Newcastle Geordie Teddy Bear

Newcastle Geordie Teddy Bear. Lovely large, soft brown teddy bear with white printed t-shirt from Newcastle. Picture on the t-shirt is in black and white of Tyne Bridge and the Newcastle Gateshead Quayside. The words on the t-shirt ‘Geordie Bear’. A lovely and very popular gift for children and adults alike.

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.

The bear has a removable t-shirt for washing. Due to the glass eyes in the bear, it is only suitable for ages of 3 +.

Sitting size of the Geordie Bear Teddy Bear, is 18cm.

Our Newcastle Geordie Teddy Bear, is often bought with a keyring bear, for more details click here