Blaydon Races.

I went to Blaydon Races, Twas on the ninth of June, Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Two, On a summer's afternoon, I took the bus from Balmbras, And she was heavy laden, Away we went along Collingwood Street, That's on the road to Blaydon. Oh me lads, you should've seen us gannin, Passing the folks along the road, and all of them were starin', All the lads and lasses there, they all had smilin' faces, Gannin along the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races We flew past Armstrong's factory, And up by the Robin Adair, But gannin ower the railway bridge, The bus wheel flew off there, The lasses lost their crinolenes, And veils that hide their faces, I got two black eyes and a broken nose, In gannin to Blaydon Races. Oh me lads...

Now when we got the wheel back on, Away we went again, But them that had their noses broke, They went back ower hyem, Some went to the dispensary, And some to Doctor Gibbses, And some to the infirmary, To mend their broken ribses. Oh me lads...

We flew across the Tyne Bridge, And came to Blaydon Toon, The barman he was calling then, They called him Jackie Broon, I saw him talking to some chaps, And them he was persuadin', To gan and see Geordie Ridley's show At the Mechanics' Hall in Blaydon.

Oh me lads...

Now when we got to paradise, there were bonny games begun, There were four and twenty on the bus, And how we danced and sung, They called on me to sing a song, So I sang 'em 'Paddy Fagan', I danced a jig and I swung me twig, the day I went to Blaydon.

Oh me lads... The rain it poured down all the day, And made the ground quite muddy, Coffee Johnny had a white hat on, Shouted 'Wee stole the cuddy?' There were spice stalls and monkey shows, And old wives selling ciders, And the chap on the ha'penny roundabout, Saying 'Any more lads for riders?' Oh me lads...

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