Alex Swailes

At the first meeting of the new Rotary year, Alex Swailes, the Morpeth Gadgie, spoke about his staff of office. As a Fellow of the Northumbrian Language Society he also recited some of his favourite local dialect poems. The staff, made of mahogany, is his symbol of authority and bears the name of George Green the first gadgie from 1982 - 1997. He had an agricultural business by the station and was also Mayor of Morpeth twice. ‘Gadgie’ is a word for ‘man’ from northern India. Gypsy caravans have made regular visits to Northumberland over many centuries. The staff was made by the famous local furniture company Karva in memory of George and presented to the Gathering in 1999. The gadgie now dresses as a 14^th century bailiff for his role.

The gadgie is a symbol of the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering, which is built around the welcoming back to Morpeth of Lord Greystoke and his soldiers after defeat by the Scots at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388. The re-enaction event was a cavalcade but horses have been banned from the procession now ‘for health and safety reasons’.

The story is that he is called Clarence and is the left hand one looking from Bridge Street of the two little stone people on the Morpeth Clock Tower. Clarence is magically able to spiel down and walk around the town. The other is Cuthbert or Cuddy who does not have the same powers.

The poems Alex recited included ‘The Legend of the Morpeth Gadgie’ written by Janet Brown; ‘The Lass at Morpeth Fair’ by Will Coombes of Ashington; ‘Memories of a Colliery Lass’ by Joyce Bray; ‘The Lonnen’, ‘A Country Education’, ‘The Forest’ and ‘The Donsie’ by Peter Athey of Felton; ‘Rosie Nell’ and ‘The Vandal’ by Fred Reed of Ashington; and two Geordie Broon poems by Richard Haswell. New President Martyn Jenkins fondly remembered a performance by Alex at Ford Castle in 1985 for a group of German visitors and said he has always been moved by the passion he shows for anything to do with Northumberland.