The sixth 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 edition a look at the industrial growth of Tyneside leading up to the First World War and how badly the area and its people were affected by the economic...

The sixth 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 edition a look at the industrial growth of Tyneside leading up to the First World War and how badly the area and its people were affected by the economic downfall in the inter-war years. Ant and Dec also look into the history of Newcastle Brown Ale and look back on the careers of two of Newcastle United Football Club’s greatest players Jackie Milburn and Alan Shearer. 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. Title: A History of Tyneside As Ant and Dec wonder around a display of lightbulbs inside the Discovery Museum in Newcastle, they talk in voiceover about Sunderland born inventor Joseph Swan who in 1878 was able to show how a carbon filament could be made to glow by electricity inside a glass vacuum tube thus inventing the light bulb. Over a montage of relevant archival image details are provided about Ediswan the company set up by Swan alongside American Thomas Edison to produce lightbulbs made at Swan’s factory at Benwell. Standing with trains coming and going from Newcastle Central Station behind them, Ant and Dec explain how from the banks of the Tyne engines of world trade were produced. Over archive of a ship launch details are provided on one the great liners of the North Atlantic the RMS Mauretania which was launched from the yards of Swan Hunter in September 1906. Over more archive possibly featuring Mauretania at sea Ant and Dec talk about why it was considered one of the finest passenger liners ever built powered by marine engines designed and made on the Tyne with the ship holding the Transatlantic speed records for more than twenty years. Over a mixture of relevant archival images and with Ant and Dec standing on the deck of a boat on the Tyne they provide details with regards another less well known shipbuilding feet of superhuman engineering, that of the SS Baikal an icebreaker which was built by Sir W.G. Armstrong's, Mitchell and Company at their Low Walker yards before being dismantled and transported the 2000 miles to Lake Baikal in Russia proving that anything is possible on Tyneside. As Ant and Dec sit in the rotating Armstrong Whitworth car produced at the companies Elswick works in 1911 and now on display at the Discovery Museum, they talk about both the vehicle and company explaining that they abandoned car manufacturing for armaments at the start of World War One. Sitting outside Cragside house in Northumberland, writer George Rosie talks about how Tyneside was a world centre for industry and names John Theodore Merz and his son Charles as two men forgotten to industrial history. He goes onto explain how Tyneside owes its prosperity to the electrical systems laid down by this father and son. Over a montage of relevant archive footage Ant and Dec talk about how cheap electricity was crucial for Tyneside industries such as shipbuilding and coal mining and also powered electric trams around Newcastle. Coal was still seen as Britain’s most important industries producing 287 million tonnes in 1913 with the majority coming from Tyneside and making Newcastle the 2nd only to London in producing the country’s wealth during the Edwardian period. Standing outside what was The Sage, now The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, overlooking both the Newcastle Quayside and the Tyne Bridge, Popular Culture Historian Chris Phipps provides details on the population explosion on Tyneside at the start of the 20th century with the creation suburbs such as Benwell, Fenham and Walker to accommodate these new people. Over a montage of related archival images Chris talks about how this expansion brought with it social and moral issues with alcohol and how these were curbed with legislation. He also points out the irony that the Laing Art Gallery was a gift from a beer and wine salesman Alexander Laing. Over a montage of archival footage taken from World War One Ant and Dec talk about Geordies contribution to the war efforts with thirty battalions being formed for both the Durham Light Infantry and Northumberland Fusiliers while a further 60,000 men and women working in the armaments industries of Armstrong Whitworth. Over further relevant archive the boys talks about how at the end of the war the economy was exhausted with so many skilled men dead. John Clayson from the Discovery Museum goes on to provide details on how the end of the war was also a double whammy for the coal industry putting many mining communities into poverty. Title: A History of Tyneside Over a montage of related clips, Ant and Dec provide details on part two. Title: A History of Tyneside Standing across from the former shipbuilders R & W Hawthorne Leslie Ltd Ant and Dec talk about how Tyneside was directly affected by the economic downturn following the end of World War One. Over a montage of related archive footage John Clayton provides details on how the mining industry was directly affected due to the decreased demand for coal creating mass unemployment, short-time working and a depression in wages. Following details on how coal miners were at the forefront of the 1926 General Strike more archive is used as Ant and Dec provide details on the Jarrow March and Ellen Wilkinson, the towns MP, who joined them. From a boat on the Tyne Ant and Dec talk about a great engineering project that needed to be built during these depressed times that would go onto represent Newcastle and Tyneside. Over archive of its construction details are provided on the building of the Tyne Bridge which was opened by King George V in 1928. Inside The Sun Inn at Beamish Museum a barmaid brings two bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale over to Ant and Dec who sit at a nearby table. Before pouring a glass, they talk about its origins and how it gained and then lost its European Protected Geographical Indication status. Over archive of the beer being produced and distributed they talk about being first brewed in 1927 and why it is known locally as The Broon Dog. Over a montage of archive clips from World War Two as well as steel manufacturing Ant and Dec explaining that with the outbreak of war armouries and foundries revered back into life, but provides details on why this was seen as a ‘false boom’. Over other relevant archival images they explain why Tyneside wasn’t as badly affected by the bombs of the Luftwaffe and what plans Hitler had for Tyneside should Germany have won the war. Standing in the grounds of St James' Park Ant and Dec talk about the radical new Labour government in post-war Britain that was built on new ideas for society. As they play football on the pitch they along with local historian Christopher Goulding talks about probably Newcastle United Football Club’s greatest players Jackie Milburn. Over a montage of archival newsreels featuring him playing, they talk about how and why he was a huge figure on Tyneside helping Newcastle to two FA Cup victories in 1951 against Blackpool and in 1952 against Arsenal. Following a news clip of his coffin being driven past St James’ Park in 1988, Ant and Dec stand next to his statue outside the grounds describing Jackie as a hero with roots firmly planted on Tyneside. Over more contemporary news footage Ant and Dec provide details on a brand-new local hero Alan Shearer who arrived at the club in July 1996 and who would eclipse Jackie Milburn’s as Newcastle United’s greatest ever goal scorer. Title: A History of Tyneside Still standing beside the statue of Jackie Milburn Ant and Dec provide details on next week’s final episode as Tyneside rushes up to date, how the television age ushes in a host of stars and sportsmen and how Tyneside has been able to reinvent itself replacing heavy industries with culture and tourism. Title: A History of Tyneside Thanks to The Discovery Museum, The Castle Keep Newcastle, Beamish Museum Photographic Archive, The Burton Holmes Historical Collection, Tyne and Wear Archive Services The British Library, Robinson Library Special Collections, The Vermont Hotel Newcastle, Gallowgate Productions, One North East, Newcastle United FC 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 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