The third episode of the fourth 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 travels across the Northeast as well as visiting Cumbria to look at private spaces and how changes within society have affected the way buildings and houses have been made to give us more. An animation of a book with its pages turning revealing different buildings and architectural styles ending...

The third episode of the fourth 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 travels across the Northeast as well as visiting Cumbria to look at private spaces and how changes within society have affected the way buildings and houses have been made to give us more. 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 Driving along a single-track road in rural Northumberland, presenter John Grundy pulls over and proceeds to talk about feeling invisible on the road because he is in his own private space. Explaining that in history privacy of any kind was rare he arrives at a group of cottages at Twice Brewed near Hadrian’s Wall explaining that he dreams of owning one but isn’t sure he could live in one because of the small size. Standing in the doorway of Springwell Cottage he tells the story of a shepherd from Bellingham in North Tynedale who lived in his two-room cottage with his wife, three children, a servant and five lodgers. An example explains John of the overcrowding of poverty. Continuing to drive west John crossing the county border into Cumbria arriving at Naworth Castle near the town of Brampton and the home of two of the most important families in the borders; the Dacre and Howards. Over a montage of the castle and grounds John gives a history of its development and importance before stating that the reason for coming here is to show the Great Hall. Standing in the hall John explains that in the early Middle-Ages halls like this were the centre of big house life with the whole household expected to eat and live together in this one room. Over views of portraits and suits of arms on display John tells a story of what life in the hall like this was like and of a great feast that took place at Cawood Castle, the home of the Neville family in 1465. Stepping through a door leading off the Great Hall John climbs the spiral staircase of Lord William Turner tower arriving at its private chambers. Standing beside a great oak and iron door known locally as a ‘yat’ John admires the different scale of the room and admired what John believes is the most remarkable ceilings in England. A montage of decorative ceiling bosses and colourful wood panelling inside the private chapel and oratory. In another room believed to have been the Great Chamber John points out the 700-year-old wood carved ceiling, one of the greatest Medieval ceilings in the world. Sitting in a chair he provides details of what the room would have looked like and been used for in the Middle-Ages, an escape from the public life of the Great Hall. Getting back into his car John departs Naworth Castle with the programme changing to a reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon hall at Bede’s World in Jarrow. Inside the smoky single room a pot sits over an open fire with John explaining that during this period the hall was everything all rolled into one. At the Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton-le-Hole in North Yorkshire a reconstruction of a Medieval crofter’s cottage showing that for a long-time little changed and that the life of the poor was often very public. Heading into the commercial break John begins the journey home driving along another rural country road talking about the kind of activities that require privacy. Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two Pulling up outside his Gosforth in Newcastle home John gets out of his car and explains how his houses gives him the privacy he needs. Pointing out feature in the garden he talks about the things that gives him enough space to change the mood. Looking down the street he points out the fences which are erected to give a barrier between the public and private space. After talking about the bay windows, John points out the porch which he sees as a halfway house between the public and private space inside. Walking into his hallway he compares it to the Great Hall at Naworth Castle explaining it is now nothing more than a passageway between the smaller rooms which have taken over. Filmed at high-speed John goes from room-to-room both upstairs and down. Sitting in his bay window John goes on to describe how he likes to keep an eye on the world and dislikes barriers that cut him off totally from other people. Coming over to another window he explains that he doesn’t like nets as he likes looking into people windows to see what is going on in those private spaces. While he considered crushing them under ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History’, he has decided not to as they make the prettiest patterns. A montage of said nets in various different houses. Climbing the stairs inside South Tyneside College where John works he arrives at his staffroom which he shares with twenty-five other teachers and lecturers. Over a montage of this very untidy looking space John explains why he loves it. Sitting at his own desk he talks about his colleagues who sit either side of him and how each of them define their own spaces with personal touches. Noticing that one of them have books which encroach on his desk, John talks about how people set up boundaries that define the limits of our territory known as the Blinker Position. He goes on to explains that in architecture generally the move as been towards more private spaces, while in our public life it is in the opposite direction with the likes of open plan offices inside which we build ourselves our own little private nests. On a busy shopping street in Newcastle crowds of people are watched by CCTV cameras. As he uses a cash machine and speaks on a mobile phone John talks about how these devises create an electronic trace on where and what he is doing. As John walks around Northumberland and Blackett Street he appears on various CCTV monitors, in voiceover he explains that he understands that these cameras do provide security, they do take away the freedom to be private and be unnoticed. Walking up to and speaking directly into a camera John gives this weeks ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History’ to CCTV because in a world where privacy matters, they are the exact opposite. An animation of a giant boot crushing a CCTV camera. As the Pride of the Tyne ferry crosses between South Shields and North Shields John explains that with wealth and taste we have been given more opportunities to be private. Over views of a glass building built along the banks of the River Tyne at South Shields John talks about how technology has opened our houses to let in more light and that modern architects are become more concerned about using glass. How does this fit with ideas of privacy asks John? Along the Newcastle Quayside is the Baltic Chambers on the corner of Broad Chare with an apartment built atop of it by local developer Ralph Tarr. Standing on the Quayside looking up at it John explains why he admires it so much. He wonders around its interior looking out across the River Tyne and Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides below. Standing out on the balcony John explains it is his ideal of what a living space should be, private but not hidden away and because of this is awarded this week’s ‘Grundy’s Wonder.’ An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Over the closing credits a montage of some of the locations visited in the programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera and Location Director Simon Elphinstone Sound Paul Graham Lighting John Mason Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Dave Richardson Production Assistants Margaret McKie Title Music John Cook Dubbing Mixer George Joisce Editor Mike Pounder Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Steve Robins Title: © Tyne Tees Television 2003 End title: A Tyne Tees Television production. Granada