There is a church service in the Toon today for Nelson's Second in Command at Trafalgar, Lord Collingwood, who was a Geordie.

Would it make an even more fitting tribute to reintroduce the line about Collingwood Street into the Blaydon Races since it appears to have disappeared thanks to all these folk in such a hurry to get to the Scotswood Road?

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2000

Answers

Here here. And I thought I was the only pedant. Does nobody notice that 'laden' doesn't rhyme with 'races'?

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2000

I think that's actually "Hear, hear". Right, I'll gan and get me coat ...

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2000

HMS Collingwood...did two stints there..

..and he was a feckin' Geordie?..Still, in those days they weren't indomitable :-)

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2000

Hee hee. No, I was trying to get attention. You know, here! here! Thanks for being so acommodating*

:@)

*yes, I know

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2000

No,but it does ryhme with Blaydon! Fifties Fan

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2000

Admiral Cuthbert Lord Collingwood. Born 26 September 1750 in Morpeth. Was at school in Newcastle, placed in the navy at age 11, first in the Shannon. Fought in Boston against the rebellion and made Lieutenant on the day of the skirmish at Bunker Hill. Then started a pattern of following Nelson, with whom he was friends from an early age. "... whenever Lord Nelson got a step in rank. I succeeded him: first in the Lowestoffe, then in the Badger into which ship I was made Commander in 1779, and afterwards in the Hinchinbrooke, a 28 gun frigate, which made us both Post Captains."

His exploits in the Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar in 1805 are well known (four guns from that ship are at Collingwoods Monument, Tynemouth). It was his duty after that which showed him to be a remarkable man. He was in command of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean from Trafalgar until he died, age 60, 7 March 1810. For the last 5 years he never left his ship and ran the complex navy and diplomatic operations of the Napoleonic war. For one period of 18 months he was constantly at sea. "His death was occasioned by a contraction of the pylorus, brought on by confinement on board ship and by continually bending over a desk while engaged in correspondence." His body was returned to England and deposited in St Paul's Cathedral, by the side of Lord Nelson.

Quotations from The Memoires of Lord Collingwood.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2000