An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ which begins with a filmed report by Kevin Rountree on the state of the region’s seaside economy. Travelling from Scarborough in North Yorkshire to Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland he speaks with both local business owner and councillors about what is being done to attract back the 15 million Britain's who took foreign holidays in 1982. In the second part the programme presenter Ian Breach leads a discussion...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ which begins with a filmed report by Kevin Rountree on the state of the region’s seaside economy. Travelling from Scarborough in North Yorkshire to Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland he speaks with both local business owner and councillors about what is being done to attract back the 15 million Britain's who took foreign holidays in 1982. In the second part the programme presenter Ian Breach leads a discussion with three spokespersons from each of the main political parties about their parties’ priorities in the upcoming general election on June 9th. Questions are put to the three politicians from editors from three of the region’s newspapers. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing In the Tyne Tees Television studio in Newcastle presenter Ian Breach introduces this week’s edition beginning with a filmed report on seaside and later in Briefing Politics a discussion in which three party spokespersons outline their priorities for the upcoming general election with three Northeast newsmen. Standing beside a graphic showing Northeast and North Yorkshire coastline from Bamburgh and Seahouses in the north to Whitby and Scarborough in the south Ian Breach asks the questions do we really still like to live beside the seaside? Reporter Kevin Rountree speaks with noted clairvoyant Madam Laura Lee about the prospects for the holiday season in 1983. Looking into her crystal ball Madam Lee speaks about how bad the previous two years have been and her hopes for better weather this year. On the beach at Scarborough a mother helps her child build a sandcastle, nearby men work to put together a series of fairground rides aimed at children. An archive photograph of the beach at Whitley Bay in the 1890s changes to the Hudsons Hotel and other guesthouses along a street. A sign above the entrance way of the Cliff House Chalets changes to a montage of still images showing holidaymakers in a sunny Spain where cheap drink, a relaxed atmosphere and the lack of rain attracted 15 million Britain's in 1982. Inside Bamburgh Castle two visitors look over a museum display while on the beach a small girl licks her Mr Whippy ice cream. At nearby Seahouses a local musician with his guitar walks along Main Street singing a sad song about the loss of visitors to the area, nearby children playing beside an amusement arcade. He continues to sing while sitting on rocks beside the sea with Bamburgh Castle in the distance. From the graveyard of St Stephen’s Church the village of Robin Hoods Bay below changes to a phantom card ride along Foreshore Road in Scarborough past the many amusement arcades. Standing on the beach Kevin Rountree states that 1983 will need to be a success and the currently empty beach will need be packed with visitors. Walking along Foreshore Road with Kevin is Councillor Peter Jaconelli who talks about the attractions of the town and what it has over continental locations. He also provides details of some the changes the town is making to attract visitors who would consider travelling abroad. Back on the beach Kevin speaks with David Sutton about the continued popularity of donkey rides and how the past two seasons have been for him. As they chat David lead one donkey along the sand with a small boy sitting on it. Around them other donkeys with children also enjoying their ride. He is critical of Bank Holiday’s when the ‘Mods and Rockers’ descends on Scarborough as it affects his trade badly, he explains why. Standing in a Victoria portrait parlour at Whitby Kevin Roundtree dressed in a Victorian gentleman’s outfit asks the question should the town be brought up-to-date or if its charm really that it is ‘old world-ness’? His photograph is taken, and the finished image is shown. A photograph of Whitby featuring the Swing Bridge taken by Francis Meadow Sutcliffe changes to the same view today. Kevin speaks with five Whitby councillors and tradespeople including Councillor Florence Roach, Shop Owners Rosie McHugh and Leslie Simpson and Whitby Lucky Duck owner as well as councillor Dorothy Clegg. Each of them provides ideas of how they think the town could develop for tourists with more being done around the Market Square and more being done about historic figures such as Captain James Cook. On Westcliff overlooking the town below the statue of the maritime explorer whose early seafaring career begin in Whitby. Boats moored in Whitby marina, on the cliffs about the town the ruins of Whitby Abbey and St Mary’s Church. Another montage of guesthouses in the town with a ‘vacancies’ sign in one window. Guesthouse owners Doreen Gray explains to Kevin Rountree that the cost of converting accommodation such as hers to the standards expected by holidaymakers who have travelled abroad is something that people aren’t prepared to pay for. Over a montage of other guesthouse signs and the town itself Doreen explains that as long as the package deal abroad remain reasonable the resorts such as Whitby will be affected. A couple walk alone along the long the sands of an empty Bamburgh Castle Beach. Sitting in the dunes the musician seen early now singing a song entitles ‘Echo’s of Summer’ about the beach and its lack of visitors which is being used by the local tourist authority as a selling point. As the song comes to an end a fishing trawler comes into harbour at Seahouses. A montage of the village changes to Kevin speaking with Margaret Morgan, a local licensee, about the attractions to visitors. She points down on the harbour below and provide details of other attractions. She explains why she isn’t happy about a new development of amusement arcades as it gives a bad impression on the village. Inside one of the villages amusements arcades the dials of a one-armed-bandit machine spinning. Ken Britton from Amusement Caterer explains the different types of amusements this arcade has and why attractions such as his are important for Seahouses. Behind him a family play on a penny machine and one-arm-bandits. From a caravan park in the middle of Seahouses a trawler making its way towards the nearby harbour. Ken Britton walks with Kevin Rountree through the park explaining that he has an obligation to village to keep the site as nice as possible. Returning to Margaret Morgan, Kevin asks if she didn’t live here would she holiday in Seahouses? She explains not in summer as it is to crowded, but other parts of the year she would. From the dune on Bamburgh Castle Beach the castle itself in the distance. Inside Lord Armstrong speaks with Kevin Rountree about the castle’s history as well as the number of visitors who come each year and the castles contribution to tourism in Northumberland. He is asked if he would consider opening the castle to bed and breakfast accommodation. Three boys walk along Bamburgh Castle Beach changes to Seahouses harbour at low tide where the musician standing on the sand singing a final song about trips to the seaside called ‘Wasn’t it Nice’. Returning to the Tyne Tees studio Ian Breach ends the report on the seaside by saying that one hinderances to the prosperity of Northumberland resorts is the lack of adequate signpost along the Al route north. He takes the programme into the commercial break by providing details of what is coming up in part two. Title: End of Part One Briefing Politics Ian Breach leads a discussion in which spokesmen from each of the three major parties outline their priorities for the upcoming general election. Questions are posed by editors from three regional newspapers. The party spokesmen are Alan Beith for the Alliance party, Keith Hampson from the Conservative Party and Jack Dorman from the Labour Party. The editors featured are Philip Crawley from The Journal, Allan Prosser from the Northern Echo and Graeme Stanton from the Evening Chronicle, Newcastle. The discussion continues into a third part with subjects discussed including the region’s economy, unemployment as well as whether Britain will remain or withdraws from the Common Market as well as nuclear disarmament. The discussion comes to an end with the programme ends on Ian Breach providing details on next week’s edition which will look at all the nominations for the upcoming general election on June 9th. Credit: Presenter Ian Breach Reporter Kevin Rountree Film Camera Fred Crone, Fred Thomas F.R.P.S., Richard Edwards Film Sound Ed Gray, Gary Nattrass Film Editor John Louvre Research Lynne Petrie, Andrew Solomon Political Editor John Sleight Director Ronnie Mutch Producer Bob Farnworth End title: Tyne Tees Colour. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXIII