Geordie Dialect Songs
I have a longstanding affection for our dialect songs. I was born in Blaydon and that's where my interest started as the 'Blaydon Races' Geordie anthem is the most famous of a quite amazing, immensely varied repertoire of local song in dialect. It's a tradition of which Geordies worldwide are rightly proud. I think they uniquely encapsulate our culture, humour, history, emotions and language in a delightful way. This heritage of Tyneside and Northumbrian dialect songs goes back over centuries. They range from old folk songs handed down aurally, to Victorian Music Hall. From songs from the 1950s radio program 'Wot Cheor Geordie' to recent folk idiom and pop songs.

Local History
Our local history and culture is something to be proud of. The history of my home patch, the Blaydon and Winlaton locality is, in several aspects, remarkable and it is no exaggeration to say that. I have some Blaydon area historical information on the website which I hope you might find interesting. Check out the history of the keelmen and early coal mining, Sir Ambrose Crowley III and Crowley's Crew, The Cowens, Blaydon Burn, the Lead Road, Axwell Hall, The Spike, The White City, and, last but not least, the history of the Blaydon Races. The photograph top left is of the delightful Path Head Mill at Blaydon.

Musician
I played guitar in my teens and eventually became very interested in jazz guitar alongside a love of jazz music generally. I left my office job to become a mature student studying music full time (1992/95). It was a very fulfilling experience. Then I taught guitar until I retired in 2006. The photograph just under the top left is from a concert at Blaydon Jazz Club back in 1985 and shows (l to r) John Barnes, Bill Smith and myself. Happy times.

YouTube/BlaydonAces channel
I have examples of my interests on my YouTube BlaydonAces channel. They include some of my music, local countryside walks, aspects of local history and natural history. I've included some informal music renditions recorded at home (on my phone) during the covid lockdowns.