An amateur film produced by Alan Hilary and directed by James Madden showcasing some of the events and activities are undertaken as part of 'Newcastle Recreation Spotlight 78'. Taking place inside the cities Exhibition Park the film features children enjoying fairground and pony rides while the adults enjoy remote-controlled airplane flying and model boating taking place on the boating lake. The film also features a visit by British wrestling star Shirley Crabtree, better known as...

An amateur film produced by Alan Hilary and directed by James Madden showcasing some of the events and activities are undertaken as part of 'Newcastle Recreation Spotlight 78'. Taking place inside the cities Exhibition Park the film features children enjoying fairground and pony rides while the adults enjoy remote-controlled airplane flying and model boating taking place on the boating lake. The film also features a visit by British wrestling star Shirley Crabtree, better known as 'Big Daddy', who signs autographs. Credit: Pathfinder Films Title: Recreation Spotlight! Title: A Festival of Fitness and Fun Outside Newcastle Civic Centre people walk past or sit on benches nearby. Colourful flowers grow in beds in front of the boating lake inside the cities Exhibition Park. Boys in rowing boats go past the Palace of Arts. Visitors walk into a large marquee, two men carry a section of wooden fence. Three boys walk up to the main gates leading into Exhibition Park at Claremont Road and look up at two large ‘Newcastle Recreation Spectacular 78' banners hanging beside the gates. Inside a fairground features two children's carousel fairground rides. A Scottish marching band in tartan practice nearby and a queue waits for pony rides. The Scottish band performs for a small crowd as a parent holds onto their child riding a pony. A poster advertises ‘Animals from Pets Corner Jesmond Dene' and nearby three goats wander around a corral made from straw bales and logs. People watch as the goats jump around and eat the straw. In the air a model aircraft flies over, in a field nearby crowds watch those at the remote controls fly, take off and land their airplanes. A large queue forms beside the ‘Laytham for Quality Hot Dogs and Hamburgers’ stall. A large sign provides a timetable of events including the arrival of wrestling star Big Daddy. Crowds gather around him as he signs autographs for fans. A large white cross is set up on the showground as a parachutist comes into land. Three young boys look into the sky as more skydivers come into land. Next a scooter go-slow race with four competitors each attempting not to fall off their bikes. Following this, a number of scooters complete an obstacle course. On an archery range, two boys pull arrows from a number of targets and a woman teaches a young boy how to pull his bow. A man fires an arrow at a target. Three actors in costumes perform for a small crowd of children. A family enjoys a picnic on the grass as another family walk past eating ice creams. Two fiddlers and an accordion player provide music for a troupe of folk dancers performing for the crowds. A queue forms beside a ‘Rea's Ices’ ice cream van, a girl holds two ice creams both with chocolate flake bars. The crowd continues to watch the folk dancers. A large wooden sign for ‘Saville Stores’ stands in front of a number of small one or two-man tents. A couple stands chatting beside the ‘Organisers Caravan’, while nearby on the boating lake crowds watch a number of remote-controlled boats sail across the water. A rowing boat is carried out and placed into the lake and two men and a coxswain row away. The film ends back at the fairground as parents watch their children ride on the various carousels. End credit: Produced by Alan Hillary. Directed by James Madden End title: The end