, who
gained a livelihood by selling wooden and
earthen ware. His mother, who was only four feet
in height, was almost as great an object of pity
as her son. Being the widow of a free burgess,
she and her daughter were admitted inmates of
the hospital for the widows of decayed
merchants, in the Manor Chare, where she died,
and her daughter was afterwards found burnt to
death in her apartment. Billy during the early
part of the war with France, when troops were
constantly stationed in Newcastle, used to
precede the drums as they paraded daily through
the streets, taking his station in advance of
the drum-major, with a besom shank for his staff*
He used also at this time to preach in the
streets to large audiences of boys, &c., who
generally repaid his good advice with
showers of stones, mud, &c., and as soon as
he left his stand, the boys followed him around
the streets, beating and hooting him, as they
would have done a cat or a dog. Being perfectly
harmless (unless raised to madness by ill
usage), his forlorn and pitiable condition
aroused on his behalf a very able defender, who,
under the signature of J. S., in the Newcastle
Chronicle, of the 28th of August, 1802, appealed
to the public in the following pathetic strain:—
"Whence
those cries my soul that harrow?
Whence
those yells that wound my ear?
Tis the hapless child of sorrow!
Tis
poor Billy's plaint I hear.
Now in
tatter'd plight I see him,
Teazing
crowds around him press;
Ah! will none from insult free him?
None
his injuries redress?
Fill'd
with many a fearful notion,
Now he
utters piercing cries;
Starting now with sudden motion,
Swiftly
through the streets he hies.
Poor,
forlorn and hapless creature,
Victim
of insanity;
Sure it speaks a ruthless nature,
To
oppress a wretch like thee.
When by generous friends protected,
All
thy actions told thee mild,
Tho' by reason undirected,
And
the prey of fancies wild.
Of
those friends did heaven deprive thee,
None
alas! supply'd their place!
And to madness now to drive thee,
Ceaseless
strives a cruel race.
Youth
forlorn! tho' crowds deride thee,
Gentle
minds for thee must grieve;
Back to reason wish to guide thee,
And
thy ev'ry want relieve.
O from
this sad state to snatch thee,
Why
delay the good and kind?
Pity calls on them to watch thee,
And to tranquillize thy mind."
Soon
after the publication of this appeal, the
compassion of the overseers of St. John's parish
(wherein Billy resided) was excited, and he was
taken into the poor-house, where he was kept
confined until the turbulence of his spirit was
reduced, and here he remained until his death. It
is said that in his juvenile years every endeavour
had been made to give him a good education, but
without the desired effect; however his shrewd
preaching, repeating certain prayers, which he did
in a clear and distinct manner, and his being able
to write, shew that he had acquired some
instruction. The following is a copy verbatim of
one of his promissory notes, in the possession of
Mr. G. A. Brumell:—"I Promise to Pay Mr, George,
Atley Brumell, or Bearer, Thee Sum, of one Pound,
or you may, Pay it to me, William Scott, Saint
Johns, Parish House 30 Day September." This was
written in the year 1825. Having a particular
aversion to the title of poor-house, he always
designated it the Parish House. The following copy
of an advertisement, dated June 23rd, 1770, was
from the father of this eccentric :—" Wil Liam
Scott, Joiner and Cabinet-maker, late at the Head
of the Side, Newcastle, takes this method of
acquainting his friends and the public, that he is
removed to a new house, near Mr. Dagnia's at the
Forth, where he continues to carry on the House
Carpenter and Joiner Business in all its branches,
and likewise makes all sorts of Household
Furniture of Mahogany, Walnut-tree, Wainscot,
Beech, &c. He returns his sincere thanks to
his friends for past favours, and promises to all
who please to employ him, to do their business as
well and as reasonable as can be afforded. Orders
will be punctually executed and gratefully
acknowledged." A portrait of this eccentric may be
had of John Sykes.
-Sykes,
John, Local records; or,
Historical register of remarkable events,
which have occurred in Northumberland and
Durham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and
Berwick-upon-Tweed., “1828”,
1866, p.307.
From:
“The Newcastle Worthies”
For
fiddlin' tee, nyen iver leeved wor Blind Willie
for to
beat;
Or for
dancin' whe before Jack Cockson e'er could
set
their feet?
Cull
Billy, only try him now, he'll cap ye wi' his
wit;
He's
truly wond'rous, ever wa*, and sae will he yet
-From:
“Mally and the Prophet”
-Robson,
J.P. Songs of the bards of the Tyne…., 1850,
p.97. 253.
See
song section above
From: “The
Newcastle Props”
Cull
Billy, tee, wor lugs to bliss,
Wiv news
'bout t'other warl'd,
Aw move that when wor Vicar dees
The place
for him be arl'd;
Aw really think, wiv half his wit,
He'd myek
a reet good pulpit knocker;
Avvll tell
ye where the birth wad fit,
He hugs se
close the parish copper.
-Corvan,
Edward, A Choice Collection of Tyneside
Songs, 1863,-p.151.
See
song
section above
CULL, a
fond, stupid, simple fellow. "Cull Willy"
was the name of a Newcastle half-wit of former
days.
"Had
yor tongue, ye cull."
Song, Billy
Oliver.
"Cull
cheps
for
his worm-cakes frae far an' near ride—
Poor pitmen, an' farmers, an' keelmen, an'
flonkies."
-R. Emery,
d. 1871, "Pitman's Ramble."
Bards
of the Tyne, p. 70.
-Haldane, Harry, Northumberian
Words, Vol.28,1892,
p.209.
Cull Billy's Prize
See
song
section above
-Robert
Emery's Songs cited in: Allan's Illustrated
Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings...., Thomas
and George Allan,
NewcastleUpon Tyne, 1891. (Billy died at
St. John's Poor House on the 31st July 1831.)
Cushie Butterfield, 1863, Geordie Ridley, 1835-1864
I'm a broken-hearted keelman an I'm o'er head in love
With a young lass from Gateshead an I call her me dove.
Her name's Cushie Butterfield an she sells yella clay
And her cousin's a muckman an they call him Tom Gray.
Chorus:
She's a big lass, she's a bonny lass, an she likes her beer
An I call her Cushie Butterfield an I wish she was here.
See song section above
This song is a parody of “Pretty Polly Perkins of Padington.” It is attributed to Geordie Ridley who died one year after the publication of the song. Polly is the opposite of Cushie. Cushie is a “big lass” who “likes her beer” rather than a “Butterfly.”
- http://www.asaplive.com/archive/detail.asp?id=T0122001
In the song, Cushie Butterfield was a whitening-stone seller. The stone was made of baked clay and was used for the decorated stone steps and house doorways. The song was not popular with the whitening-stone sellers and Ridley had to leave town temporarily. The song was originally published by Thomas Allen in Tyneside Songs, (1862) other editions appeared with a third edition, published in 1864. The third edition according to David Harker, saw a concentration on older more traditional songs rather than “genuinely” popular songs. This reflected a change of audience to “politer circles of society.” As a result the collection is considered “potted” Here we see a difference of perception. In the realm of the projection of the local “brand” collections are seen as commercial, lyrics and dialect, as contrived. This was essential as the “brand” had to be composed to represent the whole and project to distant, different communities. In the streets, gathering places, and music halls there was a different reality which, while occurring in public, takes more work to disclose via research. However, once we have defined the two realities, the “brand” and daily life we can begin to search deeper for letters, diaries and other sources for the “unpotted” version of reality.
Missing in Action: Regretably I could not find information on the following. Please let me know if you have any details as future updated editions are planned.- Jenny Balle,Pussy Willy, Donald, Bugle-Nowel Jack, Shoe-tie Anty, Doodem Daddum.
According to Harker ”Blaydon Races- which after a period of lying fallow, had been repopularzied by the Music Hall singer J.C. Scatter during the glory years of Newcastle United’s history” (Tynemouth, W., Blaydon Races, 1962, p.5, Cited in Harker, 1972, p.xxvii). The Blaydon Races is an excellent example of a song whose parts, tune and structure of the lyrics were put together in a process which moved it across the barrier between folk and commercial and back involving both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a strong example of the process of commercial music crossing over to enter the oral tradition and lodge in the communal mind of the region. It has also been incorporated as an important part of the regional “brand,” the artifact of regional identity. The song is a roadmap song highlighting the urban landscape which is described along the route. For the artifact of regional identity everything matters- from the ground up. This observation brings to mind the ancient concept of the great chain of being.
Possible Source:
ON THE ROAD TO BRIGHTON.
AIR—”Rip up, Skittle me Jig.”
sung by Lew Simmons—Banjo Solo.
Me and my friends took a ride with a gallus horse and wagon,
First we stopped Cambridge, then we went to Brighton:
We passed everything on the road, you had ought to see us kiting,
Golly, we had a gay old time when we went to Brighton.
Chorus.
Oh, Lord, gals, you ought to see us going,
2.40 on the road, the old horse a-blowing;
Then, Oh! Lord! My soul! you ought to see us kiting,
Two gay sports on the road to Brighton.
We stopped at old Bowser’s (at Cambridge) to get a little gin,
Says he, My boys, you’re awful drunk, you won’t get home again,
We both of us got drunk, and they chucked us in the gutter,
And that’s the way we both of us lost our bully catfish supper.
Chorua.—Oh, Lord, gals, &c.
We afterwards stopped at a rum-mill, and I fell mighty funny,
We went to pay for our rum, and found we had no money;
The landlord he made a fuss, and we pitched into fighting,
Golly, what a black eye I got going out to Brighton!
Chorus.—Oh, Lord, gals, &c.
They took us up before the Squire for breaking of the peace,
They fined us ten dollars, cause we lamm’d the police;
When they found we had no money. and couldn’t get no bail,
They give us three months apiece in Leverett Street jail.
Chorus—Oh, Lord, gals, &c.
They p[ut] us in jail, as everybody knows,
Where they shave your hair close, and give you a suit of prison clothes.
When we came out of prison, the Boys around Ann Street began hail,
Here comes two nigger singers out of Leverett Street jail.
Chorus—Oh, Lord, gals, &c.
......
This song text is on p. 113 of The Canteen Songster a substantial song book published in Philadelphia in 1866
More Origins-
"
"Perhaps more conclusive in our quest for the US roots of the ‘Blaydon Races’ is the second piece of evidence Conrad Bladey discovered. He found the tune ‘On the Road to Brighton’ in a banjo tutor The Eclipse Self-Instructor for 5 string banjo: A complete instruction manual for playing banjo (using plectrum) [I am pleased about that ‘using plectrum’ bit!] . The contents of the book are available on the Internet http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/banjo-eclipse/banjo-eclipse%20-%200040.htm .
A first impression is that the piece looks distinctly unlike ‘The Blaydon Races’ as we know it, the timing is wrong and it looks a very banjoish instrumental (all that running up and down chords).
But, an archeological eye and an ear to hear will see and hear something buried within all that banjoing. Compare the two tunes. In the notation below I have indicated the notes the two tunes have in common by lines between the staves. Most of these are vertical lines meaning the notes fall in exactly the same place, some are slightly displaced in time.
The only place the two pieces diverge significantly is the two bars before the final, but they end in the same place, just approach it rather differently. There is no doubt in my mind that ‘Blaydon Races’ and ‘On the Road to Brighton’ are versions of the same tune.
No doubt more evidence will be found. It would be good to find a copy of ‘Rip up, Skittle me Jig’ said to be the tune of the song above. In the mean time I would like to thank Gyzotes Fustolt Sonka and Conrad Bladey for their valuable contributions to uncovering the truth about this great Geordie song."
Vic Gammon, January 2012