A Tyne Tees Television Christmas special in which Northeast television personality Mike Neville visits Beamish the Living Museum of the North in County Durham for a Christmas Journey down memory lane. Joining Mike on this journey of carols, music, readings and stories for the festive season are several other Tyne Tees Television personalities as well as local choirs, the Salvation Army and special guest Sunderland born mezzo soprano Alison Barton. To the Christmas carol ‘O Come, All Ye...

A Tyne Tees Television Christmas special in which Northeast television personality Mike Neville visits Beamish the Living Museum of the North in County Durham for a Christmas Journey down memory lane. Joining Mike on this journey of carols, music, readings and stories for the festive season are several other Tyne Tees Television personalities as well as local choirs, the Salvation Army and special guest Sunderland born mezzo soprano Alison Barton. To the Christmas carol ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ a montage of sepia tone images around Beamish Museums. Title: Christmas Past From Beamish the North of England Open Air Museum Credit: With Mike Neville Travelling through the snow a replica 1913 omnibus pulls up in the 1900 Pit Village at Beamish Museum and presenter Mike Neville steps of to introduce this special ‘Christmas Past’ programme that will contain carols, music, readings and stories for this festive season. After providing details on some of the presenters and guests who will feature, an electric tram coming into the 1900 Town and Mike providing a history and origins of the museum which he describes as ‘a unique collection of our industrial past and local heritage’. Mike provides details relating to the origins of some of the buildings in the 1900 Town including the Annfield Plains Co-operative Society store, Ravensworth Terrace and the Sun Inn. Returning to him at the Pit Village and after providing details on the origins of the Beamish Board School building, Mike Neville introduces the choir of Chester-le-Street Methodist Church who perform in period costumes the carol ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ inside the restored Pit Hill Wesleyan Chapel. Also wearing a period costume is Tyne Tees Television continuity announcer Kathy Secker who proceeds to reads Luke’s Gospel verses 26-35 from the living room of one of the pit cottages. As the snow falls outside the choir of St Thomas More School Blaydon performs ‘O Holy Night’ inside one of the classrooms at the Beamish Board School. Tyne Tees Television weatherman Bob Johnson sits beside a hearth also inside one of the Pit Village cottages dressed as a miner and proceeds to read the children’s nativity story ‘The Innkeeper’s Revenge.’ With Bob’s story coming to an end the children of South Hetton Primary School all wearing nativity costumes and standing beside a manger sing ‘Away in a Manger’ in another classroom inside the Beamish Board School. Still standing in the street outside the board school, Mike Neville turns and walks across the road to stand beside the back gate of one of the nearby miners’ cottages talking about the importance of the northern coalfields which at their peak in 1913 employed a quarter-of-a-million men and boys in nearly 400 collieries. Explaining that many books and stories have been written about the way of life for these mines and miners, he comments with a smile that a rather ‘handsome character’ is going to tell the viewer about those times. Now dressed as a miner and sitting beside the heath inside one of the miners’ cottages, Mike tells a humorous story which comes from ‘True Stories of Durham Pit Life’ about the annual gathering of a County Durham Methodist chapel choir in the early hours of Christmas morning. Returning to contemporary Mike Neville standing outside the cottage, he introduces the Leadgate Salvation Army Brass Band who perform a rendition of ‘Past Three O’Clock’ down the street outside the gates of the 1900 Colliery. Following the band Mike introduces Kathy Serker who now sits beside a roaring fire inside one of the cottages wearing a different costume reading ‘Christmas Day Alone’ about someone who is happy to be on their own at Christmas. As the snow continues to fall outside around the colliery yard, the choir of Chester-le-Street Methodist Church perform ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ inside the Pit Hill Wesleyan Chapel. In between one of the verses, and over a montage of archival photographs showing the Durham fells in wintertime, Mike Neville tells the story of John and Charles Wesley who travelled those hills in the 1740s bringing Methodism to the area. With the carol over the pupils of South Hetton Primary School sing a second carol entitled ‘Zither Carol’ from the classroom inside the Beamish Board School. Travelling along Ravensworth Terrace in the 1900 Town, Mike Neville jumps off an electric tram and after provides details on its work at the museum walks over to number three Ravensworth Terrace where inside a young lady is replying to her male suiter thanking him for all the gifts she has received. Sitting at a table in the house is Tyne Tees Television presenter and journalist Pam Royle who while dressed in a costume of the period proceeds to perform a humorous rendition of the ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ that also features Mike playing as her solicitor. Following an introduction by Mike Neville, Sunderland born mezzo soprano Alison Barton stands at the mantlepiece in the living room of one of the other houses on Ravensworth Terrace and accompanied by David Murray on piano sings another traditional Christmas song. With the song coming to an end, a returns to the Beamish Board School where the choir of St Thomas More School Blaydon performs ‘Ding Dong! Merrily on High.’ At the end of their carol and along Ravensworth Terrace the Leadgate Salvation Army Brass Band perform ‘Christmas Praise.’ Behind the counter at the Jubilee Confectioners in the 1900 Town stands Bob Johnson dressed as a shopkeeper who reads a children’s poem ‘The Christmas Tree’ about Christmas gifts you don’t see. At the end of the poem a returns to Mike Neville standing outside the shop who introduces the beautiful ‘Coventry Carol’ performed by the choir of St Thomas More School Blaydon inside the Beamish Board School. With the carol ending a return to the Pit Hill Wesleyan Chapel and the choir of Chester-le-Street Methodist Church performing the hymn ‘While Shepherds Watch’. Outside beside the back gates of the Miners Cottages the Leadgate Salvation Army Brass Band perform ‘Wise Men Came Seeking.’ Coming to the pulpit inside the Pit Hill Wesleyan Chapel, the Reverend Elliott Davidson gives a Christmas message after which Mike Neville expresses his hope that those who watched enjoyed ‘our journey down memory lane’ after which he thanks all those who have taken part including Beamish Museum which he believes will expand and safeguard the regions rich heritage. Bringing the programme to an end Alison Barton singing ‘Silent Night.’ Credit: Christmas Past presented by Mike Neville Title: With Alison Barton accompanied by David Murray, Bob Johnson, Pam Royle, Kathy Secker The Rev. Elliott Davidson The Choirs of South Hetton Primary School, St Thomas More School Blaydon, Chester-le-Street Methodist Church and Leadgate Salvation Army Brass Band Credit: Additional Music and Sound Post Production John Cook Props Alan Brown, Tony Abrahams Make-Up Jean Pollard Wardrobe Tom Robson Electricians John Mason, Gordon Porteous Graphics Jon King Sound Robbie Carruthers, Paul Graham Camera Mike Parker, Simon Elphinstone VT Editor Edmund Quigley Production Assistant Eileen Brown Associate Producer Alex Murchie Produced and Directed by John Reay End title: © MCMXCVI. A Tyne Tees Television Production for Channel 3 North East