The Blaydon Races were a horse race meeting first held on an island in the River Tyne about 1 mile west of Blaydon, later transferring to Stella Haugh where the races were held until 1914.
The races were to give their name to a song of the same name written by George Ridley and recorded as having been sung at Balmbra's Music Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne on 5 June 1862. The song was to become, and remains, a Geordie Anthem recognised by everyone on Tyneside and sung to this day by supporters of Newcastle United FC.
I am from Oxfordshire and we were taught the song at school. I can still remember the song now all these years later and I have no Geordie connection, other than once having a girlfriend from Whitley Bay.
ReplyDeletePaul, that's great, an honorary Geordie then, Charles
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