In the days I’m talking about there was no such thing, it was all word of mouth or the echo m8. Nostalgic I know, but it was better then mind, and mobile phones were only on Star Trek.
Being university educated you should be aware that Geordies are only Mackems with their brains knocked out , thought everyone knew that !
I remember Roker Park in the 60's bouncing to us singing "Geordies here, Geordies there, Geordies every F***ing where". I don't recall when Mackem became popular, but I am pleased to be called it even though I am a Geordie by birth.
I worked in Sunderland shipyards for many years and never ever heard the word Makem used there, or at Roker Park. When I was in the Merchant Navy, all NE folk were Geordies, anyone with a tan was a Smoked Geordie, very politically incorrect I may add. Like most have said on here I first heard the word Mackem used as a term of abuse, from up the road, and just like the Tyne and Wear moniker, I dont ever use it.
Also pushing 70. Always understood a Geordie was born on the south bank of the Tyne. Brought up in Ryhope and never thought of myself as a Geordie. I left the NE in the mid 70's and it must have been a good 10 years before I heard the term Mackem. So it's all a mystery to me.
Very true this. ‘73 home &away we sang ‘Geordies here geordies there etc. ‘ Personally never used or heard us as mackems till much much later. Got to say I do quite like refering to myself as a mackem. KTF
I come from County Durham, got called Geordie in the army, now live in Blyth and known as a Mackem. LOL.
Same here. I reckon those outside the north east couldn’t differentiate between us so we were all called Geordies. In all honesty at the time I wasn’t bothered about it.
Grew up in Sunderland, entire family from round there. Moved away late '73, and had never heard the term applied to Sunderland town people (as it was then) or football supporters. First came across it when working just north of London, when a Newcastle-born student (on placement) called me a Mackem, mid '80s My Dad reckons he heard it in the '40s and early '50s as part of "mackem n takem", meaning private work done on company time and materials i.e. "foreigners" . Take a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackem
Sorry, but you're all wrong. The Geordie Nation, as it's now known came into existence in days of long ago following a late night excursion by a lovestruck Scottish youth who hopped over the wall to meet with his favourite sheep. The result was a little lamb and explains the wooly mindedness of our 'Friends to the North'
Yep, I remember talking about it with Jimmy Montgomery and Billy Hughes in 1965/66 when it came up in conversation.
