The Blaydon Race
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- Ah went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the Ninth of June,
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Two, on a Summer's Afternoon,
Ah took the bus from Balmbra's, and she was heavy laden,
Gannin' along doon Collingwood Street that's on the road to Blaydon.
- This song will be familiar to all who know Newcastle upon Tyne or its immediate area (in three years
at college in the city, your webmaster heard it right through just once, and that was by a group from
Liverpool). Since 1981, Blaydon Harriers & AC have organised a Road Race, now attracting some 4000 runners: it starts in
central Newcastle, passing Balmbra's (a pub also serving its original function as an Old Time Music Hall),
Collingwood Street, and most of the surviving landmarks mentioned in the song, ending 5.7 miles to the
west in the small town of Blaydon. Before the race, there is the traditional singing of "Blaydon Races";
the start of the race is signalled by the ringing of the actual handbell mentioned in the song.
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You can find more information about the Blaydon Race at This Site.
The date? Don't ask, it's always been on the Ninth of June (except for the year when Maggie Thatcher most
inconsiderately called a General Election for that day, and for 2020 for guess-what).