The second episode of the sixth 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 explores how buildings cope with the varied British weather by looking back on how architects of the past found ways to make the landscape work for them and how present-day builders are produce buildings that are environmentally sustainable. Stepping out of his home in the Newcastle suburb of...

The second episode of the sixth 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 explores how buildings cope with the varied British weather by looking back on how architects of the past found ways to make the landscape work for them and how present-day builders are produce buildings that are environmentally sustainable. Stepping out of his home in the Newcastle suburb of Gosforth carrying a rainbow-coloured umbrella, presenter John Grundy looks up into the sky to check for rain before stating that this programme will be about how building cope with the English weather. Putting up his umbrella he steps out towards the street. 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 Appearing over sand dunes making his way to a local beach John carries a wicker basket and is still holding open his umbrella. Seeing that the weather has improved he puts down his umbrella and talks about the changeability of the British weather. Featuring Tyne Tees Television weatherman and meteorologist Bob Johnson two weather forecasts the first a fantasy of it ‘going to be a scorcher’ followed by a more realistic one featuring news clips of wild and unpredictable weather including wind, heavy rain, snowstorms as well as thunder and lighting. Now sitting on the beach John confesses that the British have more weather than anyone else and likes to pack for all eventualities. Taking from his wicker basket he holds up alongside swimming shorts and a knotted hankey an anorak explaining that you simply can’t trust the British weather, but why? Again, Bob Johnson explains why the British weather is so changeable ending on him explaining ‘were doomed!’ In Swaledale in North Yorkshire as one farmer drive a tractor turning recently cut hay another in a different field uses his tractor to make hay bales with John asking the question what does England’s buildings to about all this British weather? Walking along a country road on a hot summer’s day John explains that while the weather is nice today, because it is high up it can get cold, wet and snowy so any building that is up here has to take the weather very seriously. Over a montage of villages and houses built in the dales John talks about houses in this area needs to be secure, warm and dry featuring small windows and good quality sandstone roofs. Standing beside a house with a slate roof John talks about its benefits over sandstone before stating that here in Swaledale sandstone in the predominant roofing material. John proceeds to list other architectural features that make buildings in places like Swaledale suitable for local conditions. In and around the village of Reeth John points out a school that uses hood moulding, a house that has weathered pointing and finally a lath house a style of farm building common in all areas of upland Britian in with people live at one end and the animals at the other. At the Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton Le Hole in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park a reconstruction of long house similar to a lath houses changes back to John walking up to another example of a lath house and points out the obvious advantages to both the people and animals who shared the same space during winter. With farm animals racing around a field John explains that the first and most important decision to building a house in places like Swaledale is where to put it. Over a montage of various houses and builds built into the landscape John points out that when building in mountainous areas it pays to snuggle in against the landscape and as close as possible to the ground as well as facing south in order to get the most natural light and heat. In the village of Muker where it appears all the buildings huddle together for warmth and are built on the northside of the valley facing south John explains that these are the reasons why this village has been able to survive for over a thousand years. Sitting at an organ inside Nunnykirk Hall near the village of Netherwitton in Northumberland John pretends to play it over a montage of various weather clips featuring a flash flood, snowy roads, scorched earth and families enjoying a beach on a summer’s day. Explaining that the hall was built by the great neo-classical architect John Dobson in 1825 in the Greek and Roman style, John explains that it was necessary to adapt these Mediterranean styles to make it suitable for the British weather. Taking the programme into a commercial break, he provides details of the first of these changes, a dome. Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two Opening a large bay window inside Nunnykirk Hall John steps outside to apologies for stating previous that we only get bad weather in Britian. He admits that he doesn’t consider it bad rather different kinds of good weather. After admitting that we do get quite a range of weather another montage of extreme weathers with flash floods and thunder and lighting. Now standing on the lawns John talks about what has been done to the hall to cope with the weather going back to John Dobson’s design for this Georgian house believing he got the balance right and pointing out features that make it so such as it having a port-cochere entrance and the inclusion of large window to let in as much natural light and airiness as possible. Stepping back inside the house through the window he exited from previous John is able to show how they can be shut up keeping those inside snug and warm in winter. Over a montage of 1960s high-rise apartment blocks around Tyneside John explains that architects have been experimenting with new material and buildings techniques since John Dobson’s time. Concrete, flat roofs and steel-frames are used as examples as well as the use of glass in bigger and bigger sheets. Walking towards a 1960s school building John sees glass as a mixed blessing believing architects don’t know how to control these new technologies at their disposal forcing him and many others to work in the worst weather designed buildings imaginable. A comedic montage follows with John showing how those on the southside of the building are over heating while those on the north are freezing. Back outside and for all those, like him, who have ever had to use buildings like this he brings down this week’s ‘Grundy’s Great Boot of History’. An animation of a giant boot coming down and crushing the building. Wondering around the grounds of Joicey Road Open-air School at Low Fell in Gateshead, John explains how the school was part of an early 20th century movement to use the weather to its full potential. Using archive stills of the school featuring its pupil from around the time the school opened in 1937 John explains how initially it was built as part of an outdoor education movement to help educate children with Tuberculosis (TB) with all the classrooms, dining room and even the place where the children had their naps taking place inside open-air pavilions. John sees this as a lovely idea, a forgotten architectural and educational jewel. As John states that in recent years educational buildings have become very good at looking for new ways of responding to weather, the Northumberland Building part of the University of Northumbria in Newcastle which is the first building in the country to be clad with photovoltaic panels and to produce its own power from the sun. At Cassup Primary School in East Durham the children pretend it is a windy-day alongside John and comedically run up and down their playground with his rainbow-coloured umbrella. Nearby the school’s wind turbine making Cassup the first school in mainland Britain to produce its own wind power. Producing between a third and a half of the school’s electrical needs, a large display board inside the school shows how when the school is closed electricity is pumped into the National Grid. On the roof the schools’ photovoltaic cells to produce even more green electricity changes to the school playing field where the children pose for the camera proudly. The Devonshire Building at Newcastle University which houses the universities environmental and earth sciences departments. John points out the many cutting-edge design features the building has including its climate responsive façade which opens and shuts depending on where the sun is and how strong it is to optimise the levels of daylight and warmth inside. Filmed in high-speed the shutters opening and closing to music. Walking into the buildings central atrium John provides details on how it is heated and ventilated using passive solar heating. Standing back outside with the Devonshire in the background, John explains that if one building can do all these things then it at least deserves a ‘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. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Title: Archive Pictures Gateshead Council Library Service Credit: Camera Alistair McKenzie Sound Paul Graham, Gail Westwood, Andrew Bennett Lighting Alan Ramsay, Ken Campbell Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Dave Richardson Title Music John Cook Sound Dubbing Andy Ludbrook Editor Mark Duncan Executive Producer Graeme Thompson Series Producer Steve Robins Title: © ITV 2005 End title: Working Wonders. ITV Tyne Tees. A Working Wonders TV production in Association with ITV