A LOT OF RESEARCH WENT INTO THE MAKING OF THIS SECTION, IT'S ALL TO HELP YOU PEOPLE REALISE WHAT I MEAN WHEN I CALL YOU A CHARVA.

THIS IS WHAT THIS PAGE IS HERE FOR. HERE YOU WILL FIND OUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHARVA'S AND HOW TO SPOT THEM IN YOUR AREA! HOWEVER, CHARVA'S MAY BE KNOWN AS DIFFERENT THINGS, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE. I'VE HEARD THEM REFERRED TO AS TRENDIES, SCALLIES, RAJI'S… ETC. BUT THE CHARACTERISTICS REMAIN. CHARVA IS THE WORD FOR ONE OF THESE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NORTH- EAST OF ENGLAND, OR AT LEAST IN NEWCASTLE ANYWAY!

DURING THE DAY THEY CAN BE FOUND HANGING ROUND SHOPPING MALLS AND ARCADES, IN THE EVENING THEY'RE OFTEN LOCATED ON STREET CORNERS (OR IN MEGABOWL <KJUN>). IF YOU LOOK OVER 16/18 (DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY WANT) THEY WILL ADDRESS YOU WITH "HOW YE', GAN T' TH' SHOP FA' W'." (YOU CAN FIND A TRANSLATION OF THIS FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE). A PERFECT CHARVA HANG OUT CONTAINS A CONVENIENCE STORE OR OFF LICENSE (TO GET THEIR ALCOHOL/ CIGARETTES), A CHIP SHOP (PRETTY SELF EXPLANATORY…), A PHONE BOX OR WALL (THEY LIKE TO LOOK TOUGH BY VANALISING SUCH ITEMS) BE WARNED, WHERE THERE'S ONE CHARVA, AT LEAST 3 OTHERS WILL BE AROUND. YOU WILL NEVER SEE A LONE CHARVA ACTING TOUGH. IF YOU SEEN ON ON IT'S OWN IT'LL JUST SCUTTLE AWAY, TRYING NOT TO BE NOTICED. THE ONES THAT HANG ROUND STREET CORNERS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BE IN GROUPS OF UP TO 70.

USUALLY BETWEEN 14 AND 16, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY WHO ARE MUCH OLDER AND YOUNGER. AT 16 MOST OF THEM DECIDE IF THEY'RE GOING TO CARRY ON THESE PITIFUL EXCUSES FOR LIVES OR IF THEY'RE GOING TO TRY A LITTLE BIT HARDER AND DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE. AT THE AGE OF ABOUT 25, THE ONES WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT OUT OF THEIR SAD, DELUDED LIVES CAN BE FOUND WORKING IN LOW PAYING JOBS THAT ANYONE ELSE WOULDN'T REALLY SAY WAS A CAREER (E.G. FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, BUTCHERS).

USUALLY TRACKSUITS, ESPECIALLY KAPPA AND ELLESSE. I'VE HEARD THAT SOME IN GLASGOW AND THE BLACKPOOL AREA HAVE TAKEN TO WEARING SHELL SUITS TUCKED INTO THEIR PATTERNED SOCKS! SCARY! THE MALES USUALLY WEAR HATS, EITHER WOOLY HATS OR BASEBALL CAPS, FEMALE CHARVA'S USUALLY WEAR THE SAME SORT OF TRACKSUITS, SOMETIMES THE WEAR JEANS WITH SHOES WITH HUGE HEELS THAT THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY WALK IN. THE ALSO LIKE TO WEAR LOTS OF JEWELRY, LIKE BIG CHUNKY RINGS AND HUGE HOOP EARRINGS (IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN A FIGHT WITH A FEMALE CHARVA, GO FOR THE EARS! BELIEVE ME, IT WORKS!).

MOST HARDCORE, RAVE AND DANCE MUSIC CAN ALL BE CLASSED AS CHARVA MUSIC. ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PLAYED IN CHARVA CLUBS (NIGHT CLUBS WHICH HAVE VERY LOOSE SECURITY AND ALLOW LITTLE KIDS (CHARVAS) TO GET IN).

THE GUYS ARE EASY ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE, USUALLY SHAVEN HAIR, WITH A SHORT FRINGE. VERY OFTEN THE HAIR IS BLEACHED BLONDE, HOWEVER, THE HATS MAKE IT HARD TO TELL.

THE GIRLS ALWAYS HAVE LONG HAIR, TIED UP AS CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THEIR HEADS AS POSSIBLE IN AT LEAST 3 BRIGHTLY COLOURED HAIR SCRUNCHIES. 95% OF FEMALE CHARVAS HAVE BLEACHED BLONDE HAIR, USUALLY WITH AT LEAST 3 INCHES OF DARK ROOTS GROWING IN. SUPPOSEDLY THE LEGENDARY "CHARVA FRINGE" IS ACHIEVED USING A COKE CAN AND A LOT OF HAIR SPRAY… YOU FIGURE IT OUT! THEY ALSO WEAR LOTS OF MAKE UP, ESPECIALLY FOUNDATION, WHICH MAKES THEM LOOK ORANGE. THE PICTURE SHOWS MY DODGY DRAWING OF A TYPICAL FEMALE CHARVA. ALTHOUGH I MAY NOT BE ANY GOOD AT DRAWING, I'VE BEEN TOLD THIS PICTURE SO ACCURATE IT'S SCARY. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF THING YOU'LL SEE ON THE STREETS OF NEWCASTLE!

I'VE COMPILED A LIST OF CHARVA PHRASES AND ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS FOR YOU TO TRY YOURSELF! ALTHOUGH SOME OF IT IS JUST BASIC GEORDIE, IT'S MOSTLY USED BY CHARVAS. IT'S PHONETIC, SO SAY WHAT YOU SEE!