Riot which led to end of Blaydon races
NEXT year, June 9 will mark the 160th anniversary of the Blaydon Races – as depicted in the famous song.
It was written by the Victorian-era, Gateshead-born music hall performer Geordie Ridley.
The song’s rousing verses and chorus immortalise an eventful coach journey from Newcastle to an annual horse race on the other side of the River Tyne on June 9, 1862.
The tune itself (which was unfinished at the time) was first performed at Balmbra’s music hall in Newcastle’s Cloth Market on June 5 that year, a few days before the race, by its creator.
Next day, however, a rather snooty review of the new song appeared in the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, one of our former publications: “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 the songs, but they are such as the most refined audience might hear and be amused withal.”
The striking 1903 painting – the Blaydon Races – by artist William Irving, meanwhile, vividly captures the excitement of the Victorian carnival and, indeed, depicts some eccentric Tyneside “characters” of the era, including the likes of Cuddy Billy from Rowlands Gill, Gull Willie of Newburn, and Cushy Butterfield.
Here in 2021, Ridley’s song is widely accepted as the ultimate Geordie Anthem, the traditional theme tune of a proud region, rich with heritage.
These days the Blaydon Race (in normal times) is a popular annual 5.6-mile road race, first run in 1981, between Newcastle and Blaydon – but what happened to the horse race commemorated in the song?
The races were first held in 1861 on a circular island – a mile in circumference – on the River Tyne called Blaydon Island, and known locally as Dent’s Meadow.
By 1887 they had moved to Stella Haugh and large crowds would flock there every year. Even, in 1916, with
Britain up to its neck in World War One, permission was granted to hold the event, as long as a large donation was given to the British Sportsmen’s Ambulance Fund.
But it was in this year that the last Blaydon Races would be held.
More than 4,000 punters attended day one of the races on September 1, but come the following day there were major problems.
There were suspicions races were being rigged, and when a heavily-tipped horse, Anxious Moments, was disqualified after winning by six lengths a full-scale riot broke out.
In the absence of many police officers, members of the crowd went on the rampage, smashing up the weighing house and throwing equipment into the Tyne.
It marked the end of the Blaydon Races, although an old map of the area shows there was still a Blaydon Racecourse at the site in 1946.
In 1951, on the site of the old races, building work commenced on Stella South power station as post-war demand for electricity soared in the UK.
It was operational – as was Stella North power station on the other side of the River Tyne at Lemington – until 1991.
The spectacular demolition of Stella South on October 29, 1995, was captured by Trevor Ermel, a keen amateur photographer who has shared much of his work with the Chronicle.
As for the Blaydon Races, a commemorative sculpture was erected at the Stella Haugh site in June 2012, the 150th Anniversary of the Blaydon races song. Three almost life-size horses and jockeys, a three-metre tall winning post, and two five-metre tall flagpoles formed part of the artwork.
Sculptor Andrew McKeown told The Chronicle: “Hopefully it does justice to the significant landmark in local history and the North East’s history.
“It means so much to the people of the region and hopefully it will be seen by a lot of people.”
You can find the sculpture on the cycle path between Blaydon Burn and Stella, close to the river and train line.