An edition of the Tyne Tees Television rural affair programme Landmark presented by Eric Robson begins a story about Pennine hill farmers Jim and Ann Hunter who run a small sheep farm in Weardale in Country Durham. As well as being a farmer Jim is a professional musician playing the violin who also works as a music teacher for the Durham Educational Authority in schools up and down the Dales including Wolsingham Junior School and Wearhead Primary. This is followed by an interview with the...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television rural affair programme Landmark presented by Eric Robson begins a story about Pennine hill farmers Jim and Ann Hunter who run a small sheep farm in Weardale in Country Durham. As well as being a farmer Jim is a professional musician playing the violin who also works as a music teacher for the Durham Educational Authority in schools up and down the Dales including Wolsingham Junior School and Wearhead Primary. This is followed by an interview with the Chairman of a new environment group ARK Bryn Jones who are releasing a new type of phosphate free washing detergent which will help prevent river pollution. The final item in the programme is an interview with Guy Galbraith from Savills auctioneers who are handling the sale of the 3000-acre Isle of Gigha, off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. Title: Landmark Eric Robson introduces the current programme. The first section looks at a Pennine hill farmer in Weardale. Farmers Anne and Jim Hunter walk into a gated field to tend to the lambing sheep. Anne mainly looks after the sheep during this time while Jim is a professional musician and has played with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Twelve years ago, he bought the 28 acre farm, and the business has expanded. He also creates mor income by renting out fields along the valley. Since small farms can have a precarious existence, he supplements that income by teaching music and working as a session musician. The film shows Jim teaching a class of young violinists at the junior school in Wolsingham. Jim has had an interest in farming since he was a child, and most of his family have an interest in playing music. One of his first engagements, after studying at Trinity College in London, was with Max Jaffa’s orchestra at Scarborough. After playing with the Birmingham Symphony orchestra, he went into farming while keeping his connection with music. The couple’s two children, Simon and Sarah play an active role on the farm. Simon is shown feeding hens while Sarah helps with lambing. Jim is shown teaching at Wearhead Primary school. En route to another teaching engagement Jim has time to help his wife and her father deal with a difficult lambing. Jim outlines that the main part of daily farm work is tending to the suckler cows and sheep, which require most attention at the beginning of the day and the end. The children helping makes a difference but it’s Anne who keeps a day-to-day eye on the farm’s routines. Anne says she is used to Jim going off the farm to teach and occasionally Anne’s parents will help if needed, as they live next to the farm they can be contacted easily. Jim arrives at Wolsingham Comprehensive school for another teaching engagement. He helps the schools string ensemble rehearse for a concert. Jim is also a member of a string quartet with several high-profile engagements. Jim plays in his music room and the scene changes to Jim carrying a bale of hay across an open moorland field. On the musical side of his career, he also works with American singer Gene Pitney. Title: Landmark Eric Robson introduces the next item from a laundrette. A man appears on screen in the laundrette and speaks to camera promoting a new washing powder. He holds a packet of it in front of the camera, then talks of the environmental harm many washing powders cause to the environment. Then he holds up a preferable, ‘green’ washing powder that people should buy.Eric Robson explains that a new environment group ARK are launching a range of soap powders and detergents which are environmentally friendly. Bryn Jones from ARK talks to Eric about the reasons for making these new products. He says they don’t affect the environment and wildlife in the way the general choice of products does. He also says the products he is advocating have been on sale in Germany for ten years and are selling successfully. The programme moves on to an island in the Inner Hebrides which is up for sale, the Island of Gigha, known to Vikings as God’s Island, population 160. Guy Galbraith representing Savills who are looking after its sale describes exactly what the purchaser will get for their money. He also thinks the buyer will probably be an individual rather than a company. Eric Robson raises the question of protecting the existing community, however Guy Galbraith there should be no serious problems to worry the residents. Eris Robson outlines topic for the next edition of Landmark which concludes the current programme. Credit: Camera Chris Sutcliffe, Richard Edwards Credit: Sound Paul Gunn, Steve Phillips, Eric Woodward Credit: Electrician Bill Hughes Credit: Production Assistant Carole McKenzie Credit: Production Secretary Coreen Harvey Credit: Research William Moult Credit: VT Editors Sally Fryer, Peter Telford Credit: Executive Producer Chris Potter Credit: Director Simon Lawson Credit: Producer Charles Bowden Credit: Waterfront Productions for Tyne Tees Television © MCMLXXXIX