The first of a seven-part documentary co-produced by Tyne Tees Television and Deerpark Films in which Geordie television personalities Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, better known as Ant and Dec, explore the history of their native Tyneside from the beginnings of human society to the everyday dramas of the present day. In this first programme a visit to Howick Bay along the Northumberland coast to visit the home to the first Geordies followed by an exploration of how the Roman Empire...

The first of a seven-part documentary co-produced by Tyne Tees Television and Deerpark Films in which Geordie television personalities Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, better known as Ant and Dec, explore the history of their native Tyneside from the beginnings of human society to the everyday dramas of the present day. In this first programme a visit to Howick Bay along the Northumberland coast to visit the home to the first Geordies followed by an exploration of how the Roman Empire created the first Newcastle at a crossing point on the River Tyne. An opening montage featuring both contemporary and archival material relating to Tyneside and presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly providing details on the upcoming programme. Filmed at high-speed a montage of Tyneside beginning with the Angel of the North at Gateshead followed by the Millennium and Tyne bridges crossing the River Tyne and shipyard cranes along the banks of the river. Inside St James’s Park football stadium supporters of Newcastle United Football Club sing the ‘Blaydon Races.’ In one of the tunnels leading onto the pitch Ant and Dec explain how this song represents the most powerful regional identity in Britan and that every ‘lad and lass’ who sings it knows who they are and where they came from and that this series will tell their story of how they got here. A second montage features clips from the series with Ant and Dec explaining that it is an epic and immense tale ranging from the very beginnings of human society to the everyday dramas of the present day. As they make their way out onto the pitch, they provide further details on the aims of the series which will also define a definition of what it is to be a Geordie. Title: A History of Tyneside A Vox pop with people on Northumberland Street and inside Eldon Square shopping centre in Newcastle asking them what makes someone a Geordie. Being born in Newcastle and having worked on the Tyne are given as definitions, while other talks about them being friendly and helpful with one woman stating how proud she is to be one. A map of the region between the River Tyne in the south and River Tweed in the North and a flashing icon of the coastal area of Howick. Filmed at high-speed the sun setting over Howick Bay near Alnwick in Northumberland and a montage inside and around a reconstruction of a Mesolithic house that had recently been discovered nearby and built around 7800BC. In voiceover Ant and Dec talks about how this discovery completely re-organises the way in which we think about the pioneers while writer Alistair Moffat explains why it is so important as it changes our understanding of these peoples understanding of building technology. As they speak a reconstruction of the hunter-gatherer family who lived in the house foraging for berries and hazelnuts and hunting for game in woods. Sitting beside a reconstructed wicker fence University of Newcastle Archaeologist Lindsay Allason-Jones shows several items discovered at Howick as evidence that those living there were exploring the natural resources of the landscape. She holds up and provides information on limpet shells; charred hazelnuts shells and a stone tool used for preparing seal skins. As the family inside their home sits around the communal fire, Ant and Dec providing some details on their lives. Returning to Lindsay Allason-Jones she explains that as there is no written record of the prehistoric era what is known is assumptions based on the archaeological evidence which may or may not be 100% accurate. As the family sleeps around the fire Ant and Dec states that few hard facts about the people at the Howick haven from 10,000 years ago exist, however what is known is that they liked the Northeast enough to settle here. Filmed at high-speed a montage of people walking around Northumberland Street and central Newcastle with Ant and Dec asking where do we come from? Back on the pitch at St Jame’s Park Ant makes the shocking admission that Geordies may have once been ‘southerners.’ Details are then provided with regards a subcontinent known as Doggerland that existed between Denmark and eastern England until around 4000BC. A map featuring this landmass with Lindsay Allason-Jones explaining that archaeological evidence has been found in the area that shows it was once a rich area where people lived. As a man travels across water in a small, rounded boat known as a coracle, Alistair Moffat who is still standing beside the reconstructed house at Howick Bay explains how people communicated by sea and that Doggerland was only 40-50 miles away meaning people probably travelled from there to what is now Northumberland. Returning to Lindsay Allason-Jones, she explains how Doggerland was an early victim of global warming disappeared with the exception of Dogger Bank which is still visible at low tide. Returning to the map Doggerland disappearing and an arrow pointing west towards Northeast England with Dec explaining this makes Geordies ‘Doggerlanders’ rather than ‘Southerners’. Standing at the bow of a ship travelling along the Tyne, Ant and Dec state that while there are few traces of the arrival of people, names hold thousands of years of memory inside them. Details are provided with regards river names which are described as being the oldest names in the landscape with the Tyne meaning ‘Big River.’ A map showing the River Tyne and place along it with their historical meaning such as Gateshead ‘Goat Headland’ and Jesmond ‘Mouth of the Ouse’. Lindsay Allason-Jones explains that as an archaeologist she prefers physical evidence and that from what has been found there was a large population on Tyneside in the Neolithic period, but getting to the Bronze Age she explains there was an even large popular. She holds up a large decorative pot discovered at a Bronze Age cemetery at Jesmond that shows that these people lived very sophisticated lives. Lindsay Allason-Jones holds up a stone battleaxe head found at Barras Bridge that shows these people were part of a warrior society and were fighting for the resources with a tribal identity. Details are provided on one of the best-known tribes the Brigantes who were based in Yorkshire. Over a montage around their iron-age fortification at Stanwick in North Yorkshire, Lindsay provides more details on the importance of this tribe. A reconstruction of a group of Iron-age warriors charging on horseback with their long swords drawn, in voiceover Declan provides details on these Celtic peoples of the Northeast who had a culture of military prowess, of cattle raiding and heavy drinking. Taking the programme into a commercial break a group of women on a drunken night out in Durham shows, according to Declan, that at least one of these traditions have survived. Title: A History of Tyneside Over a montage of related clips, Ant and Dec provide details on what is coming up in part two with the arrival of the Romans. Title: A History of Tyneside The second part of the programme begins with a speeded-up montage around the centre of Newcastle. As Ant McPartlin stands on a balcony at Gateshead with the Tyne Bridge behind him, Declan Donnelly stands on the roof of Newcastle Keep with the two providing details on the origins of the old castle well as the present Newcastle Keep strategically positions overlooking the key crossing point of the River Tyne. Over a montage of The Keep Ant talks about how the Roman’s built a fort on the north bank. As men dressed as Roman soldiers march across a field, Lindsay Allason-Jones explains that when the Roman’s arrived it was important for them to establish networks of road and forts to have control over an area. Over an animated sequence she tells the story of Queen Cartimandua who was the leader of the Brigante tribe who made the decision to become a client kingdom of the Romans, her betrayed of Caratacus a rebel leader from Wales and of the Romans having to reinstated her to the throne when her people rebelled. Sitting beside an archaeological dig at Vindolanda Roman Fort is Robin Birley who talks about how much of a revolution it was when the Roman’s arrived. Over a montage of the men dressed as Roman’s continuing to march, Robin talks about how the area was turned upside down especially with regards the demands of food to feed the 20-30,000 troops stationed in the region. An aerial of Vindolanda Roman Fort changes to the boat back on the River Tyne passing under the King Edward VII Bridge and Ant explaining in voiceover that after a century of expansion limits needed to be set. A montage of various Roman artifacts and statues changes to a high-speed aerial along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland with Lindsay Allason-Jones explaining that the wall was built to consolidate their gains and create a marker to say where the Roman Empire ended. Another aerial of Hadrian’s Wall changes to the archaeological dig at Vindolanda Roman Fort with Robin Birley provides details on the mechanics of building the wall which was a wonderful achievement in its day. Another aerial along Hadrian’s Wall changes to an artist impression of what the first bridge across the Tyne built by the Romans would have looked like with Declan explaining it was called the Aelius bridge after Hadrian’s family and that Newcastle as a place got its first name; Pons Aelius. Over views of a bronze head of Emperor Hadrian Lindsay Allason-Jones provides details on both the Aelius bridge as well as two altars to the gods Oceanus and Neptune that were discovered in the 19th century and believed to have been part of a shrine on the bridge itself. Back in Newcastle the Tyne Bridge and standing along the Quayside with the Millennium Bridge behind him Local Historian Christopher Goulding who explains how because of the Roman’s Newcastle is where it is today and how they created the transportation infrastructure that is seen today having their principal route north from London pass through the city. As a barman pulls a pint of beer, Ant and Dec talk about the history of brewing on Tyneside before taking a gulp from their glasses. Back at Vindolanda Roman Fort as Robin Birley watches over the archaeological dig, he explains that the Romans were very dismissive of the local population describing them as Brittunculi meaning ‘wretched little Brits.’ The marching Roman soldiers seen earlier changes to an aerial of the mouth of the Tyne with Ant and Dec talking about Imperial ships which entered the river and merchants who supplied the walled garrisons. An aerial along the Tyne with details being provided on the arrival of bargemen from what is today Iraq changes to the reconstructed gateway at the Roman fort of Arbeia at South Shields where these early keelmen were based. Over a montage of both the remains of the fort at South Shields, which includes the reconstruction of the Commanding Officers House, as well as the fort at Segedunum at Wallsend, Alistair Moffat explains how taking care of the 15-20,000 soldiers in these and other garrisons was good business for Tyneside. Standing with the ruins of Tynemouth Priory in the background Ant and Dec talks about the arrival of Christianity in 312AD when it became the official religion of the Roman Empire and how it would make Tyneside world famous. Over a montage of relevant clips Ant and Dec provide details on next weeks programme that will look at the story of the saints, the rise of the glittering Kingdom of Northumbria and the arrival of the Vikings. Title: Thanks to Museum of Antiquities University of Newcastle, the families of the late Ronald Embleton and Frank Graham, The Vermont Hotel Newcastle, Gallowgate Productions Thanks to Eric Robson, One North East, Professor Diana Whaley, Vindolanda Credit: Camera Steve Green, Alistair McKenzie, Janusz Ostrowski Sound Andy Bennett, Colin Lang, Adam Toy Electricians Paul Caddick, Lewis Hedley, John Mason Research Sandy Neil Archive Research Gillian Robinson Titles Music “Get Carter” by PEAK Cartimandua sequence inspired by Ronald Embleton Location Director Anne Buckland Contracts and Rights Peter McArthur Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Graphics Charlie Lennie Sound Post Production The Edge Online Editor Peter Telford Assistant Producer Chris Phipps Producer Alistar Moffat Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Director Ian Hughes Title: © ITV Tyne Tees 2006 End title: An ITV Tyne Tees and Deerpark Films co-production for ITV