Blaydon Races

The Geordie anthem celebrating the 1862 Blaydon races.

"Blaydon Races" (Roud #3511) is a Geordie folk song of 1862, with lyrics by George Ridley written in a style deriving from music hall. It celebrates the horse races held at Blaydon in North East England that year, although mostly composed in advance of the event. The words were inspired by the American ballad "On the Road to Brighton" (in Massachusetts), to the tune of which they are set. The song has become a local anthem, and is frequently sung by supporters of Newcastle United Football Club, Newcastle Red Bulls rugby club, and Durham County Cricket Club.

Quick Facts

Artist: George Ridley
Language: English (Geordie)
Written: 1862
Published: 1863
Writer: Geordie Ridley

Lore & Background

The races, now part of Gateshead, were held just north of Blaydon on an island in the River Tyne called Dent's Meadows in 1862. The revival lasted only until 1865. Ridley first performed the song at a testimonial concert for local oarsman John H. Clasper, held in Balmbra's Music Hall on 5 June 1862. The final verse was added for a concert given on the evening of 9 June at Whickham Mechanics' Institute in Blaydon, where it was reported by the local press that Ridley's "local songs" were received "with great applause."

Reader's Guide

The song is now usually sung with more modern language, but retaining something of the Tyneside dialect. The tune is "Brighton." The Blaydon Race is a 5.9-mile athletics race from Newcastle to Blaydon that takes place on 9 June every year and starts off with the singing of 'The Blaydon Races'.

Did You Know?

The song's lyrics were set to a tune labelled "Brighton" in early publications, referring to an American blackface minstrelsy song of 1858.
The account of the trip to Blaydon is fictional, but the heavy rain and missing horses were noted in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle.
A class 91 locomotive was named "Blaydon Races" in a ceremony at Newcastle railway station on 6 June 2012, attended by former Newcastle United footballer Alan Shearer.