Blaydon gears up for a "proper celebration"

EVERY Geordie will hold the 9th of June close to their hearts - but the Geordie Day coming up in exactly five months is an occasion which should be especially marked on the calendar.

Why? Well, a listen to the opening lines of Geordie Ridley's iconic folk song and ye'll soon kna:

"Aw went to Blaydon Races, 'twas on the ninth of Joon/
In eiteen hundred an' sixty-two, on a summer's efternoon..."

Yes, Saturday 9 June 2012 will mark the 150th anniversary of the perilous journey in 1862 to the Blaydon Races which was the subject of Ridley's verse.

Of course, for the 32nd successive year, the athletics club - the bumble-bee coloured Harriers - will organise their 5.9-mile run from Balmbras in Newcastle alang the Scotswood Road and reet into Blaydon toon.

Entry for the race usually opens in February and gets full very quickly - in fact, last year, the limited capacity of 4,000 entrants was reached within four days.

However, some folks want a bigger celebration and there is a fully-fledged campaign for the councils of Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne to put their hands in their pockets just a bit.

Additionally, there has been a Facebook page set up with 747 members, and a Twitter feed @BlaydonRaces150 with 1,617 followers.

Most importantly, though, there is a petition to the two councils and local businesses which has so far attracted 1,934 signatories.

Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle, chief organiser Aidan Oswell explained the reasoning behind the push for a "proper celebration".

He said: "It's important to me, and it's important to the other supporters of the campaign, because there is undoubtedly a very strong and powerful sense of pride within the Geordie community here on Tyneside and across the whole of the world.

"And I think it's important that we articulate that Geordie pride through the celebration of this anniversary."

Negotiations with the councils and other interested parties remain ongoing with the hope of a "significant event" in Newcastle city centre next summer as well as satellite celebrations across the Tyneside area.

But it is not too late to get involved - email DrGibbs@blaydonraces150.co.uk or get in contact via the social media links such as Facebook or Twitter with any contributions.