Swans of the Tyne
A series of archive film clips relating to the River Tyne and shipbuilding, coinciding with the Swans of the Tyne exhibition at the Discovery Museum.
A 1965 ferry cruise up the river Tyne; interviews with former Swan Hunter shipyard workers in 1969; the 1969 launch of the Esso Northumbria; a 1977 film of the Titan Crane in use, and a glorious Technicolor Port of Tyne promotional film from 1964 are all included in this series of podcasts.
All films are courtesy of the Northern Region Film & Television Archive & ITV Tyne Tees. Some of the footage and films will form part of the BFI Mediatheque which will be available in the Archives at Discovery Museum from Spring 2010.
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Swans of the Tyne is an enhanced audio podcast (audio with images) and is in M4A format.
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Episode 7- A Ferry Cruise Up the River Tyne (Part Two)
Former tug boat captain Tommy Proctor narrates a 2011 ferry cruise up the river Tyne. He recalls the sights and sounds of the river, where industry and shipbuilding once thrived. Part two of two.
Episode 6- A Ferry Cruise Up the River Tyne (Part One)
Former tug boat captain Tommy Proctor narrates a 2011 ferry cruise up the river Tyne. He recalls the sights and sounds of the river, where industry and shipbuilding once thrived. Part one of two.
Episode 5- Port of the Tyne
'Port of Tyne' is a 1964 promotional film produced by Turners of Newcastle. Turners were a regionally based film production company who later changed their name to Turners Film & Video Productions.
This film was used to promote the Port of Tyne and all the industries that were connected to the River Tyne; the coal industry, fisheries, steel and timber manufacture, leisure and transport.
This film is used with kind permission of Northern Region Film and Television Archive, part of Teesside Univesity.
Episode 4- The Titan Floating Crane
This film, from 1977, documents the Titan floating crane at work on the River Tyne.
The film, used with kind permission of Northern Region Film and Television Archive, was originally silent. The audio is an extract from a Memorynet oral history interview with Harry Chamberlain, a former worker on the tug boats on the River Tyne. He later worked as a fireman on the Titan crane.
Episode 3- The Launch of Esso Northumbria
This 17 minute montage of film documents the 1969 launch of the Esso Northumbria, a big tanker built by Swan Hunter at Wallsend on Tyneside. It was the largest vessel to have been built in Britain at that time.
The film includes interviews with the men and women who played a role in the building of the tanker, footage of the tanker's construction and celebratory scenes on the day of the launch.
The film is used with kind permission of ITV Tyne Tees and Northern Region Film and Television Archive.
Episode 2- Shipping in the 70s
The following film presents edits and outtakes from the making of a news item for Tyne Tees Television in the late 1960’s.
The news item, entitled Shipping in the 70s, poses questions to workers at the Swan Hunter shipyard and the former chairman Sir John Hunter about the future of shipbuilding at the yard.
The film is used with kind permission of ITV Tyne Tees and Northern Region Film and Television Archive.
Episode 1- Ferry trip up the River Tyne
This is a 16mm amateur film from 1965 documenting a journey on the River Tyne passenger ferry. The film was discovered by the Northern Region Film & Television Archive. There is currently no record of who produced the film.
In 2010 the film was played to former river Tyne tugboat captain Tommy Proctor, who was able to identify the exact year the film was recorded. Tommy kindly recorded a commentary for the footage, describing the sights and points of interest along the River Tyne in 1965.