This piece tells of the many a funny prank being played by the Crowley's Crew, (workers who appear in other writings of the time), and mentioning (fictitious) characters like Knack-kneed Mat, Slavering Nell, Gyetside Jack, and Willayton Dan.
myek a ring An' hear huz sing The sport we had at Swalwell, O; Wor merry play O' th' Hoppen' Day, Ho'way, marrows, an' aw'll tell ye, O.
The sun shines warm on Whickham Bank, Let's aw lye doon at Dolly's O, An' hear 'boot monny a funny prank Played by the lads at Crowley's O.
There was knack-kneed Mat, wiv's purple suit, An' hopper-hipp'd Dick, aw yellow, O; Greet Tom was there, wi' Hepple's and coat, An' buck-sheen'd Bob frae Stella, O.
Verse 5 Wor dance began Aw'd buck-tyuthed Nan, An' Geordy thou'd Jen Collin, O; While the merry black, Wi' monny a crack, Set the tamboreen a-rolling, O.
That day a' Hawks's blacks may rue They gat monny a varry sair clanker, O; Can they de owse wi' Crowley's crew, Frev a needle tiv an anchor, O.
Verse 8 Bald-pyet Jone Carr Wad hav a bit spar, To help his marrows away wid, O, But poor awd fellow, He'd getten ower mellow, So we down'd byeth him an' Davy, O.
It was held for a time near the town gate at the waterside, and later moved to a more permanent home on the ground at the rear of Ridley Gardens (known locally as the Hopping Field.
Many tickets were issued to schoolchildren giving half price rides for threepence and popular records of the day were amplified and played all evening" The various changes in life style sounded the death knell of the Swalwell in the 1960s.