A Tyne Tees Television Newsview Production in which reporter Phil McDonnell joins 800 Catholic children, some from the North East, as they take a nine-day cruise onboard the passenger ship Dunera to Rome in order to see Pope Paul VI. Along the way they also visit Northern Spain to see the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and then a very wet Tangier in Morocco before arriving in Rome visiting Vatican City to see the Pope and receive his blessing. The programme was transmitted 17th February...

A Tyne Tees Television Newsview Production in which reporter Phil McDonnell joins 800 Catholic children, some from the North East, as they take a nine-day cruise onboard the passenger ship Dunera to Rome in order to see Pope Paul VI. Along the way they also visit Northern Spain to see the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and then a very wet Tangier in Morocco before arriving in Rome visiting Vatican City to see the Pope and receive his blessing. The programme was transmitted 17th February 1965. The passenger ship Dunera at sea over the sounds of children singing. Credit: TTTV Presents On deck Tyne Tees Television reporter Phil McDonnell speaking to camera about this journey to Rome which will take nine days by ship. The ship’s whistle blows and the Dunera still at sea. Title: Nine Days to Rome As the Dunera sails through the sea a voiceover of some of the children involved in the journey talking about their experiences on-board. Phil McDonnell speaks to camera again about this pilgrimage of 800 children from schools across the country, behind him another ship passes. On-board a class of schoolgirls with many writing in exercise books. A female teacher stands at a chalkboard speaking to the class, on the board details about the exchange rate for the pound and Spanish Peseta. In another part of the ship boys take part in a religious re-enactment with several of them dressed as slaves wearing chains around their necks being led around by another boy dressed in a keffiyeh or kufiya pretends to whip them. Around them an audience applauds. Sitting behind a desk the ships captains and a nun, he hands out certificates to a number of Newcastle school children who are dressed as black-and-white mistrals. A fancy-dress parade takes place with children of various ages walking around the room. On deck a girl leans against the railing looking out to sea. A loudspeaker changes to show some of the girls asleep in bunkbeds. Music begins to play, and the girls awaken, get up and make their beds and clean the room. The Dunera is docked along at quayside at Vigo in Northern Spain. A nun leads a group of schoolgirls off the ship, they are all wearing matching outfits with straw hats and are watched by a Spanish official. Another group of school children climb aboard a bus which pulls away from the port travelling through the city and out into the countryside with those onboard singing. At the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a student takes a photograph of the western facade. An icon of St James the Great to whom the cathedral is dedicated as well as other statues around the building. From a balcony some of the children look out onto the Plaza do Obradoiro towards the neoclassical palace of Pazo de Raxi. A group of schoolgirls crosses the plaza passing the palace. The girls stand around a horse which is tied up along a cobbled road, they buy souvenirs from a woman carrying a tray of items around her neck. A crowd walk around the Plaza do Obradoiro in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Children play a game of marbles in a nearby cobbled street as two young women look down from a window above. A donkey carrying two crates is lead slowly along the road, a woman walks past carrying items on her head. At a café or bar, a man’s hand picks up a glass of red wine. Back on the Dunera school parties return making their way back on-board. At sea again a lifeboat drill with a member of the crew helping one girl put on her lifejacket and one of the lifeboats being lowered into the water. The children stand in groups on deck watched over by a nun. Inside a Catholic service is taking place with the priest wearing vestments singing along with his young congregation. The priest and a second man pray at the altar. In the wheelhouse a member of the crew rings a bell, outside two officers use sextants to help plot their course. Around them a group of children learning about the ship and using some of the equipment including one girl holding a sextant. An officer shows some girls a navigation map and their route. A group of boys look at a compass, another boy looks out to sea using a pair of binoculars. The Dunera continues its journey with some of the children relaxing on deck sitting on deckchairs, a number of them are asleep. In another part of the ship others play a game of deck hockey while in the pool two children dive for cutlery thrown into the water by a man. An officer adjudicates over a tug-o-war tournament between two teams of boys, around them other children cheer on until one side is victorious. The sun sets over the sea changes to the Dunera arriving in port at the city of Tangier in northwest Morocco. Some of the children lookout on deck as another passenger ship passes in the opposite direction. On deck raincoats and water-proof hats are put on, along the dockside below several stalls with Arab salesmen shouting up to those on-board about their wares. A girl on deck lowers down a bag to one of the stallholders below. A woman leads a party of schoolgirls off the Dunera onto the quayside where she is greeted by a local man who shakes her hand. A large number of school children wonder around the quayside speaking with several of the salesmen purchasing a number of items. From Tangiers looking down onto the harbour and Dunera below. Traffic moves past a palm tree, a man wearing a fez walks past pushing a bicycle. A number of girls climb aboard and ride camels, two local men attempt to get Phil McDonnell to get on a camel. Nearby a man dressed as a woman performance a bell dance for Phil McDonnell, he is accompanied by three traditional musicians. Phil McDonnell pulls up his collar protecting himself from the rain as he walks along a road. Behind him two local women walk past with two small children. A woman carrying an open umbrella walks past as water streams down a pathway. A car drives through a flooded street. A road sign for ‘Casbah’ and a busy narrow street and archway. Local men and women walk around an indoor market with stalls selling various fish. A snake charmer performs for the crowds accompanied by a man on a hand-drum. He places one of his snakes in his mouth before allowing it to bite him on his hand. A woman wearing large coveralls walks along a rainy street with water collecting in the gutters. Wet school children make their way back on-board the Dunera. A group of boys are given a tour of the engine room, one boy wearing a fez while others wear knitted hats. Rough seas from a force 10 gale as the Dunera continues its journey, some of the children walking along the windy deck. The film changes to the Dunera docked at the port of Rome. In her cabin a girl writes a postcard to her mother, the image on the front is of two Swiss Guards. Raining again school children climb off a bus which is parked beside a fountain in St Peter’s Square inside Vatican City. Three young priests walk past each with their umbrella’s up as a party of visits cross towards St Peter’s Basilica. The film changes to that of the ruins of the Roman Colosseum with a school party being shown around. A large cross stands inside the Colosseum as some of the group take photographs. Cars drive along a road surrounded by Roman ruins and columns on both sides, nearby the Triumphal Arch with other visitors walking past admiring the structure. Traffic moves along a modern two-lane highway through Rome. Phil McDonnel crosses a road watching out for the traffic which speeds past him as he walks. Outside a hotel a man loads a suitcase into the boot of a car, Phil McDonnell sits at a café table with a glass of wine watching the traffic driving past. A waiter serves him a second glass which he enjoys. Around him others sit at tables reading or chatting over their drinks. A couple are driven past on an open-top horse drawn carriage. At the Piazza del Popolo a woman takes a drink from the water coming from a fountain. Nearby a group of schoolgirls from Coventry sit on the steps beside the Fontana dell’Obelisco. A boy staddles the stone lion of the fountain. Three girls speak with two Italian policemen looking for direction to the Trevi Fountain. Hand gestures are used, and the girls arrive at the destination to admire the fountain. As is traditional they throw coins into the water for luck. From the banks of the River Tiber the Castel Sant’Angelo in the distance. The camera pans right to show St Peter Basilica where the school groups arrives and heads inside. The party make their way through the Basilica passing four Swiss Guards and stand behind a barrier. Nearby a number of clergy sit waiting while other visits stand waiting. Through a doorway Pope Paul VI appears, his arms outstretched to greet the crowds. Everyone applauds as he greets some of the clergy seen previously, some kneel and kiss his hand. Pope Paul takes a seat and begins to make a speech to the large crowd. He then walks past one group of schoolgirls who attempt to kiss his outstretched hand. He stops briefly to allow those in the crowd to grab his right hand, with his left he touches the heads of some of the others. He passes another group of waiting schoolgirls who again kisses his hand as he passes. The film ends with him continuing to walk past the crowds. End credit: Script and commentary by Philip McDonnell End credit: Cameraman Norman Jackson End credit: Sound Brian Ranger End credit: Film Editor Douglas Bonicos-Smithers End credit: Directed by Bernard Preston End credit: A Tyne Tees Television Newsview Production.