Letter:Gannin to the Toon

Sir: Since the Tories destroyed a major justification for true Geordie pride - Newcastle-upon-Tyne's heavy engineering, mining and manufacturing base - it is grudgingly accepted that the rest of the world is now recognising that the region has other reasons to be joyful (Leading article; "We're all gann to the Toon", 2 August).

Grudgingly only because tourism adds little wealth in depth and one of the attractions of the area, the relative emptiness of the region, will soon be lost if there is a massive influx of visitors. At least proper Geordies will be able to console themselves by laughing at the attempts of headline writers, and others, to reproduce the dialect. "We're all gann to the Toon" indeed! Have you never heard the anthem of the Geordies, the "Blaydon Races"? What you were searching for was "gannin' ", as in "we're gannin alang the Scotswood Road".

Professor MICHAEL J RENNIE

Department of Anatomy

and Physiology

University of Dundee