This newsreel style film covers the visit of Jimmy Carter, President of the United States, and British Prime Minister, James Callaghan, to Washington Old Hall on May 6th 1977, and the Silver Jubilee visit of Queen Elizabeth II and husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to Washington New Town on July 15th, 1977. This amateur ‘double-barrelled’ documentary was shot and edited by Michael Gough, Head of Education Services in Sunderland and a member of the Newcastle & District Amateur...

This newsreel style film covers the visit of Jimmy Carter, President of the United States, and British Prime Minister, James Callaghan, to Washington Old Hall on May 6th 1977, and the Silver Jubilee visit of Queen Elizabeth II and husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to Washington New Town on July 15th, 1977. This amateur ‘double-barrelled’ documentary was shot and edited by Michael Gough, Head of Education Services in Sunderland and a member of the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers’ Association since 1972. It was entered in the Movie Maker magazine “Ten Best” competition in 1978 and won the Minolta Trophy for Best Editing. Title: The next film is the winner of the Minolta Trophy for the Best Editing Title: Welcome to Washington Title: May 6th 1977 (titles over brass band playing) Title: Jimmy Carter, President of America The film opens with shots of a brass band playing. Close-up of a music sheet for The Stars and Stripes Forever march. The Washington Welfare brass band plays on a Washington street opposite the Cross Keys pub on Spout Lane. The Washington streets are lined with people waving small American flags, with close ups of three women spectators, then a toddler.  A mounted policewoman rides up the street on a dappled horse. Young children are waiting beside the street railings in marching band uniforms. One girl with the band is standing in front of a red Washington District 1965 banner. Troupes of children in their red drum major style marching band hats, and many adult spectators, line the route, and crowd outside Washington Old Hall awaiting Jimmy Carter’s visit. General view of Washington Hall in the original Washington village. British police arrive in a coach. A mounted policeman rides past the crowds. British officials, policemen and American plain-clothes security men (in their conspicuous trademark light raincoats) co-ordinate security before the President’s arrival. One of the FBI agents in dark sunglasses speaks into a microphone on his wrist, and another younger agent is also communicating by earpiece and microphone. A man at the US radio pool fling point is scribbling onto a pad perched on the barrier. Back with the crowds outside the Washington Old Hall, one young girl is wearing a stars and stripes pom-pom hat, another baby in a pushchair bedecked with Union Jacks wearing a shaggy orange romper suit. The Mayor and Mayoress of Sunderland arrive by car. Local dignitaries wait in the grounds outside the Old Hall, including Sir James Steele, Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear with some local members of Parliament, the Mayor and Mayoress of Sunderland (Mr and Mrs Charles Slater), and Giles Radice, the Labour Member of Parliament for Chester-le-Street. The President’s motorcade drives through the huge crowds, flanked by jogging FBI agents, and proceeded by photographers snapping pictures as the President’s car progresses down the street. Television crew follow at a brisk pace. People wave flags and cheer. The Presidential party arrives at Washington Town Hall. A television cameraman is close by recording the event. Ernie Armstrong, the local Member of Parliament in charge of the visit, steps out of one of the cars along with the British Labour Prime Minister, James Callaghan. A photographer (possibly from Turners Film Production Unit) is taking pictures. Then President Jimmy Carter appears from the car. The American FBI agents are scanning the crowds. Jimmy Carter is greeted by Giles Radice, Labour Member of Parliament for Chester-le-Street, amongst other local dignitaries. He is also greeted by Fuller Osborn, Acting Chairman of the Washington New Town Development Corporation, Tom Urwin, Member of Parliament for Houghton-le-Spring, Giles Radice, Major Peter Orde, Chairman of the National Trust, Northumbria Regional Committee. Close-up of Jimmy Carter smiling broadly and waving to the crowd. Close-up of James Callaghan. Jimmy Carter shakes hands with people in the crowd. A press photographer takes pictures. A teenage girl holds up a welcome poster featuring a picture of Jimmy Carter. Carter and Callaghan join her and chat. Shot of the media enclosure with television cameraman and woman, and photographers. Carter, Callaghan and group head inside Washington Old Hall. General views of Washington Old Hall. The Stars and Stripes American flag is flying on the flagpole. The presidential group and guests leave Washington Old Hall through the garden. Ian McAree, a twelve year old boy in a red school blazer and black bow tie, a member of the Washington F. Colliery Welfare Band, accompanies a man carrying an old print of Washington Old Hall. One of the FBI agents speaks with them both. James Callaghan and President Carter leave the Washington Old Hall grounds and are surrounded by the excited crowd. Carter plunges into the crowd shaking hands with many people. A young girl carried on someone’s shoulders near the back blows him a kiss. Men snap photos from the crowd. Title: July 15th 1977 (titles over close-up of trumpet keys played) Title: Silver Jubilee Visit of Queen Elizabeth II Preparations are under way for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the sports arena in Washington New Town. This film begins with an extreme close-up of a man blowing into the mouth piece of a brass instrument. Another close-up focuses on the hands of a brass band member playing. The sequence continues with portrait and group shots of the Washington Welfare brass band and conductor. Various shots follow of groups of people starting to gather in a crowd at the Washington New Town Sports Arena, including toddlers with Union Jack souvenir flags and a man dressed in Victorian top hat and frilly white shirt smoking a cigarette. A red carpet is rolled out leading to the temporary royal pavilion stand, a small girl playing on the steps by herself, and police stationed around the grounds. Various portrait shots follow of different juvenile jazz band members. In the run up to the event, youngsters adjust their uniforms and hair, dress up, a boy has his kazoo checked, and a young white uniformed majorette practises twirling her baton. A band makes its way through the crowd. Police start to take up positions at the arena. The crowd are in a jubilant mood. Guests in their best clothes and hats start to arrive to take up their position for the arrival of the Queen. Press photographers with cameras slung around necks await the Queen. The new Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Tom Bridges, and the Mayoress arrive by car. Shot from the flag-waving throng, the royal motorcade arrives to the cheers of the crowd. The Queen, dressed in a sky blue suit and hat, is visible in the back of the car. The car stops. Close shots follow of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh getting out of the car. She bows to accept a small posy of flowers and the Duke accepts a welcome message on a poster. The Mayor and his wife greet the Queen. The group led by the Mayor shake hands with local dignitaries. The Mayor leads the royal visitors through the happy crowd, and she is greeted warmly. Prince Philip chats with some Cub Scouts. The Queen is escorted through the enthusiastic crowd, little children carrying posies of flowers hanging through the barrier. The Queen accepts flowers along the route and speaks to mothers in the crowd. Various youth organisations provide the guard of honour on her path to the royal stand. The exhibition of juvenile jazz bands begins, serenaded by the Washington Welfare brass band playing the British Grenadiers. Boy and girl musicians are in the band along with older members. The Queen and Duke and distinguished guests watch from the stand. Various band banners are paraded, including the Horden Colliery Melody Makers. At the end of the march past, the Queen and Duke are introduced to the drum majorettes of each band. A group of young children seated on the grass wave their flags happily. The queen bends to speak to a troop of Cub Scouts. The Queen begins to leave the arena chatting to some of the youth organisations as she goes. The Duke of Edinburgh stops to chat to some of the crowd. The Queen is back at her car now. She shakes hands with the Mayor of Sunderland and his wife. A photographer in a very 70s suit fiddles with his camera seriously. Back in the car, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are driven away, waving. Title: The End Credit: A Studio 103 Production