Produced for the British Travel Association, a travelogue across the region visiting many famous locations from Bamburgh Castle in the north to the village of Staithes along the Yorkshire Coast to the south often providing a history of that location. The film visits sites that would be popular to visitors from Newcastle Racecourse for sport, the Metro Centre for shopping and Beamish Museum for some local culture. Of special note, the recording of a Communion service taking place inside Durham...

Produced for the British Travel Association, a travelogue across the region visiting many famous locations from Bamburgh Castle in the north to the village of Staithes along the Yorkshire Coast to the south often providing a history of that location. The film visits sites that would be popular to visitors from Newcastle Racecourse for sport, the Metro Centre for shopping and Beamish Museum for some local culture. Of special note, the recording of a Communion service taking place inside Durham Cathedral. Two people walking along the beach at Bamburgh, in the background Bamburgh Castle dominating the skyline. A montage of various castles around the northeast including Warkworth Castle, Barnard Castle and Lindisfarne Castle intercut with stone crosses and memorials to long ago battles. Title The Kingdom of Northumbria Out at sea two fisherman’s haul in their lobster pots dropping their catch into a water filled container. While one of the men repairs a pot the other attached elastic bands to the claws of one of the lobsters they've caught. The re-baited pots are thrown back into the sea. The statue of St Aidan on Holy Island and the nearby ruins of Lindisfarne Priory changes to the pilgrim’s pathway, a series of poles in the sand that leads walker safely across the treacherous sands from the mainland to the island. A couple walking around Lindisfarne changes to several early churches built in the region including the Anglo-Saxon churches of St Peters at Monkwearmouth near Sunderland and the parish church of Escomb near Bishop Auckland in County Durham. Inside Durham Cathedral a communion service with parishioners seated in the Quire singing as members of the clergy make their way to the high altar. As the service continues, the shrine and burial place of St Cuthbert behind the Quire. Back at the altar the communion begins with the priest breaking bread and holding up a goblet of wine for blessing. The congregation comes forward to receive bread and wine, above them the Rose Window. The service comes to an end and the clerics leave the Quire to the congregation singing and the cathedral Choir Master conducting the cathedral choir. At Newcastle Racecourse crowds watch a race come to an end with horse and riders crossing the finish line, around them punters places their bets with bookmakers. Horses are led around the paddock changes to crowds, some with binoculars, watching another race with horse and rider speeding past crossing the finishing line again. At Gateshead International Stadium an athlete competes in a long jump, nearby Gateshead born athlete Steve Cram gets ready to take part in a race watched by the crowds. As Steve’s race gets underway, other athletes around the stadium compete in other events such as the high jump and pole vault. Steve race comes to an end, he comes in second. At the National Garden Festival site at Gateshead a Ferris wheel in the distance, in the foreground a monorail which goes around the site in the shape of a caterpillar. A double-decker bus arrives on site changes to the nearby Dunstan Staiths. At the Metro Centre in Gateshead a family uses and elevator to reach an upper shopping level, visitors wonder past the many retail outlets while at the centre’s fairground patrons speed past on a roller-coaster or ride the more sedate carousel. At night the Sunderland Illuminations changes back to Newcastle and crowds wondering past bars and pubs on the Bigg Market. Inside one of the clubs’ young men and women dancing on the dancefloor. In daylight the Tyne Bridge crossing the River Tyne, nearby traffic crossing the Swing Bridge and in the distance The Castle and spires of Newcastle Cathedral. A montage of city buildings in an around the Quayside changes to the Theatre Royal on Grey Street. Pedestrians comes out of Monument Metro station passing Grey’s Monument changes to the decorative interior of Central Arcade with passersby looking in shop windows. Inside Grainger Market an older woman selects a flower from a colourful display outside a florist shop. Around the market customer make other purchases from coffee beans to doggy-treats. The exterior of one of the original Marks and Spencer’s penny-bazaar, another Grainger Market stall. In the shadow of Hexham Abbey, the weekly market with covered stalls erected around the Market Cross. Visitors wondering around Chesters Roman Fort along the River North Tyne changes to nearby Hadrian’s Wall where visitors follow a path along the wall itself. An aerial following the wall passing one of its mile-castles. In a field near Chillingham the famous Chillingham Cattle grazing, in the distance a crowd of sightseers watching them. A guide for the estate speaks with a group about the cattle’s heritage. The River Wear at Durham with Framwellgate Bridge crossing the river and both Durham Castle and Cathedral above it. Fruit and vegetable stalls are set up on Durham Market Place while pedestrians walk across Elvet Bridge. The entrance into Durham Castle changes to an aerial of the castle as well as Durham Cathedral. A family in a rowing boat on the River Wear at Durham changes to Raby Castle near Staindrop and visitors walking around the castle’s interior admiring the restoration work inside both the Octagon Drawing Room and Barron’s Hall. Downstairs in the medieval kitchen visitors walk past original kitchenware items and its massive iron range. Two large draft horses pulling a Tetley delivery wagon lead a procession of costumed men and women through the town of Alnwick. Outside the gates of Alnwick Castle, a pronouncement for the beginning of the annual fair changes to a crowd watching a Scottish dancing demonstration taking place on a small stage outside the town hall. Two musicians replace the dancers as costumed men and women pass and children play on fairground rides set up nearby. The crowds cheer as a young woman is dunked again and again into a pool of cold water followed by a procession through the town. The Bowes Museum near the town of Barnard Castle, inside a crowd watch as the 18th century Silver Swan automaton in action. Visitors wonder around the museum admitting the various objects and artworks on display including the painting ‘The Tears of St Peter’ by El Greco. The waters of the River Tees crashes over High Force waterfall changes to that of a smaller waterfall and an older couple sitting along the banks of a stream. Open fields and moorland, part of the North Pennines, changes to show the village of Blanchland on the Durham and Northumberland border. Churches, pubs and other buildings in a series of village changes to purple coloured heather moorland growing on a hillside, in the distance fields and other hills. At Killhope Lead Mining Museum in Country Durham water turn a replica waterwheel, around the museum site various restored wagons and equipment used in the mining of lead in the 19th century. Standing over a sluice a group of visitors try their hand at panning for lead, a guide explains how the devise works. At Beamish Museum a steam locomotive blows its whistle before pulling out of Rowley Station. Another draft-horse wagon leaves the 1900s Town while an electric tram travels along Ravensworth Terrace passing crowds of visitors. Inside The Sun Inn public house, a large crowd gathers around the bar ordering pints of beer. Back outside in the events field a small crowd watch two men Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling. At the nearby fairground children riding a carousel while in the Pit Village a man in costume leads a pit pony past the Winding Engine House. Inside pistons rise and fall and wheels turn, part of the vertical steam winding engine. The gondola of the Middlesbrough Transport Bridge crossing the River Tees. At Saltburn-by-the-Sea the funicular cliff lift carrying passengers’ back-and-forth from the cliff top to the beach and promenade below. On the beach itself a windsurfer carries his board and sail under Saltburn pier sailing out onto the water while nearby a father play cricket with his two sons. Two small boys attempt to fly their kite on the sand. Two small fishing boats moored in Craster Harbour, in the distance the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. In the nearby building men place prepare herring onto long sticks for curing. The sticks are hung inside the smokehouse. At the end of the curing process the Craster Kippers are removed and made ready for sale. An aerial along the Yorkshire coast circling the village of Staithes changes to the golden sands on the beach at Bamburgh with Bamburgh Castle in the distance with waves crashing gently along the beach. Credit: Camera Mike Thomson, Martin Shirley Script Edward Canfor-Dumas Editor Chris Lysaght Director Mike Graves Producer Anna Evans Title: A Priory Films Production End title: BTA