The legend of a dragon stalking the countryside of Northumberland is first recorded by William Hutchinson in 1778. Hutchinson was given the ballad by the Reverend Robert Lambe of Norham who was almost certainly involved in its composition. Despite Lambe’s claims of transcribing an ancient manuscript it seems he took inspiration from local songs and stories which themselves may have been localised version of ballads found in Scotland and Iceland.
A lengthier prose version was published in The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend in May 1890, further removed from the original source but adding plenty of narrative detail to the ballad.
The story tells of the old king of Bamburgh whose much-loved wife passes away, leaving the kingdom in mourning. With the king’s son, Childe Wynd, unheard from since his departure in search of fame and fortune the duty of comforting the old king falls upon his daughter, the kind Princess Margaret.
Many women attempt to attract the king’s attention but his sorrow blinds him until the appearance of a beautiful but evil witch at the castle who uses her power to beguile the king and marry him, becoming the new queen.
When the lords and chieftains visit to give the new couple their blessing the knights are enraptured by Princess Margaret and the jealous queen whispers a curse which can only be undone by the return of Childe Wynd, presumed dead.
Princess Margaret awakes the next day to find herself transformed into a dragon, only able to crawl and shriek. The princess flees from her terrified courtiers and finds a nearby cave, emerging only when she becomes so hungry she cannot stand it. The dragon feeds on the livestock of farmers for miles around until the kingdom decide to appease the beast with daily offerings.
Childe Wynd, fighting with the Franks, hears of the misfortune at home and builds a ship of rowan wood for his return voyage. Approaching the castle at night he sees the evil queen’s eyes shining from a tower, bright but cold. The queen dispatches imps to attack the ship and raise a storm but they return unsuccessful, having been unable to break the protection of the sacred rowan wood. Wynd is able to navigate into Budle bay where the dragon waits for him on the beach.
Rushing toward the dragon, sword in hand, Childe Wynd hears a gentle voice from within his adversary and is compelled to act with love. He bows and kisses the dragon who retreats to its cave and emerges as Princess Margaret in her original form.
The evil queen escapes, her spell undone, the heir returned, and the princess’s true beauty eclipsing her own. When the evil queen is captured Childe Wynd has her transformed into a toad-like-creature, her outer state now reflecting her true nature and only her bright, shining eyes remaining the same. The creature roamed the land and hissed and spat at any passing beautiful ladies.
While we lack an accurate history of our local variant of the tale, many wild and fantastic beasts are depicted in Anglo Saxon and early medieval artwork from the area. The most famous of these is the “Bamburgh beast” depicted on a small gold plaque which can be seen in Bamburgh Castle’s archaeology museum. The location of the “laidley” (most likely a corruption of “loathly or loathsome”) worm’s hole is marked on early OS maps and, although the cave itself was destroyed by quarrying by the nineteenth century, it is fascinating to see the landscape influencing the story and the details incorporated into maps.
In 2020 we are experiencing reduced services on the buses, underground, trains and no planes are flying. Back in 1918, an anonymous Gosforth resident wrote to the Newcastle Journal: “Complaining about the conditions on the trams, they were overcrowded and not ventilated. We are told not to use these cars, but to many this is an impossibility!” (6 November 1918)
A medical man wrote to the Newcastle Journal (25 November 1918) signing his letter ‘A Sufferer’, He states that he had 40 cases in his country district all which were traced back to the village dances and that “…something ought to be done to stop these.”
Dr Eustace Hill, Medical Officer of Health for Durham, wrote in the same newspaper that to prevent the spread of infection it was important that at funerals the coffin should not be taken into the building, but left outside in the open air during the service. This practice was observed when the deceased had smallpox, scarlet fever and diphtheria and should be done for influenza cases.
Outside the North East one statistic that was frightening was that on the 31 October 1918 the Registrar General reported the deaths in the last week were 4482. For the London area only! 2225 in Greater London; 1256 in the County of London and 969 in the outer ring!
Empire Day was celebrated at Tweedmouth Girls’ National School on Tuesday forenoon. Early in the morning the girls, under the direction of their class mistresses, decorated the schoolroom with flags, bunting and flowers, transforming the whole appearance of the room. Daisy-chains were made by eager hands, and formed a part of the scheme of decoration. Ropes of daisies were also worn by the girls, who were in pretty frocks for the occasion. A programme of songs and recitations was gone through, two special items being the reciting of poems specially written by Mr T. Grey, Church Road, Tweedmouth, for the occasion. The programme was:- Unison song, “Land of Hope and Glory”; duet, Daisy Shiels and Edith Todd; recitation (by T. Grey), Andrina Davidson; Unison song, “Ye Mariners of England”; duet, E. Todd and M. Gray; recitation (Grey), Mary Newies; piano solo, E. Robertson; unison song , Standards I. and II.; duet, “Fairy Barque,” M. Douglas and E. Oxley; recitation, I. and A. Crossthwaite; unison song, “The Roast Beef of England.”
HENRY FIELDING 1670-1758 “The Roast Beef of Old England” is an English patriotic ballad written by Henry Fielding, and was first performed in 1731. Today, the Royal Navy always goes in to dine at Mess Dinners to the tune, which is also played at United States Marine Corps formal mess dinners during the presentation of the beef. Officers of the Royal Artillery are also played in to dinner by this tune.
After the programme was gone through the girls adjourned to the playground, where in the bright sunny weather, Miss May Todd, clad in white, took the salute to the Union Jack. The pupils then went through the grand march, each girl carrying a flag and wearing a daisy-chain wreath. The Rev. P. G. Peacocke addressed the girls on the meaning of Empire Day. During the morning’s proceedings Miss Helyer, Headmistress of the school, was presented with a bouquet of roses, and one of lilies and tulips. Hearty votes of thanks were accorded to the teachers for their share in the day’s celebrations and a special vote of thanks was also accorded to Mr T. Grey for his kindness in writing the poems recited by the girls. In the afternoon the programme was repeated, the parents being present.
LOCAL NEWS
On Thursday last, Thomas Tait, jun., and Richard Disslington, both of Berwick, were convicted of angling in the river Tweed, on the 13th day of May instant, for the purpose of killing or taking the spawn, fry, or young brood of salmon, and were severally fined in the mitigated penalty of ten pounds. A rather stiff penalty, but smolt catchers need have no fear of a like penalty now-a-days. This happened 100 years ago.
In view of the fact that certain meat traders in North Northumberland are considering a co-operative scheme for dealing with meat after decontrol on July 4th, by the proposed formation of a Control Board, farmers would be well advised to strengthen their Co-Operative Slaughterhouse Societies. Unless agriculturists are more enthusiastic in the Northumbrian Farmers’ Co-Operative Slaughterhouse Society, thinks the Newcastle Journal, there is a probability that its operations will be suspended by July 4th.
The Whitsuntide holidays brought a large influx of visitors to the town at the week-end and on Monday. Several large motor char-a bancs were to be seen drawn up in High Street, while others went on through the town to destinations further afield. Several of the shopkeepers in the town did remarkably well, the visitors seeming to be anxious to take some memento of their Berwick trip home with them. A number of the visitors hailed from the Widdrington district, and a cricket team having travelled north from that centre, played and beat the Berwick eleven on the Pier Field. A number of the visitors made their way to the seaside, the conditions there being ideal. The catering establishments in the town did a brisk trade, and Mr J. Walker, Castlegate, was compelled to use the Red Lion Assembly Room to seat his customers.
The placing of boys and girls in suitable employment when they leave school is engaging the attention of the Education Committee, and in response to a request by the Ministry of Labour, schoolmasters and teachers are being instructed to send in the names of all boys and girls leaving school at the end of the term, to Mr Topping, at the Labour Exchange. This new method of placing children leaving school in suitable employment will fill a much felt want. There are undoubtedly many cases where boys and girls leave school without any fixed idea of what trade they will follow, and the result has been that after many weeks of idleness they drift into some occupation not entirely suitable.
PARK’S COMMITTEE
The Clerk read the report of the Parks Committee of the 18th inst., recommending the Authority to have the guns on the Walls replaced on their former position, and the carriages for the same repaired at an estimated cost of £40. The estimate, it was stated, would cover the cost of repairing the carriages and re-painting.
Councillor Morrison moved the adoption of the report and Councillor Peter Cowe seconded.
Councillor Compbell said he could not well see where the economy came in when the Authority were not dealing with the matter of the footpath at Castle Hills, which would be to the advantage of the town, and were yet willing to spend £40 in putting the guns back in their former positions, which would not benefit the inhabitants in the least. He could not see the logic of the procedure, and moved as an amendment that the guns be not put back.
Councillor Dudgeon seconded, and said the guns at the top of Coxon’s Lane were a source of danger to children, who climbed on them, and through falling off sustained nasty accidents. Why, he asked, should they spend money on a matter like this and grudge it for a footpath, which would be a decided benefit.
Councillor Dixon said he considered it would be a great pity if these guns were not put into position. Berwick was a fortified town, and the old guns gave a tone to the Walls. They were always a source of interest to visitors who went round the Walls. Had they been new guns they were mounting it would have been quite different.
Councillor Morrison – Councillor Campbell inferred the guns were no use. They are one of the attractions the Borough possesses.
Councillor Campbell said if anyone had sentimental feelings about the old guns it should be Councillor Cowe and himself, who had worked on them night after night in the old days, but if he allowed himself to consider that, he would be stretching his personal feelings too far, when other matters in the town, more essential, were required.
Councillor Wilson remarked that the question of the footpath at Castle Hills had not been turned down, but was going back to the Committee.
On the question being put to the vote, there voted for the resurrection of the guns and their repair and replacement 20, and for the amendment.
