The fifth episode of the third series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this programme John explore how foreign styles have influenced architecture across the region visiting the likes of Newby Hall and the Harrogate Turkish Baths in North Yorkshire as well as the Bowes Museum in County Durham. An animation of a book with its pages turning revealing different buildings and architectural...

The fifth episode of the third series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this programme John explore how foreign styles have influenced architecture across the region visiting the likes of Newby Hall and the Harrogate Turkish Baths in North Yorkshire as well as the Bowes Museum in County Durham. An animation of a book with its pages turning revealing different buildings and architectural styles ending on presenter John Grundy holding the programmes title card. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Sitting in his backyard surrounded by colourful exotic flowers, presenter John Grundy sits at a patio table drinking a cup of tea. Putting down his cup he points out some of the foreign architectural features surrounding him including his French windows, American decking and the Mediterranean style patio chair he is sitting on. He goes on to explain that in architecture as a whole a nostalgia for far off and warmer climates is one of the main reasons why we find foreign styles planted down here in the Northeast. On the foreshores of Embleton Bay in Northumberland a montage of wooden clapboard bungalows built near the beach at Low Newton. In voiceover John explains that their design came from those who had returned from British India during the reign of Queen Victoria where such bungalows or ‘Bangla’ were common. As he goes onto to state that bungalows will go on to become one of the commonest and most typical of all types of English housing a montage of said housing follows. Over views of the former Elephant Tea Rooms in Sunderland John explains that India was a big source of inspiration during Victorian times with this building being designed by a local architect named Frank Caws in 1872 that features a herd of elephants along the front. As John drives his cars through the entrance gate of Newby Hall at Skelton-on Ure near Ripon in North Yorkshire making his way across parkland to the hall, he explains that when driving through the countryside there is an expectation that it will be ‘utterly English’. After thinking the hall is the ‘essence of Englishness’ the programme changes to John walks past a fountain in the grounds saying this is ‘utterly wrong.’ Except for the sash windows, every other single thing about this house has its inspiration and origins overseas. Over a montage of the exterior of the house John provides details on some if its foreign influences and ends by stating that inside the hall has one of the most remarkable examples anywhere in the country of the essential foreignness of English architecture. Sitting on a plinth in the library a bust of William Weddell the 18th century owner of Newby Hall. As John walking through the room, he explains that like many men of his generation William went on the Grand Tour especially to Italy looking at the great buildings of the Renaissance and the surviving fragments of Rome where he amassed a great collection of classical sculptures. Returning to England he hired the great architect Robert Adam not only to redecorate the house but to built him a Sculpture Gallery. Over a montage of the gallery John provides details on what Adam’s called ‘movement in architecture.’ Having seen this wonderfully English country house stuffed full of foreign inspiration, John asks is nothing sacred? In the nearby park at Newby Hall the Victorian parish church of Christ the Consoler which looks English, but as John points out owes its existence to the English persons passion for going on their holidays to the continent. Over views of some of its exterior and interior features built in the early Gothic style John talks about its architect William Burges who is described as a Francophile who loved French architecture. Sitting at one of the pews inside the church John tells the story of Frederick Vyner and the party of English travellers who were killed in Greece in 1870 and to whom this church, a masterpiece of Victorian architecture, is dedicated. Sitting in his car John comments on the churches Turkish connection and states that after the break he will be taking the viewer to visit another ‘rather exotic little ‘Turkish Delight’ only a few miles away from Newby. Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two Views of the town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire with John asking in building terms what is Englishness? Standing outside the Royal Baths he explains that for all its English exterior it hides foreign things inside. Wearing only a towel John steps out of the steam room inside Harrogate Turkish Baths. Over views of it highly decorative glazed tiles in abstract pattens John talks about the baths Roman origins. He comes to sit in each of its rooms within the baths that are still using their Latin names: Tepidarium (warm room), the Calidarium (hot room), and the Laconium (hottest room). Coming into the final room the Frigidarium (cold room) John lays down on a bench and talks about the buildings Islamic heritage where in the Muslim world is known as a ‘hamman’ meaning ‘spreader of warmth.’ However, for all its foreign influences these Turkish baths are as English as they come being built by architects Baggallay and Bristowe of London in 1897 from an idea created by English traveller and writer David Urquhart in 1850. After providing some historical and impressive claims about the benefits of Turkish baths, John turns and heads back into the Calidarium. Walking through the front gates of the Bowes Museum in the village of Bowes near Barnard Castle in County Durham John make his way through the formal gardens onto the veranda that leads into this French style chateau. After providing details in its construction in 1869 by French architect Jules Pellechet a montage of both the buildings exteriors as well as part of the extensive art collections inside amassed by John and Josephine Bowes with John giving a brief biography of the couple and why they decided to build what John describe as one of the greatest museums in the country in this small market town in the Northeast rather than Calais where it was originally planned. Standing beside one of the formal garden’s fountains John explains that if the museum had been built in France then he wouldn’t be able to award the building this weeks ‘Grundy’s Wonder’. An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Returning to The Library inside Newby Hall as John now states that he needs to find something to crush with ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History’. As the animation of said boot begins to fall onto Newby Hall with John stopping it by stating that The Library is one of the most beautiful rooms in the country and that the hall is an example of a wonderful and fruitful interaction between the Northeast and the rest of the world and certainly not fit for crushing. Over a montage of the exteriors of Chinese and Indian restaurants and take-aways along Ocean Road in South Shields and on Forth Bank in Newcastle John explains that not everything we important from abroad is as impressive, often they are weak and poor copies of the real thing. Standing outside Old Orleans bar and restaurant on Percy Street in Newcastle John explains that while the building is supposed to be inspired by New Orleans, it is a weedy paper-thin stereotypical version of the city and is this week’s building to be crushed under ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History.’ An animation of a boot coming down and crushing the bar and restaurant. Over the closing credits a montage of some of the buildings featured in the programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera and Location Direction Simon Elphinstone Sound Paul Graham, Gail Westwood Lighting John Mason, Lew Hedley, George Bush Production Assistants Margaret McKie Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Dave Richardson Title Music John Cook Sound Dubbing George Joisce Editor Mike Pounder Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Steve Robins End title: A Tyne Tees Television production. Granada. © Tyne Tees Television MMII