Believed an incomplete magazine style television programme produced by deaf students from the North East Media Training Centre. The programme features three filmed items of relevance to the deaf community in the Northeast beginning with an interview with 71-year-old Ernie Simpson from Sunderland who talks about his experiences of being a young deaf man in the 1950s. This is followed by a report is on the work of Our Lady of Lourdes Amateur Deaf Drama Group and finally a discussion on the...

Believed an incomplete magazine style television programme produced by deaf students from the North East Media Training Centre. The programme features three filmed items of relevance to the deaf community in the Northeast beginning with an interview with 71-year-old Ernie Simpson from Sunderland who talks about his experiences of being a young deaf man in the 1950s. This is followed by a report is on the work of Our Lady of Lourdes Amateur Deaf Drama Group and finally a discussion on the provision of education for deaf children. In his kitchen 71-year-old Ernie Simpson from Sunderland sand down a draw for a cabinet he is making. In his living room reporter Ranjit Singh ask Ernest when and how he became involved in the deaf world? He explains it started when he was eleven learning sign language through a local church attended by deaf people which led him to join a local deaf club. A montage of old black and white photographs featuring Ernest when he was younger changes back to Ernest talking about his friendships and the importance of going to the cinema before television became popular. Ernest goes on to talks about his career as a carpenter during and after World War Two working for several companies across Wearside and County Durham. He then goes onto talk about how deaf people entertained themselves when he was younger such as with whist drives and dances. The interview with Ernie ends on another archival photograph of a group of people posing beside a shield award. The programme changes to its second report coming from the stage on the top floor of the Our Lady of Lourdes Centre in Newcastle where members of the Our Lady of Lourdes Amateur Deaf Drama Group are taking part in a warming up exercise before rehearsals. Sitting on the edge of the small stage a female report interviews two members of the club Barry and Francis Murphy. Beginning with Barry he provides details of the history of the drama group explaining how it was formed in 1982 with the production of an ‘old fashioned Christmas show’ followed by a production of ‘Oliver’. As Barry provides details on that show, a poster for the event which was held at The People’s Theatre in Newcastle in November 1991. On the stage at the Blackfriars Theatre, where the group use to be based at before it was closed, member of the drama group in rehearsal for ‘Oliver’. Returning to the Our Lady of Lourdes Centre, the reporter asked Francis Murphy who sits beside Barry about the drama group attending the British Deaf Association Deaf Drama Competitions in Blackpool the previous year. He talks about taking part, the story of the play they produced called ‘Sign on the Tyne’. On stage at Blackpool a clip from the play being performed to an audience. With Francis explaining how unexpected it was that they would win an award, back on the stage at Blackpool members of the group are presented with large shield which sits on the stage during the interview between Barry and Francis. Returning to them they are asked about their latest production entitled ‘Facts’ which is about HIV and safe sex. The interview comes to an end with reporter thanking both Barry and Francis and a photograph of the deaf drama group posing beside their shield. The third and final report in the programme begins with pupils coming out of the Northern Counties School for the Deaf in Newcastle. In a studio a presenter introduces a discussion on the provision of education for deaf children. Sitting on his sofa the presenter speaks with George Merred(?) from Gateshead about attending the Northern Counties School for the Deaf graduating in 1945. George talks about the sign language he was taught and about the happy experiences he had at the school as both a pupil as well as a boarder. A photograph follows of beds set up on a large dormitory at the school. He talks positively about the educational standards at the school for deaf children. A man making his way towards the entrance of the Northern Counties School for the Deaf changes back to the studio where the presenter introduces Annie Brotherton who talks about the structire of education for deaf children in Leeds where she comes from. She talks about how deaf children are being integrated into hearing schools and she talks about the benefits and drawbacks to this system. The presenter then speaks to a Gary Targe(?) a young man from Peterlee about his educational experiences. He talks about attending a PHU (Pupil Hearing Unit) school in Durham before moving on to Boston Spa School for the Deaf. He is asked if he was taught the oral method rather than sign, he explains that both schools taught through the oral method. He is asked what he thought of both the PHU and deaf school, he believes the deaf school was the best and explains why. The discussion and programme comes to an end with the presenter asking the question, if deaf children attend main-stream rather than deaf schools, will this lead to the destruction of the deaf community?