On another thread Dougal makes reference to the song "Wherivvor ye gan you're sure to find a Geordie". This brought a smile to my face as I recall a brilliant LP I had (and probably still have stashed away somewhere) called "Wor Geordie Songs" which contained this very track by the great Owen Brannigan (of Annitsford) plus a number of other Geordie standards, including Blaydon Races, Cushie Butterfield the incredibly funny Aye wor nanny's a mazerand "Keep your feet still Geordie Hinny" and the extraordinarily beautiful Water of Tyne.

I started looking on the net for lyrics to these just now and all are easily found, but while I was looking, by a remarkable twist of fate a program came on on R4 discussing the very subject of Northumbrian songs and culture, including discussion with a group of volunteers who are compiling a dictionary of Northumbrian.

Fascinating stuff. And I find on a website http://www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk/Geordieo.htm#OLDEST LIVING ENGLISH that the North East dialects are closer to the original Anglo Saxon than any other in England, indicating that it's the others that speak a dialect while we have retained the original (and oldest) version of the English language.

Fascinating stuff I'm sure you'll be anxious to agree. I'll leave you with this gem for now - and there's more to come if you show any interest at all - you have been warned. :-)

KEEP YOR FEET STILL GEORDIE HINNEY

Wor Geordy and Bob Johnson byeth lay i' one bed
In a little lodgin' hoose that's doon the shore
Before he'd been an hour asleep a kick from Geordy's fut
Made him waken up te roar i'steed o' snore.

cho: Keep yor feet still Geordy hinney
Let's be happy thro' the neet
For we may nit be se happy thro' the day,
So give us that bit comfort keep yor feet still Geordy lad
And divent drive me bonny dreams away.

Aa dremt thor wes a dancin' held an' Mary Clark wes there
An' Aa thowt we tript it leetly on the floor,
An' Aa prest hor heevin' breest te mine when walsin' roon the room,
That's mair than Aa dor ivver de afore.

Ye knaa the lad she gans wi', they caall him Jimmy Green,
Aa thowt he tried te spoil us i' wor fun,
But Aa dremt Aa nailed 'im hevvy, an' blacked the big feul's eyes,
If Aa'd slept its hard te tell what Aa wad deun.
Aa thowt Aa set hor hyem that neet; content we went alang,
Aa kissed hor lips a hundord times or mair
An Aa wisht the road wad nivvor end, se happy like was Aa,
As cud waak a thoosand miles wi' Mary there.
Aa dremt Jim Green had left the toon an' left he's luv te me,
An' Aa thowt the hoose wes fornished wi' the best.
An' Aa dremt Aa just had left the Chorch wi' Mary be me side,
When yor clumsy feet completely spoilt the rest.
For the benefit of our adopted Geordie friends this song is about the practice of labourers who would sleep several to a bed in boarding houses.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Answers

Interest shown! Actually I picked up a good cd last year of Owen Brannigan doing Geordie songs. Also a cd of Larn Yersel Geordie. Great stuff! Am actually sitting next door to the shop where I bought them right now. :-)

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Jonno why I dont know, I could ask and will a local singer from the Heritage society to sing it , send a copy to Robbie Sheppard a presenter on the Reel Blend, and a well known presenter , gotta find the link between Anglo Saxon, Doric of North East Scotland and the Geordie accent and pronouniciation.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Sorry Jonno, I didn't understand a single word of that......

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Excellent Jonno! Do you remember a while ago I was talking about something I always knew as a `kiddlin` or kittlin` walk? It was a kind of rythmic/bouncing walk which you do with a baby in your arms in order to get it to sleep? Well, Keep your feet still...etc., is one of the songs we use......as well as Cushie Butterfield, Come up and See Your Ganny, and another one something about `The Little Shirt me Mother made for Me. Eeeee Hinny.....took me right back!!!!(;o)

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Galaxy .... do you hold the baby face forward pointed in front of you, as if it was still in womb ? I have used this method for a dozen years and stunned many a more knowledgable (older) granny with its ability to quieten noisy babies, to the point where "give them to Uncle Ian" has become a standard saying. The slow rhythmic bouncing is par tof this but I can't picture myself singing 'keep yer feet still', I'll try it next time.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Macbeth, I have always cradled(sp) babies, while patting well padded bottoms in time to the tune, whilst also, of course, doing the `walk`! Really fractious babies I wrap (or lightly swaddle), though swaddling is not approved of these days. And really, really upset babies seem to respond well to being cuddled with an ear against your chest (next to a heart beating,possibly). I have a theory that you kind of get the rhythm for the `funny walk` from your own heartbeat, because whatever the song I am using, I always end up singing it at the same speed!

Probably totally unscientific, but it works - and I too seem to be the chief pacifier of babies in the family. My Dad also has the `knack`. (:o)

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001

Galaxy, I too have that reputation re getting babies to sleep.

Although I still have 2 knacks!

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2001