Commissioned by Gateshead Municipal District Council in 1986, a Northern Newsreel and Trade Films film promoting the Gateshead Flower Festival taking place in four years’ time. The film speaks with some of those involved in producing the festival not only about what it will be but also its legacy for the future. Title: Gateshead Flower Festival In a classroom a child reads from their notes about the Gateshead Flower Festival and their hopes that it will transform the area. The film...

Commissioned by Gateshead Municipal District Council in 1986, a Northern Newsreel and Trade Films film promoting the Gateshead Flower Festival taking place in four years’ time. The film speaks with some of those involved in producing the festival not only about what it will be but also its legacy for the future. Title: Gateshead Flower Festival In a classroom a child reads from their notes about the Gateshead Flower Festival and their hopes that it will transform the area. The film changes to a montage of heavy machinery working the prepare the land for the festival and a variety of colour flowers that may feature. A plan highlighting the areas of Team Valley and Gateshead to be transformed into the Gateshead Flower Festival site is followed by still images of what will hopefully feature on the site such as children’s play areas, exhibition spaces and gardens. At Dunston in Gateshead a large piece of waste ground being prepared by heavy machinery for festival use changes to an interview with Joe Vickers, Headmaster of Riverside School who talks about his hopes that the garden festival will help revitalise the identity of the Dunston area. A montage of black and white photographs featuring sailing ships on the River Tyne during the 19th century, in the background a group of local school children singing a local folksong. Over more images of the local area during the early 20th century, two older women reflect on the history of the area. They stand on part of the festival site looking down on the Dunston Staith in the distance. They are asked by the interviewer about what the site was like when they were younger, all green fields one of them replies. They lament the changes and loss of community. As the heavy machinery continues work preparing the site, interview with George Gill, Leader of Gateshead Council about the work being done and the plans being prepared by the council for use of the land after the festival. From an elevated position Dunston below featuring high-rise apartment blocks and the western bypass passing around a large roundabout with the Dunston Staith and River Tyne featuring again in the distance. Joe Vickers is concerned that Dunston as a community will be forgotten as it is in the centre of both the garden festival and Metro Centre developments. As he talks general views of shops and houses in the Dunston area. In a school playground children playing hopscotch and other games changes to young flowers being planted into pots inside a greenhouse at the Gateshead Central Nursery. Standing nearby is Ros Rigby, Arts Development Officer for the festival who talks about the many activities and events taking place over the six-months festival. She believes that many visitors to the festival will be interested in those activities that have a ‘local flavour’ and suggests locals groups start preparing now. As Dave Copeland, National Garden Festival Project Officer outlines the legacy of the festival site for Gateshead gulls come into land on current derelict land at Redheugh as heavy machinery continues to work around them. Workmen start planting trees at the Norwood Sidings site changes to the Derwent Tower, also known as the Dunston Rocket, dominates the skyline behind the cleared site of the Norwood Coke Works. A roadway and planted saplings have been recently completed at Eslington Park. A variety of colourful flowers growing inside a large greenhouse at the Gateshead Central Nursery changes to Ros Rigby again saying that if any local groups have ideas for gardens at the festival, they should approach her with designs and ideas. One of the two older women seen previous remembers seeing daffodils growing along the banks of the Tyne and how the sight of it made her feel happy. In a classroom a young girl reads from her notes about her hopes that the flower festival and Metro Centre will transform Dunston for the better in the future. Joe Vickers talks about tacking the potential issue of vandalism by making sure the 11-year-olds of today understand the importance of and are a part of the festival now as the will be 16-year-olds when the festival begins. Title: For more information : Dave Copeland, National Garden Festival, Project Officer, Town Hall, Gateshead, NE8 1BT Thanks to Annie Best, Irene Clasper, May Gibson and Dunston Riverside Primary School, Gateshead Central Nursery Credit: Crew: Camera, Sarah McCarthy Sound – Dave Eadington Engineer – Brian McEvoy VT Editor – John Adams Music Robb Allen, Penny Callow for Hip Music Productions Titles – Dave Brooks End title: A Northern Newsreel Production for Gateshead MBC 1986