The Jocks and the Geordies
Encyclopedia
The Jocks and the Geordies were fictional character
s who had their own comic strip
in The Dandy
comic. It ran from 1975 until the early 1990s.
The strip was about two groups of five schoolboys living in the village of Crosspatch, crossing the border
of Scotland
and England
. As a result, they were in constant battles with one another, with each in turn getting their comeuppance for pranks which were often quite violent. Often both sets of boys would be in trouble from their teachers (Mr McAllistair and Mr Bigglesthwaite) at the end, both of whom despaired of the rivalry and would frequently administer the cane
(the belt in the case of the Jocks).
The Jocks (Scottish boys), who wore various tartan
jumpers and wide tam o'shanter
caps, were: Big Jock (the leader), Wee Eck, Hector, Angus and Sandy; while the Geordie
s (North East England
boys) were all identically dressed in dark school uniforms. The names of the Geordies were not always consistent: the fifth Geordie was referred to as 'Sidney' in the 1979 Dandy Annual but this name was later given to the leader of the Geordies. The second and fourth Geordies have been referred to as Specky and Lofty respectively, but these names were not used regularly. In the late 1980s, the names of each character appeared under a 'mugshot' and they were Sidney, Lanky, Arnold, Cedric and Egbert.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s who had their own comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
in The Dandy
The Dandy
The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...
comic. It ran from 1975 until the early 1990s.
The strip was about two groups of five schoolboys living in the village of Crosspatch, crossing the border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As a result, they were in constant battles with one another, with each in turn getting their comeuppance for pranks which were often quite violent. Often both sets of boys would be in trouble from their teachers (Mr McAllistair and Mr Bigglesthwaite) at the end, both of whom despaired of the rivalry and would frequently administer the cane
Caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...
(the belt in the case of the Jocks).
The Jocks (Scottish boys), who wore various tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
jumpers and wide tam o'shanter
Tam o'shanter (hat)
A Tam o' Shanter is a Scottish style hat originally worn by men. The hat is named after a character in a poem written by Robert Burns in 1790...
caps, were: Big Jock (the leader), Wee Eck, Hector, Angus and Sandy; while the Geordie
Geordie
Geordie is a regional nickname for a person from the Tyneside region of the north east of England, or the name of the English-language dialect spoken by its inhabitants...
s (North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
boys) were all identically dressed in dark school uniforms. The names of the Geordies were not always consistent: the fifth Geordie was referred to as 'Sidney' in the 1979 Dandy Annual but this name was later given to the leader of the Geordies. The second and fourth Geordies have been referred to as Specky and Lofty respectively, but these names were not used regularly. In the late 1980s, the names of each character appeared under a 'mugshot' and they were Sidney, Lanky, Arnold, Cedric and Egbert.