Political documentary by Trade Films workshop of Gateshead about the traditional view of 'industrial Britain'. Taking the economic history of industrial Britain as its starting point, the film brings together a disparate range of material in which the individual is defined in relation to a labour force and this relationship is seen in the context of state intervention. Locations include the River Tyne waterfront and Byker estate in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Crowley's...

Political documentary by Trade Films workshop of Gateshead about the traditional view of 'industrial Britain'. Taking the economic history of industrial Britain as its starting point, the film brings together a disparate range of material in which the individual is defined in relation to a labour force and this relationship is seen in the context of state intervention. Locations include the River Tyne waterfront and Byker estate in Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Crowley's Ironworks at Swallwell, Gateshead, on the River Derwent. Title: Industrial Britain Title: Directed by Roger Buck Title: A Trade Films Production The film opens showing two men in suits in an office. One man is listening to the other lecturing about economic subsidies and the shipbuilding industry. The man sitting contributes his thoughts to the exposition. The exposition continues with both seated, now giving a history of the decline of the British shipbuilding industry in the 1970s along with poor global trade, capital investment by government and its limits, the post-war nationalisation compared to current nationalisation plans that will require mass redundancies. Archive footage follows of an oil tanker at sea and ships such as oil tanker British Genius at shipyards and manoeuvred by tugs. A man walks across the High Level Bridge in Newcastle. In voiceover he possibly quotes Walter Benjamin or Baudelaire about walking the city, about approaching a ‘fortress city’. “There was a climb ahead of you before you got into the inner gaiety of crowds.” Alf Corlett stands outside gates closing off a car park next to an imposing sandstone building, high rise offices in the background. In close-up he fixes his gaze on the gates or perhaps is lost deep in thought. He then turns and walks off. Alf Corlett now stands at a high point beside the river in Gateshead overlooking the Tyne, the High Level Bridge in the distance and a panorama of Newcastle. A commentary continues as the view changes to a general view of warehouses or industrial sheds behind an old stone built wall façade. A point of view shot walking through trees and rough grass towards derelict building. A close up follows of the stonework followed by a fairly dark interior view of a room which appears to contain a stone trough. The camera moves through more overgrown vegetation, to the ruins of a conical shaped stone structure. This is the Crowley Iron Works at Winlaton Mill erected between the late 1690s and 1718, once in County Durham, but in the Borough of Gateshead by 1974.   An old ledger lists various topics and names in alphabetical order. The commentary outlines the history of the Crowley Ironworks near Winlaton Mill. The commentary outlines the significance of the works, probably the biggest of its kind in Europe in the 1700s. A close-up of a date in the ‘Winlaton Councell’ ledger reads November 22nd, 1701. Another ledger page displays a list of names of smiths who specialised in certain products needed for shipbuilding, many employed from the south. The film cuts to an opening in the old stonework of the beehive shaped brick kilns The film cuts to a room or hall where pianist Robert Jeffrey and singer Michael Hunt are about to give a recital. They perform a song by Gerard Francis Cobb. General exterior view of the Byker Wall housing development in Newcastle. A man stands on a gallery area overlooking some of the houses in streets near the wall. He speaks on camera about the division of industrial labour, communities and the state [quoting Karl Marx]. Passenger view from a car travelling past the Byker estate. A man and woman sit on a sofa in the living room of their council flat. The woman starts to speak as the man appears to complete a crossword in his newspaper. She speaks about the individual and community [quoting Karl Marx]. General view of a 70s standard lamp next to a wall be papered with a stone effect pattern. The woman now stands next to the lamp and starts to speak again, about trade and capitalism. The man looks up from his newspaper. Archive footage from the film Tyneside Story on the wartime call-up for workers in shipbuilding. A worker in a clothing shop reads a letter from the labour exchange which asks him to go back to the shipyard. Two men release the chocks that hold a ship in position on a shipyard slipway. The ships starts to move down off the slipway and into the river. A woman shows to camera a welded piece of metal, a test piece which, if passed at inspection, will guarantee her work on building a ship. The film shows a number of women doing different jobs on the building and finishing of a ship. Views follow of men at work using old and new techniques to build a ship. The final shot is of the character called The Builder who now stands beside a shipyard berth on the Tyne, a war ship moored in the background, and delivers the final speech to camera: “Aye but wait a minute. Tyneside’s busy enough today. Old ‘uns and young ‘uns hard at work making good ships. But just remember what the yards looked like 5 years ago. Idle. Empty. Some of ‘em derelict. And the skilled men that worked in them scattered and forgotten. Will it be the same again five years from now? That’s what we on Tyneside want to know." Credit: Cast in order of appearance: Graham Lines, Paul Marris, Alf Corlett, David Whitaker, Caroline Senior Voice over: John Bond Credit: ‘The Widow’s Party’ Words by Rudyard Kipling Music by: Gerard F. Cobb Pianist: Robert Jeffrey Singer: Michael Hunt Credit: Camera: Peter Roberts, Peter Woodhouse Sound: Graham Denman, Roger Schindler Credit: ‘Tyneside Story’ produced for the Ministry of Information 1943 Extracts by permission of the Imperial War Museum. Credit: Trade Films acknowledges the financial assistance of Northern Arts © Trade Films 1980