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Description: | Song recalling childhood memories of Newcastle. Between 1824 and 1860 Richard Grainger embarked on an extensive scheme of town planning, which involved the destruction or relocation of many of Newcastle's oldest districts. In particular the Pandon area of the town, referred to in the song, was changed beyond recognition. By 1886 the Pandon Dene had been filled in almost all the way from the Barras Bridge to the river. Many of the old buildings, both in New and Old Pandon, were removed along with the section of town wall between Pandon and Sand Gate. A number of songs were issued about the improvements made to Newcastle many, such as this, expressed regret at the loss of the old town.This song forms part of a study of 'Newcastle folk-speech' by Harry Haldane. The book was published in 1879 and included a small selection of local song, as well as 'Geordy's last', a local tale. Most of the songs deal with the topics of the day such as town improvements, although there are also a number of 'motto' songs in the collection.Harry Haldane was in fact a pseudonym for the popular Tyneside song-write Richard Oliver Heslop. Richard Oliver Heslop was born in Newcastle on 14th March, 1842. An iron merchant by trade, Heslop's literary offerings were largely concerned with Northumbrian dialect. His 'Northumberland words' appeared weekly in the Chronicle for a number of years and writing local songs seems to have been something of a hobby. ; A brief study of the Northumbrian dialect with a selection of local songs. | Publisher: | Daily Journal Office Newcastle upon Tyne | Rights holder: | rights holder : Border History Museum | Subjects: | urban growth urban growth & changes & buildings | Temporal: | start=1861;end=1900; | Source: | Folk Archive Resource North East | Identifier: | farne:H0204201 | Go to resource |
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