Blaydon Races
To download a teaching unit about the song, click here.
The Lyrics:
Aa went to Blaydon Races, ‘twas on the ninth of June
Eighteen hundred and sixty two on a summer’s afternoon
Aa took a bus from Balmbras and she was heavy laden
Away we went alang Collingwood Street, that’s on the way to Blaydon
Chorus - - -
Oh me lads, ye shoulda seen us gannin
Passin the folks upon the road, just as they were stannin’
There was lots of lads and lasses there
Aal wi smilin’ faces
Gannin’ alang the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon Races
We flew past Armstrong’s factory and up to the Robin Adair
Just gannin’ doon to the railway bridge the bus wheel flew off there
The lasses lost their crinolines and the veils that hid their faces
Aa got two black eyes and a broken nose
In gannin’ to Blaydon Races
When we got the wheel put on away we went again
But those that had their noses broke they came back ower hyem
Some went to the dispensary and some to Doctor Gibbs
And some to the Infirmary to mend their broken ribs
Noo when we got to Paradise there was bonny game begun
There was fower (four) and twenty on the bus, man how they danced and sung
They caalled on me to sing a song, aa sung them ‘Paddy Fagan’
Aa danced a jig and aa swung me twig that day aa went to Blaydon
We flew across the Chain Bridge, reet into Blaydon town
The bellman he was caallin’ there, they caalled him Jackie Brown
Aa saw him taalkin’ to some cheps and them he was persuadin’
Te gan and see Geordie Ridley’s show at the Mechanic’s Haall at Blaydon
The rain it poured down aal day and made the ground quite muddy
Coffee Johnny had a white hat on, they yelled ‘Whe stole the cuddy?’
There was spice stalls and monkey shows and aald wives sellin’ ciders
An’ a chap with a ha’penny roundabout shootin’ ‘Noo me lads for riders’