Geordie Bear Teddy Keyring

Geordie Bear Teddy Keyring, cute little keyring bear with white t-shirt with the text ‘Geordie Bear’ printed on. Lovely item to store your keys on, or to hang from a bag to show the world your love of the North East!

Newcastle publisher Frank Graham’s Geordie Dictionary states:

The origin of the word Geordie has been a matter of much discussion and controversy. All the explanations are fanciful and not a single piece of genuine evidence has ever been produced.

In Graham’s many years of research, the earliest record he found of the term’s use dated to 1823 by local comedian Billy Purvis. Purvis had set up a booth at the Newcastle Races on the Town Moor. In an angry tirade against a rival showman, who had hired a young pitman called Tom Johnson to dress as a clown, Billy cried out to the clown:

Ah man, wee but a feul wad hae sold off his furnitor and left his wife. Noo, yor a fair doon reet feul, not an artificial feul like Billy Purvis! Thous a real Geordie! gan man an hide thysel! gan an’ get thy picks agyen. Thou may de for the city, but never for the west end o’ wor toon.

(Rough translation: “Oh man, who but a fool would have sold off his furniture and left his wife? Now, you’re a fair downright fool, not an artificial fool like Billy Purvis! You’re a real Geordie! Go on, man, and hide yourself! Go on and get your picks [axes] again. You may do for the city, but never for the west end of our town!”)

John Camden Hotten wrote in 1869: “Geordie, general term in Northumberland and Durham for a pitman, or coal-miner. Origin not known; the term has been in use more than a century.” Geordie has been documented for at least 251 years as a term related to Northumberland and County Durham.

Due to small parts, recommended ages for the Geordie Bear Teddy Keyring is 3 years +. The bear has a removable t-shirt for washing.

Size of the Geordie Bear Teddy Keyring is 9cm plus the ring. This is often bought with our Geordie Teddy Bear, for more details, click here.