An amateur film made by James Cameron of the Newcastle and District Amateur Cinematographers’ Association of a trip to Germany in June 1939. The film begins from a ship leaving Newcastle, crossing the North Sea and travelling along the Dutch coast to Cologne in Germany. Views of the city and its people are followed by a trip by paddle steamboat along the River Rhine to Coblenz and then Berlin. While visiting the city and nearby Potsdam he records life just before the outbreak of World War Two...

An amateur film made by James Cameron of the Newcastle and District Amateur Cinematographers’ Association of a trip to Germany in June 1939. The film begins from a ship leaving Newcastle, crossing the North Sea and travelling along the Dutch coast to Cologne in Germany. Views of the city and its people are followed by a trip by paddle steamboat along the River Rhine to Coblenz and then Berlin. While visiting the city and nearby Potsdam he records life just before the outbreak of World War Two including what is believed to be a member of Sturmabteilung (SA) on the street handing our pamphlets. The film also includes views of the Berlin Wintergarten which was destroyed by Allied bombing in June 1944. The final part of the film records the journey back to England via Ostend and London before arriving back in Newcastle by train. The film opens on a ship moored along a quayside where a woman and man stand chatting with a man in a naval uniform. Title: Passing Down the Tyne From the deck of the ship views of the river follow as it travels along the Tyne including two steam tug boats moored on the river. A view of the entrance to the River Ouseburn is followed by that of the Spillers’ Tyne Mill under construction. A Tyne Pilot jumps from the ship to his pilot boat before speeding away. The ship passes other vessels on the river as it heads into the North Sea passing the Tynemouth and South Shields piers. Title: At Sea Views around the ship and of other boats on the water as the vessel steams towards Europe. An officer stands on an upper deck near the wheelhouse looking out to sea. [Colour]. A number of steam tankers or cargo ships sail past in the opposite direction. Another steam passenger ship passes also making its way towards Europe, the Dutch flag flies from a mast at the stern of the ship. A smaller steam ship passes heading out to sea as the vessel approaches a port. A French flag, the tricolour, flies from the mast. Title: Dutch Coast A view from the ship steaming along the coastline shows a flat landscape with a windmill near the shoreline which is followed by two small huts on top of a low coastal hillside. Looking back from the stern another steam passenger ship follows close behind before overtaking. Buildings along the seafront of a Dutch town include a line of chalets along the sand. The view changes to show a large sea wall and a town in the near distance. A number of large cranes dot the landscape. Title: River Pilot Comes Aboard The Pilot climbs on board from his vessel, a second man descends onto the pilot boat which then departs heading for the nearby town where another windmill can be seen on the horizon. A red flag with the letter ‘P’ on it flies from the mast of the pilot ship as it moves away. Title: Cologne Pedestrians and traffic move through the streets of the German city with ships moored along the River Rhine. On Heumarkt a tram waits for passengers to board or disembark. Near the Equestrian Statue of Friedrich Wilhelm III a police officer directs traffic. A tram and lorry passes along Heumarkt while in the background a number of other trams cross over the Deutz Suspension Bridge. Pedestrians and a man on a bicycle walk and pedal along a narrow street of Heumarkt passing the ‘Cafe Voosen’. A couple sitting under an umbrella at an outdoor café is followed by pedestrians and traffic moving along a road beside the Rhine. On the other side of the river a tall modern building with tower. A riverboat steams past and passengers wait at a river terminal. A group of school children walk past Cologne Cathedral followed by views of the ornate medieval portal stonework around the cathedral entrance. [B&W] Title: The Cologne Zoo Statues of two large stags stand on plinths beside a gate into the zoo. Various views of the many animals and birds inside the zoo including goats, pink flamingos as well as a bear, lamas and a number of birds of prey and an owl in their cages. Two polar bears sit or swim inside their enclosure and a monkey eats a piece of fruit inside its cage watched by two couples. Views of more birds in their cages changes to show a man holding out a piece of food for a large bird who cautiously walks towards him. Back at the zoo entrance more visitors make their way into the park. An ice cream seller stands on the road beside a park with a fountain, a woman pushes a pram out of the park. Title: Up the Rhine to Coblenz [Colour] From a riverboat on the Rhine leaving Cologne two steam paddle boats follow behind. The boat passes a jetty, a sign above it reads ‘Bonn’ where passengers wait for another vessel. More views of buildings, jetty’s and people walking alongside the river as the riverboat continues its journey. A Nazi Swastika flies from the mast at the stern of riverboat. Passenger disembark and step aboard the ship along a jetty. A large metal sign along the riverbank reads ‘Konigswinter;’ another over the jetty reads ‘Koln-Dusseldorfer. Rhein-Dampfschiffahrt’. The riverboat continues its journey along the Rhine. A ships officer looks down from an upper deck, the name of the riverboat is stencilled on a lifebuoy which hangs below him and reads ‘Bismarck’. Passengers relax on deck as they pass another steamboat heading in the opposite direction as they approaching the Ludendorff Bridge. Title: Coblenz The Bismarck is moored along a jetty and passengers begin to climb aboard. Title: Bridges of boats A section of a bailey bridge on the Rhine begins to move out of formation allowing the Bismarck to continue its journey. Pedestrians makes their way along narrow streets in the city passing various shops and cafés. A view of Kaiser Wilhelm memorial at Deutsche Eck is followed by a view of Hotel Riesen-Furstenhof. Title: Berlin Traffic speeds past the Reichstag Building, amongst all the cars a man pulls a cart followed by views of the Berlin Cathedral. Along a small narrow street two children play a ball game in the road. A shop nearby has writing stencilled above it that reads ‘Wirtshaust-Alt-Berlin’. A crowd walks along a busy road past a number of flower sellers. An older female flower seller prepares a bouquet from buckets of colourful flowers. Pedestrians cross a windy square surrounded by ornate buildings. At a set of traffic lights vehicles wait for the lights to change. A number of cars are parked in front of the Hotel Kaiserhof on Wilhelmplatz. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of a large house, followed by another view of the Reichstag Building with traffic moving past in front of it. A number of marble statues adorn a park which includes a pond and decorative flowerbeds. Two men stand chatting near one of the flowerbeds. The taller younger man smiles and looks at the camera while his colleague smokes a cigarette. Around a set of benches a number of well-dressed men and women, some sitting beside prams, feed small birds who land on the ground in front of them. Along Berlin-Mitte is the Berlin Wintergarten theatre with a decorative sign hanging above the entrance. A number of American flags flies alongside several Nazi Swastikas from the building beside the theatre. A man in a cap sells newspapers and magazines from a sandwich board as pedestrians walk past. At the Café Schon people relax around outdoor tables as pedestrians walk past. Traffic moves at speed along a wide boulevard. A member of Hitler’s Sturmabteilung wearing a brown shirt distributes pamphlets from a box that hangs over his shoulder. A group of musicians stand beside a number of parked cars. Inside the Café Wintergarten a waiter sets tables. At night neon lights light up a number of Berlin attractions including the Central Hotel and the Wintergarten nearby. More views of various theatres and hotels around Berlin lit up with neon lights. A sign along a platform at a railway station identifies the location as Potsdam. Traffic and cyclists travel along cobbled streets followed by that of a riverboat travelling along a river, a church tower can be seen on the opposite shore. German soldiers march past the Potsdam City Palace as a tram and cars travel in the opposite direction. From two people in a canoe on the water  the film changes to shows views of the City Palace with ornate fountains and statues. Views follow of St Nicholas’ Church and an ornate exterior staircase featuring metal cherubs along the railings. In a city park an attendant waters the decorative flower beds and local women buy fruit and vegetables from an open-air market. Other stalls sell flowers. More views of the city is followed by a woman sitting at an outdoor café holding a menu that reads ‘Berliner Kindl Brau’. A motorboat is moored on the river beside a building while a swan and two ducks swim beside a jetty for the Palast Hotel. Traffic and pedestrians pass by a large awning over tables outside the Café Victoria. Title: Ostend From behind a barrier a small crowd waves to passengers on board a ship as it pulls away from a quayside. Views of the Belgium city as the ship passes including the two towers of St Peter’s church in the distance. A number of wheeled chalets are parked up near to the beach and crowds watch from a pier as the ship heads out to sea.              On board large crowds of passengers fill the deck chatting and relaxing on deckchairs, others reading newspapers. Title: Off Dover A steam cargo ship passes between the ship and the White Cliffs of Dover before the ship passes a small lighthouse on a pier. Title: London Traffic including a number of red double-decker buses travels along a busy road and past a branch of the Westminster Bank Ltd and other businesses. Traffic travels along Whitehall and a man and young girl watch the pigeons in Trafalgar Square. Couples relax sitting in the edge of one of the fountains. Standing in the middle of Charing Cross Road not far from St Martin-in-the-Fields a number of red double-decker buses as well as other traffic travelsl past. Outside Charing Cross Station two men have their shoes shined. From a moving train a man looks out of a carriage to have a cigarette. An A4 class steam locomotive pulls into Newcastle Central Station and passengers disembark. The film ends on a traffic including a tram, passing by the railway station.