The second episode of the fifth series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this edition the writing in truly on the wall as John goes exploring for graffiti and other forms of inscription, engraving, carving and etchings found across the North of England. Presenter John Grundy comes to stand beside brick wall and introduces the programme by saying this week ‘the writings on the wall’ with...

The second episode of the fifth series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this edition the writing in truly on the wall as John goes exploring for graffiti and other forms of inscription, engraving, carving and etchings found across the North of England. Presenter John Grundy comes to stand beside brick wall and introduces the programme by saying this week ‘the writings on the wall’ with etchings, carvings, inscriptions, engravings and, with a cheeky smile, graffiti. He turns and begins to write on the wall with a large Magic Marker pen. 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 back garden John works on a stone engraving using a hammer and chisel. Taking off his safety goggles he looks up and explains that wherever you go you will see examples of the ways that people can’t resist engage in this particular activity. A montage of various stone engraved entranceways ending of a modern glass engraved window. Standing in the grounds of St Paul’s Monastery at Jarrow John explains that this church contains the oldest know church inscription in the country. Inside and above the chancel arch a stone dedication inscription which John attempt to read in Latin. Standing beside a copy John reads it out giving the date of the church dedication as the 23rd April 685AD. Coming to stand beside a wooden carving of the Venerable Bede John believes he would almost certainly have been around when this inscription was unveiled. Walking along the Side next to Milburn House in Newcastle, John talks about why he likes plaques on the side of buildings as not only do they often contain dates preventing historians like himself from looking foolish, but also because they are often lovely objects in their own right. A montage of busts and other statues erected on building around the centre of Newcastle which John enjoying seeking out as a reminder of the cities many dead residence. Coming to stand beside the memorial plaque to Sir Joseph Wilson Swan on the side of the former Newcastle-upon-Tyne Electric Supply Co. Ltd building in Pilgrim Street John states while this plaque is certainly deserving, who made it? Written in the corner the engraver Richard A.Ray. Returning to him still engraving in his garden, John explains there are many reasons why people would write on wall from the beautiful and the bizarre to the ‘downright-tacky.’ A montage of look at examples including the stone inscription on the wall of Holy Jesus Hospital on City Road in Newcastle, a hoarding for the Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company along the Newcastle Quayside and the ghost sign for ‘Bile-Beans’ painted on the wall of 18 Lord Mayors Walk in York. Over a montage of stones inscriptions above country cottages doorway that give initials and dates, John explains why he finds this practice both touching and charming as it shows a pride in both the place and each other. Standing outside a farmhouse at Falstone near Kielder in Northumberland he explains there is an inscription here that he finds touching in an odd sort of way. Standing in the living room John explains that this farmhouse started as a bastle house built to keep the owners safe from attack. Standing in the doorway the inscription gives the date as 1604, however the letters are gibberish meaning nothing at all. Driving south towards Hexham John states there are dangers in writing on a wall. Arriving at Hexham Abbey John heads down into the only surviving part of the earlier Anglo-Saxon church built by St Wilfred, the crypt. Telling the story of why the crypt was built he explains how it was all built from stone stolen from the nearby Roman town of Corbridge. After showing how some of these stones were used in the crypt, he points out one specific stone in the ceiling that includes an inscription dedicated to a Roman emperor. John laments the fact that this fine plaque for a new Roman building has ended up stuck in the roof of this Hexham cellar. Back in his garden John finishes up on his engraving and holding it up to the camera asking if even the posh and impressive writings on the wall can turn to grief, what chance for the rough-and-ready scratchings of a man like me? The engraving reads ‘Erected by Public Subscription’. Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two Appearing to scribble onto a wall down a back-alley John tells the story of how while working as a teacher he became a piece of epic graffiti. In a local park he uses a knife to carve into a tree and talks about the memorable graffiti written into his schools exam desks. Back home he lays under a table and tells the story of finding ‘Daddy is a Fat Pig’ written underneath it. Inside the prison on the top floor of Berwick-upon-Tweed Town Hall many of the18th and 19th century features have survived including examples of the graffiti often written by sailors giving it a delightfully nautical feel. Over examples on display John explains that the world graffiti comes from the Italian meaning ‘little scratch’. Sitting in the floor and apparently in chains John says that he really likes this type of graffiti as he understands why they have been made. Taking a marker-pen from his pocket he pretends to write his own inscription to the wall. A montage of contemporary graffiti in underpasses and on metal shutters intercut with someone clearing it off a wall. Walking through a pedestrian underpass John explains why he hates modern graffiti and so will crush it under ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History’. An animation begins of a giant boot coming down on the underpass but stops halfway through as John reminds the viewer that this is the second time he’s crushed pedestrian underpasses. He asks do nasty places encourage nasty people to do nasty things in them? Is this graffiti partly the fault of the designer? John admits he doesn’t know and watches as the boot comes down crushing it anyway. As John makes his way into Carlisle Castle, he talks about being fascination as a boy at its marvellously romantic history and associations. In the dungeon inside the Norman keep John points out a smooth stone on the walls and remembers being told as a child that this was because prisoners licked it. Heading upstairs he stands in the doorway of another prison cell and explains that it contains a thrilling mass of 13th and 14th century images. Over a montage of said images depicting warfare, religion, family and even sex John says the reason why he is moved by them is because they reflect the lives that the prisoners had left behind and that they had been created in the challenging half-light of the cell. Walking through the Abbey Gateway leading to Carlisle Cathedral, John points out that he knows the name of Prior Slee who built the gateway in 1529 because he had the details engraved into the archway proving that it was perfectly easy to write on walls if you were important enough. After pointing out another example of an important person having their names engraved for posterity about a library doorway, he heads into the abbey itself to see graffiti that is both unofficial and humble. Scribbled on a wall inside are a series of Viking runes that read ‘Dolfinn wrote these runes on this stone’. John believes the inscription could be that of a former governor of Carlisle who served the city around the time this part of the abbey was being built in the 11th century because he wanted to leave a mark behind. Standing outside in the grounds of the cathedral John awards both the graffiti found in the castle and cathedral as 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 featured in this programme. Title: Thanks to Ian Wood Monumental Sculptor Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera Simon Elphinstone, Simon Foggin Sound Paul Graham, Robbie Carruthers Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Production Assistants Karen Sharp Graphics Dave Richardson Title Music John Cook Sound Dubbing George Joisce Editor Mark Duncan Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Steve Robins Title: © Tyne Tees Television 2004 End title: ITV Tyne Tees. An ITV Production