The Greatest Shipbuilding Port in the World


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It's not disputed, mags named us mackems and tackems because we say mackem and tackem. They also take the piss with weez keez a theez but wheezers or keezers isn't as catchy as Mackems so Mackems stuck. To claim differently is just ignorant.

And the inhabitants of newcastle are properly known as novocastrians not Geordies.

You’re wrong…again
 
I suspect that I'm of a similar vintage as Boris Bear. However, I'm not from Sunderland, I'm not really bothered whether folks choose to embrace "mackem" or not. All I know is that my grand dad, Sunderland born and bred and worked in The Forge his whole working life, took the word as an insult. For that reason alone, I tend not to use the word. I suspect that some of the older generations will still see it as an insult. My gran lived a lot longer and saw the word come into common parlance in a way he never did. No doubt through his influence, she also disliked the term. I can't recall hearing any of the Sunderland folks I know of my parents generation (all 70+ now) referring to themselves as Mackems.
Spot on. I’m 70 , born in Sunderland, raised in Houghton and 100% agree with you and your grandad.
 
I’m afraid your understanding of mak (us) and tak ( them) is totally wrong . In the 18th century Sunderland was well known as ‘ Canny auld Sun’land. Where they mak em and tak em , the salt o’ the earth. Describing the folk of Sunderland. Building the ships and taking them all over the world. Not to Tyneside!! We were famous for sea going me. And many ships captains living in Sunderland. Unfortunately, the busy port was the site of the first ever cholera case in uk. ps Tyneside do not say mak or tak and that’s where the derisory word Mackem came from.
His understanding is just as valid as yours and his reasoning more sound.

You trying to tell Mackems about Mackems is like me coming to your village to educate you about donkey jackets
 
I’m afraid your understanding of mak (us) and tak ( them) is totally wrong . In the 18th century Sunderland was well known as ‘ Canny auld Sun’land. Where they mak em and tak em , the salt o’ the earth. Describing the folk of Sunderland. Building the ships and taking them all over the world. Not to Tyneside!! We were famous for sea going me. And many ships captains living in Sunderland. Unfortunately, the busy port was the site of the first ever cholera case in uk. ps Tyneside do not say mak or tak and that’s where the derisory word Mackem came from.

I've never heard that version given much credence, I'd much prefer that to be the origin. It then also sits nicely that they (Mags) would help spread it for us afresh 40 years ago or so. Thanks to companies like Nissan where we have the most efficient site in the world it seems we can still 'Mak em' with the best.
 
I went deep sea as an engineer, South Shields Marine and Tech lad, started in 1964, and lived in the outer reaches of Boldon Colliery. I went all over the world, and I never once heard the word mackem either home or abroad, and never at games. If I told people where I was from, they would always say, "you're a geordie". It was only when I moved to Southampton in the 80s that I heard it. Never taken any offence against it, and it does differentiate us from them up the road, but like it or loath it, we are stuck with it!

As for Boris Bear, you just can't imagine what goes on in the empty space inside his head. The bloke has nay class, ni culture, and has no first hand experience of the era, he has no knowledge, so his views are irrelevant. He further shows his ignorance and boorishness by denigrating miners, saying they are unskilled hole diggers. I would have thought that the pit engineers, the fitters and the electricians among others, might have something to say about that, and wasn't there a lot of people who worked in shipyards called labourers? (OED definition, "a person doing unskilled manual work for wages"). The bloke is an ignorant, callous, self deluding buffoon.
 
I went deep sea as an engineer, South Shields Marine and Tech lad, started in 1964, and lived in the outer reaches of Boldon Colliery. I went all over the world, and I never once heard the word mackem either home or abroad, and never at games. If I told people where I was from, they would always say, "you're a geordie". It was only when I moved to Southampton in the 80s that I heard it. Never taken any offence against it, and it does differentiate us from them up the road, but like it or loath it, we are stuck with it!

As for Boris Bear, you just can't imagine what goes on in the empty space inside his head. The bloke has nay class, ni culture, and has no first hand experience of the era, he has no knowledge, so his views are irrelevant. He further shows his ignorance and boorishness by denigrating miners, saying they are unskilled hole diggers. I would have thought that the pit engineers, the fitters and the electricians among others, might have something to say about that, and wasn't there a lot of people who worked in shipyards called labourers? (OED definition, "a person doing unskilled manual work for wages"). The bloke is an ignorant, callous, self deluding buffoon.
You’re from Boldon and therefore not a Mackem…that explains it.
 
Soton Pete, Here, here. Great to hear this.Wherever I go people ask if I’m a Geordie, sometimes Welsh, Scottish or Irish 😜
It makes a massive difference when you’ve experienced travelling the world , compared to being insular with such a narrow view of things. Boris exudes this type of person and it’s extremely inflammatory of him to undermine mining families which make up a massive part of our support. ( like his PM name sake )
 
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It must be quite deprecating for such superior mackem blood to have to attend matches on the site of an old colliery.
Not at all. I have no doubt Sunderland were the best in that field also. Nothing wrong with celebrating Sunderland’s world class history and as supporters of our football club you get to enjoy it vicariously.

As for Soton Pete, I question the knowledge of someone not from Sunderland who has never worked in Sunderland and lives in Hampshire as an authority on Sunderland. His knowledge is lacking and therefore his claims are irrelevant.
Soton Pete, Here, here. Great to hear this.Wherever I go people ask if I’m a Geordie, sometimes Welsh, Scottish or Irish 😜
It makes a massive difference when you’ve experienced travelling the world , compared to being insular with such a narrow view of things. Boris exudes this type of person and it’s extremely inflammatory of him to undermine mining families which make up a massive part of our support. ( like his PM name sake )
I’ve worked on five continents marra
 
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Not at all. I have no doubt Sunderland were the best in that field also. Nothing wrong with celebrating Sunderland’s world class history and as supporters of our football club you get to enjoy it vicariously.

As for Soton Pete, I question the knowledge of someone not from Sunderland who has never worked in Sunderland and lives in Hampshire as an authority on Sunderland. His knowledge is lacking and therefore his claims are irrelevant.

I’ve worked on five continents marra
Just Antarctica to tick off??
 
Not at all. I have no doubt Sunderland were the best in that field also. Nothing wrong with celebrating Sunderland’s world class history and as supporters of our football club you get to enjoy it vicariously.

As for Soton Pete, I question the knowledge of someone not from Sunderland who has never worked in Sunderland and lives in Hampshire as an authority on Sunderland. His knowledge is lacking and therefore his claims are irrelevant.

I’ve worked on five continents marra
Slags off someone for not having worked in Sunderland then brags about not working in Sunderland 🤣
You’re wrong…again

Novocastrian​

1A native or inhabitant of Newcastle upon Tyne in England.

‘the loss of bright sunshine due to smoke in the air is well known to Novocastrians

ORIGIN

Mid 17th century modern Latin Novocastrum, Latinized form of Newcastle.

.......

“When you're dead, you don't know you're dead—just like when you're stupid.”
 
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I was at Sunderland Poly from 1974 to 1977, in and around the town (as it was then) every day, and going to Roker Park throughout. I never once heard anyone describe themselves. or anyone else from Sunderland, as a Mackem. You're trying and failing to be authoritative on something you're actually too young to have lived through
Blokes an idiot Grumps.
 
Slags off someone for not having worked in Sunderland then brags about not working in Sunderland 🤣

Novocastrian​

1A native or inhabitant of Newcastle upon Tyne in England.

‘the loss of bright sunshine due to smoke in the air is well known to Novocastrians

ORIGIN

Mid 17th century modern Latin Novocastrum, Latinized form of Newcastle.

.......

“When you're dead, you don't know you're dead—just like when you're stupid.”

As an old boy of Newcastle Royal Grammar School, I'm allowed to describe myself as an Old Novocastrian.
 
As for Soton Pete, I question the knowledge of someone not from Sunderland who has never worked in Sunderland and lives in Hampshire as an authority on Sunderland. His knowledge is lacking and therefore his claims are irrelevant.
Ah, but I did work in Sunderland! I worked in Vaux Breweries When I was at SSMTC, Satudays, some holidays and overtime on some days.
 
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