Where is Geordieland ?
Geordieland is in the North East of England and the capital is called NEWCASTLE.
What is a Geordie ?
"What is a Geordie", I've heard people ask.
To give a definition is not an easy task.
Some say that he's a heathen, growing leeks an supping beer,
But if you read on a while I'll give you my idea.
When God first made the universe his handywork was grand.
He made a man of every creed to cultivate each land.
He made Eskimos for Iceland, Africans to stand the heat.
But when it came to Geordieland He said :"Why man, I''m beat"!
So he made a man of iron, with muscles of forged steel,
For hewing coal and building ships- a job he's done so real.
And just to finish off the job, or so I have been told,
He completed his first Geordie, by giving him a heart of gold.
Who are Geordies ?
Andy Capp is the incarnation of the typical Geordie male.
A Geordie BLOKE or LAD wears a flat cap, smokes a Tab, drinks Newcastle Broon Ale,
What is Geordie language ?
It is NOT a regional accent, but a lanuage in it's own right. It owes a lot to Scandinavian tongues.
GEORDIES CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD
GEORGE
STEPHENSON
George Stephenson (1779-1843) was born in Geordieland five miles west of Newcastle. He is generally credited as the pinciple inventor of the railway locomotive and is often known as the father of the railways. Railway transportation was born on the 27th of September, 1825 when Stephenson's Locomotion ran from Darlington to Stockton, carrying 450 persons at 15 miles per hour . Stephenson's later Rocket won a famous competion to find the fastest locomotive by travelling at an average speed of 36 miles per hour from Liverpool to Manchester in 1830.
He is also credited as the first designer of the miner's safety lamp - though many people credit the invention to Sir Humphrey Davey ( who wasn't a Geordie) who was working at the same time, but completely independently, on a similar design.
STEPHENSON'S LOCOMOTION
WILLIAM
HEDLEY
Also associated with Geordieland is another railway engineer, William Hedley. He was born in Newburn and went to school in Wylam. He patented a design for one of the first locomotives, the Puffing Billy which began to pull coal trucks for about five miles from Wylam to the dock side at Lemington in 1813.
SIR
CHARLES PARSONS
Yet another well known engineer associated with Wylam was Sir Charles Parsons. He was born in London but left at the age of 23 to become a Geordie and started working at the Armstrong Engineering Works in Newcastle, establishing his own works in 1889. He lived at Holeyn Hall in Wylam and it was at this house that he invented the first multi-stage steam turbine. In 1891, the turbine was fitted with a condensor for use in electricity generating stations, a use to which it has been put to ever since.
In 1897, the engine was successfully applied to marine propulsion in the Turbina, a ship that achieved a speed of 34 knots - extraordinary for the time.
The Parsons engineering works in Newcastle still produces turbines for power stations across the world and is currently part of the Rolls- Royce group of companies.
GEORGE
WASHINGTON
In 1183, over 800 years ago, in the village of Wessyngton, Geordieland, the Washington family took its name. In 1789, General George Washington, a decendent of that family and leader of the revolution, became the first president of a new nation - the United States of America.
The capital of the new nation was named Washington in his honor. The Wessyngton, which had various spellings until it evolved into Washington, comes from the Anglo-Saxon - 'Hwaes ' a Saxon chief, 'Inga' meaning family of, and 'Tun' an estate - the estate of Hwae's (Wassa's) family. The first ancestor of George Washington to live at Washington was William de Hertburn, who moved to the village in 1183. Before surnames were in general use, nobles and landowners assumed the name of the property they owned. Thus, William de Hertburn became William de Wessyngton. Had he not moved in 1183, America's first president and it's capital might have been named Hertburn, (pronounced Heartburn in England ).
Five generations of George Washington's direct ancestors lived in Wessyngton, Geordieland, before the family moved south and emigrated in 1657 to Northern Neck in the colony of Virginia.
THE WASHINGTON HOME
ADMIRAL LORD COLLINGWOOD (1764-1845)
Born Cuthbert Collingwood in Newcastle, he established his residence in Morpeth where he lived for the rest of his life. He was Horatio Nelson's second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar, taking over the fleet on Nelson's death and holding the mediterranean command thereafter. He is buried near Nelson in London's St Paul's Cathedral.
LORD ARMSTONG of CRAGSIDE (1810-1900)
Born William Armstrong in Newcastle, he became one of the great Victorian
industrialists and engineers. He invented high pressure hydraulic machinery (including
cranes) and revolutionised the design and manufacture of guns. He founded an engineering
works at Elswick which became famous for its warships and which later (after he died)
became part of the Vickers-Armstong group. His house at , Cragside just outside Rothbury
was the first in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity. Towards the end of his life, he
acquired and completely renovated Bamburgh Castle
which is still in the ownership of his family. He was made a peer in 1887.
CRAGSIDE
BOBBY (now Sir Robert) and JACKIE CHARLTON
The famous Charlton footballing brothers were both born in Ashington Geordieland. Bobby (b 1937) played for Manchester United throughout his career. He was a member of the English World Cup winning team of 1966 and is England's greatest goalscorer with 106 goals. In the '60s it used to be said that everyone in the world knew at least two words of English: "Bobby Charlton". His elder brother, Jackie Charlton, (b 1935) also played for England in the 1966 World Cup Final and went on to become the most successful manager ever for the Republic of Ireland Football Team. Jackie's home is still in Northumberland.
