A home movie made by Edwin Davison begins with the launching of the cargo ship Good Hope Castle on the 16th February, 1965 from Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd shipyard at Wallsend where the filmmaker worked as a Manager in the company’s Cost Department. This is followed by a phantom car ride along the Coast Road into Newcastle, then across the Tyne Bridge and through Gateshead to Birtley turning into the back alley of a suburban street. On the slipway at Swan, Hunter & Wigham...

A home movie made by Edwin Davison begins with the launching of the cargo ship Good Hope Castle on the 16th February, 1965 from Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd shipyard at Wallsend where the filmmaker worked as a Manager in the company’s Cost Department. This is followed by a phantom car ride along the Coast Road into Newcastle, then across the Tyne Bridge and through Gateshead to Birtley turning into the back alley of a suburban street. On the slipway at Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd shipyard at Wallsend the cargo ship Good Hope Castle ready to be launched. Build beneath its bow a launching platform, next to it on another slipway a second ship part way through construction. Looking up at the stern a marine flag flying from a mast of Good Hope Castle and a workman walks across the deck, nearby two men stand near the vessels massive propellors. Along one of the yards quayside two ship are moored side-by-side on the river Tyne possibly during their fitting out. Back at the Good Hope Castle large ropes hand down from the deck above. In an office a calendar gives the date of 16th February, 1965. Outside a line of workmen stands along the deck of the Good Hope Castle looking down on the constructed platform where a small crowd of invited guests stand taking part in the launching ceremony. A larger group of men and women stand around nearby also watching the ceremony. A bottle of Champagne is smashed on the bow and the Good Hope Castle begins to slowly slide into the Tyne watched by the crowds of onlookers. On the Tyne a tugboat begins to manoeuvre the Good Hope Castle towards its fitting out quay. Pedestrian and cars travel along a street past a number of billboards and a boarded-up building or shop with a nameboard above it that reads ‘Thos. Hedderly’. Another billboard on the far side of the building for ‘Mackeson! Taste the goodness’ and a building site in the near distance. A phantom car ride eastbound along the Coast Road through Wallsend, Jesmond and through Newcastle city centre towards the Tyne Bridge. A road construction site quickly changes back to the phantom car ride now heading south across the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead, travelling through the centre and out of town along a dual-carriageway, around a roundabout and into the town of Birtley. The car turns off the main road into a smaller street and the film ends with it driving down a back alleyway where a group of boys are playing football.