A compilation of amateur footage filmed in and around Sunderland by amateur filmmaker Bob Wrightson. Beginning in 1972 the film opens with views of the Winter Garden followed by the aftermath of a fire at Shares Furniture store on Bridge Street. There are various views around the centre of Sunderland showing the Bridges Shopping Precinct and central streets. The second part of the film shows a procession of decorated floats along Holmside and through the city centre. Footage in 1949 shows...

A compilation of amateur footage filmed in and around Sunderland by amateur filmmaker Bob Wrightson. Beginning in 1972 the film opens with views of the Winter Garden followed by the aftermath of a fire at Shares Furniture store on Bridge Street. There are various views around the centre of Sunderland showing the Bridges Shopping Precinct and central streets. The second part of the film shows a procession of decorated floats along Holmside and through the city centre. Footage in 1949 shows similar views of central Sunderland. The final part of the film features activities along the River Wear including shipbuilding at William Doxford and Sons and the massive crane at the Southwick Engine Works. [B&W] The film opens showing the side of modern office block with the coat of arms of Sunderland hanging from the wall. The film changes to a show a swan swimming on the lake beside the Winter Gardens. The film cuts to show a fire engine parked outside a department store possibly along Bridge Street following a fire. It is believed the building is Shares Furniture on Fawcett Street which caught fire on the 23rd October 1972.  An extension ladder reaches up to the second floor and shows a number of broken windows. Three fireman stand beside their tender followed by views of the gutted store front. Part of the hoarding around the shop has been removed and what can be seen reads ‘(interiors) Ltd - carpets furniture bedding fabric’. On the other side of the road a small crowd of people watch proceedings as traffic drives past. There is a brief view of people walking along a street cutting back to a view of the building which is missing its roof and is gutted inside. From a short way along the road a view back at the fire damaged building, extended ladder and fire engine parked outside as traffic drives past. The film cuts to show to a view of Blackett’s Department store on the corner of Union and High Street. Cars are parked along Union Street and pedestrians can be seen walking along High Street past a shop with a hoarding around the door that reads ‘John Temple’. The camera pans right along a number of shops that form part of a modern office block on Union Street just down from Blacketts. Shops seen include ‘Do It Yourself Supermarket’, ‘Wimpy Bar’ and ‘Hunters’. The film cuts to show pedestrians walking through the concrete Bridges Shopping Precinct near to the railway station. The camera pans up to show the residential high-rise Planet House. The film cuts to a view along a busy road with a cinema across the road and a number of high rise flats in in the distance. The film cuts back to show people seated on benches around the Bridges Shopping Precinct. The town hall clock tower on Fawcett Street is seen in the background. Pedestrians walk through the precinct past a C&A store. On the corner of High Street a little distance in front of the Empire Theatre a bus prepares to turn. General views show various streets in and around the centre of Sunderland showing pedestrians walking past a number of shops as cars and buses travel along the road. General view of the ABC Cinema at Holmeside where ‘El Condor’ staring Lee Van Cleef is playing. General views follow of pedestrians and traffic moving along streets in the centre of Sunderland. Looking down Fawcett Street a number of buses are parked along the road as the camera moves in on the town hall clock tower. General views show pedestrians walking along a pavement and cars and lorries driving along a busy road. [Colour] Along Vine Place in Sunderland a horse drawn carriage leads a procession of decorated floats as well as people in costume walking alongside into Holmeside, past the Sunderland Fashion Centre turning left past The Beehive. On the back of one of the flat-bed truck two couples dance together. Two other decorated floats drive past watched from the pavement by a small crowd of onlookers. The film cuts to show a number of decorated floats driving along a busy main road past a road sign for Washington, Chester-le-Street and Durham. In the near distance is a large building of whitewashed brick with a large red sign that reads ‘McCanns’. Back along Holmeside a juvenile jazz band marches behind their banner as crowds walk along the pavement and traffic travels along the other side of the road. Behind the band another series of decorated flat-bed lorries with costumed people standing on the back. [B&W] The film cuts to show a woman standing beside a small boy who is sitting in a stone lion. The camera pans right showing other people walking or seated on benches in a park beside a park. The film changes to show cars, trolley-buses and pedestrians walking along Fawcett Street not far from the town hall. Signs attached to the front of two of the trolley-buses advertise ‘Binns’ department store. General views follow of road traffic and pedestrians travelling through the centre of Sunderland past a number of stores and shops. The film cuts to show a general view along the River Wear where a number of cargo ships are moored. As the camera pans left it passes a steam paddle tugboat and the cargo ship Exmoor in dry dock surrounded by scaffolding and under construction at the Pallion yard of William Doxford and Sons. The film cuts to show two steam paddle tugboats including the ‘Fulwell’. General views of two other ships surrounded by scaffolding in dry dock under construction. From an elevated position the camera pans right past a number of large buildings and cranes including a large crane belonging to Southwick Engine Works reading ‘Geo. Clark (1938) Ltd’. There is a close up view of a cargo ship on the river. The film cuts to another panning shot moving right, beginning with views of two empty ship berths and a number of streets of terraced housing built above the river with allotments built along a slope. The film cuts to a different position along the Wear and shows two cargo ships moored along a quayside. As the camera pans right it shows one ship under construction in a dry dock and a second moored along a different quayside on the other side of the river. The film ends with a view of three buoys in the river followed by a steam paddle tug boat travelling past. Title: The end.