Since the lockdown things have changed for us at Northumberland Archives. My usual routine was jump out of bed after a bit too long of a lay-in; a rushed breakfast and then a 30 minute car journey; shouting at drivers for doing silly things; getting wet when we clock-in; then opening and closing the gates behind us. A full day’s work in an office looking at white walls, no windows, then home in the dark, getting wet opening and shutting the gates behind us, then clocking out!
Before the enforced lockdown lots of work was done behind the scenes to make sure we all had enough work to keep us going whilst home working.
Now my day consists of rolling out of bed, a leisurely breakfast and a nano second journey from lounge to dining room. Logged in and ready to go at the same time it would be, had I driven to work. Reduced carbon footprint.
The peace is interrupted as my new colleagues appear one by one. The dining room has become a new office space with both my wife and eldest daughter; all working from our little hub. The youngest daughter appears around midday having finished school abruptly. What no GCSE’s this year? She informs us that she is still alive and hungry.
My work day now allows me to see out a picture window. The green grass of home and bright blue skies. I have been working through my emails as I have amassed 26,000. I’m sure I don’t need all these so the delete button has been pushed over 2500 times so far.
We have lists that have never gone onto our electronic catalogue to input; reports for research to write up; social media posts to research and pass on; emails to reply to; work to secure for when we return to normal; and, of course, keep in communication with the rest of the team. I am also using the opportunity to catch up on all the work my volunteers have transcribed since ‘Northumberland at War’. They are like prisoners of war that never went home as they love the place too much. And every now and again a video conference to see how things are going with the Head of Archives which reminds me of the Eurovision Song Contest – Gosforth is calling to give the vote of the Gosforth jury.
Life hasn’t changed too much, just the environment and work colleagues; although adjusting to working on a small chrome book has had its challenges. Work continues we just had to adjust to the type of it; no old books or lost treasures to look at.
Stay safe out there and let’s hope we can get back to normal sooner rather than later.
Traditionally, the beautiful game was brutal and riotous. Before the rules and regulations introduced by the Football Association (founded 1863), traditional football was a free-for-all that the authorities tried to ban on numerous occasions. The first recorded attempt to ban or curtail the playing of football dates from 1314, when the City of London decided that too much damage was being caused by the game.
In the Middle Ages football was played when people weren’t working, this meant Sundays and holidays (such as Christmas and Easter). Whole cities, towns or villages divided up into opposing teams, sometimes geographically (the north versus south) or according to marital status (married versus unmarried). Needless to say, squads were somewhat larger than today’s eleven players and could even run into the hundreds.
There were few, if any, rules – the ball could be handled and thrown, as well as kicked. Goals were often local landmarks and play could continue until nightfall, or even over several days. Play wasn’t usually confined to a pitch, as today, but was carried on through the town or village streets. It was a full contact game – think of a medieval Vinnie Jones, Nobby Stiles or Stuart Pearce without the constraints of an umpire, or rules. It is doubtless that many scores were settled during games.
A glimpse of the brutality of the game can be gleaned from the records of the Northumberland Quarter Sessions of 1680. Ralph Lowrison of Choppington appeared before a Justice of the Peace to complain about a football match that had taken place on the Tuesday after Easter at Bothal. He claimed that he was set upon by Bernard Smith and William Jackson, one on each side of him. (Just pass on to the next paragraph if you are squeamish…) Ralph claimed that Bernard and William had so violently bruised him that he did “…spitt blood from his Bowills…” and that a bone setter was needed to reset his arm and put his shoulder back in its socket. It isn’t clear why Ralph came in for such treatment – perhaps because he was an “outsider” or perhaps he was just at the wrong game at the wrong time.
QSB/1/28
It is therefore a bit of a surprise that the traditional game has survived at all, but it is still played in a handful of places throughout the country, usually on Shrove Tuesday. In the northeast, Sedgefield and Alnwick play a version of the traditional game.
At Alnwick, the game is now played on a field (an innovation of 1828), thanks to the Duke of Northumberland, who was probably fed up of the town getting smashed up every year. Originally, it seems that the married men of the village played the unmarried men, but that the division of the town into two parishes in the nineteenth-century lent itself well to the forming of teams; now St Michaels play St Pauls. Two “hales” are set up on the field as goals and are decorated with greenery. No handling of the ball is allowed; kicking only, but play is physical and opponents tackle each other to the ground (bone setters aren’t generally called upon, though.) Once the game is over (after three “hales” or periods have been played) the ball is lobbed into the River Aln and whoever dives in and retrieves it keeps the ball as a trophy.
NRO 3536/9
Northumberland Archives are lucky enough to hold a copy of the minute books of the committee that has organised the Alnwick game since the nineteenth-century. The older of the two volumes contains posters, photographs and sometimes a short comment about that year’s game. Some of the posters advertising the game are of particular interest as they also list the “bye-laws” or rules of the game. The more recent volume (1954-1973) contains descriptions of each game, who scored goals, who played well and the weather conditions under which the games were played.
M C Balfour County Folklore Concerning Northumberland, 1903
Gavin Kitching ‘From Time Immemorial’: The Alnwich Shrovetide Football Match and the Continuous Remaking of Tradition in The International Journal of the History of Sport, April 2011
Northumberland Archives Alnwick Shrove Tuesday Football committee minutes (bound photocopies), 1954-1972,1871-1985 NRO 03851/1-2
George Davis, a private in the K.O.S.B., appeared charged with being an absentee from Bangor Military Hospital. He admitted coming on a visit to his wife, but when the Clerk asked him if he admitted being an absentee, he replied “I admit nothing.”
P.C. Robson gave evidence of having apprehended Davis at his house in Church Street, where he admitted having come away from Bangour without permission.
Cissie Gormley, single woman, Chapel St. Berwick was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Chapel Street on Saturday night. She pleaded guilty.
Sergt. Smith proved the case, and four previous convictions having been put in, the Bench imposed a penalty of 10s 6d or 10 days, warning accused that if she came back again she would be sent to prison without the option of a fine.
PROPERTY SALE
WATERLOO HOTEL GOES FOR £3,200
On Wednesday Mr H. M. Young, of Messrs Millers, offered
for sale 5 lots of property, within the Long Room, Corn Exchange, before a good
attendance, including a large representation of the Berwick Cycling Club, who
were naturally interested in the sale of their club premises. Mr J. Gray,
solicitor, represented their interests. The conditions of sale were read by Mr
Mitchell from Messrs Keenlyside and Forster, Newcastle, solicitors for the vendors.
The first lot consisted of the Waterloo Hotel, High Street, the two front shops occupied by the Singer’s Sewing Machine Company, and others, and the stone built hall at the rear, occupied by Berwick Cycling Club, all let a rental of £175.
BRO 426-322b
In his opening remarks for this lot Mr Young stated that
the future prosperity of the old town
was assured, as despite rumours to the
contrary, the new bridge was to be begun soon, and the harbour was to be
developed. There was a great demand in Berwick for first class hotel such as
the Waterloo.
Bidding started at £1,500 and rose to £2,600 by bids of
£100 when £50 bids were taken. The lot was ultimately knocked down to Mr J.
Ewart for £3,200. Bidding was very slow.
Lot 2 consisting of the Freehold shop and dwelling house,
37 and 39 West Street, received no bids and was withdrawn. Lot 3, consisting of
freehold shop and house, 33 West Street, had only one bid of £200 and was
withdrawn. These two lots were then put up together, but receiving no offers
were withdrawn.
Lot 4, 15 Chapel Street, a stone-built tenement opened at
£40 and advancing very cautiously latterly by £2 bids, was knocked down to Mr
J. Ewart at £82.
Lot 5, consisting of garden ground 720 square yards, running parallel to Scots Place, found a purchaser at £190 in Mr J. Cairns, bidding starting at £100 and rising fairly easily by 50 bids.
LOCAL NEWS
On St. Patrick’s night Berwick United F.C. Lancer Party held a special dance in the Good Templar Hall. Seventy couples tripped the light fantastic toe to the strains of the splendid orchestra under the conductorship of Mr Fred Stott. The responsible duties of M.C. were most efficiently carried out by Mr R. C. Jeffrey. The arrangements of the dance were, as usual, in the capable hands of the President of the Club. Mr A. A. Crisp, to whom, without a doubt much of the success of the evening was due. On this occasion he was ably assisted by Mr Anderson, Mr C. Pattison, Mr G. V. Nicholson and the following players: – T. Purves, B. Younger and H. Burgon. Special thanks are due to Mrs Henry, Mrs Kraft, Mrs Hood, Mrs Hunter, Miss Murray and Miss J. Casey for the efficient manner in which the duties in connection with the supper were carried through. The company present voted this to be the more successful dance of the series, no doubt owing to the introduction of the latest dances held under the auspices of Berwick United F.C.
ST. AIDAN’S CHURCH
Use was made last Sunday for the first time of the Individual Cup at Communion by the congregation of St. Aidan’s Church. The outfit has been purchased by voluntary subscriptions and presented to the congregation. This is now the third outfit for the Communion service possessed by St. Aidan’s people. One is on loan to a congregation in the Newcastle Presbytery. The one lately in use was presented some years ago to the congregation by Mr Whitehead, of West Hartlepool. The plates of the latter outfit are still used along with the new service, which consists of a number of trays of polished aluminium, each of which contains twenty-four crystal cups. Each cup fits exactly into a secure receptacle on the tray so as to avoid overturning. The tray is passed from hand to hand; each person partakes of the contents of the cup quietly and reverently and then replaces it in its place on the tray, which is passed on. Very convenient handles make the trays easy to pass from hand to hand. Furthermore, the bread is cut by a slicer into cubes, which ensures a minimum of handling. The arrangements for the day were in the capable hands of the Mayor, as Session Clerk, who had cards printed, assigning every elder his specific duty. Mr Alex. Robertson, Northumberland Avenue, acted as treasurer for the fund, and was largely instrumental in bringing this innovation into being.
MANY GOALS
BERWICK, 9; K.O.S.B., 2.
At their first venture in a match, the K.O.S.B.’s went
down rather badly, but we hope they will not be discouraged thereby. They gave
a most creditable display at forward and halfback, but the rear division was
not fast enough to hold the nippy Berwick forwards. Thus the game was a
discouraging one for the soldiers’ forwards to play while the halves were
overworked. The score 5 -1 at the interval.
For the winners, Fish had one very good save. He had
little to do, as Veitch was particularly safe. Smith was the pick of the
halves, while at forward Hogarth was the star. All others of the quintette
played well individually, though the combination left something to be desired
at times. Hogarth had five of the goals, and the other forwards had one each.
The most prominent players for the Depot were Sergt. Dmr.
Abott, who covered more ground than any two other players and played a sound
game too; Sergt. Leslie, another of the halves; Lieut. Lewis, who was in
capital form both as dribbler and shot; Staff- Sergt.- Major Lockyer, who
combined well with him; also Sergt. Bell and Capt. Ogilvie, both of whom gave
useful assistance throughout. The whole team was nippy in the first half, but
fell off later. We hope to see some young blood introduced and coached for the
return game – when Berwick would have to go all out for a win.
