A Country Editor follows the gathering and preparation of material for the Christmas edition of the 112 year old weekly Northumberland newspaper, the Hexham Courant, through to production. Includes action at Hexham Auction Market. Editor Michael Sharman interpolates his observations. This Tyne Tees TV documentary was first broadcast as part of the ITV About Britain series on 10 March 1976. Title: Tyne Tees TV logo. Tyne Tees Colour The film opens with general views of the countryside on an...

A Country Editor follows the gathering and preparation of material for the Christmas edition of the 112 year old weekly Northumberland newspaper, the Hexham Courant, through to production. Includes action at Hexham Auction Market. Editor Michael Sharman interpolates his observations. This Tyne Tees TV documentary was first broadcast as part of the ITV About Britain series on 10 March 1976. Title: Tyne Tees TV logo. Tyne Tees Colour The film opens with general views of the countryside on an overcast day and the Northumberland market town of Hexham with sounds of bells ringing from the tower of Hexham Abbey. In the foreground, at the busy junction of Battle Hill with Beaumont Street, is a statue to George Elliott Benson by the sculptor John Tweed. Hexham Abbey is then framed by an archway at the Moot Hall. Title: About Britain A view follows of Douglas Knott newsagents premises in one of the streets. A close-up of a hanging newspaper display in the doorway shows a copy of the Hexham Courant. Title: A Country Editor A man sits at a typewriter in his offic. He takes a phone call and writes down some information regarding a news story. The man is Michael Sharman the editor of the Hexham Courant, a weekly newspaper. In voiceover, he outlines the work of the work of the Hexham Courant. Exterior view of the stone built building on Beaumont Street which is the home of the newspaper. A sign ‘Hexham Courant’ appears above some upper storey windows. The camera pulls back to give a broader view of the townscape. General views follow of the rural area covered by the newspaper including farms with sheep and cows, Hadrian's Wall and cottages in weak winter sunshine next to a broad section of river. Back in Hexham at dusk, Christmas lights decorate the streets. The film the cuts to an auction of livestock at the local market auction. The Hexham Auction Mart takes place on Tuesdays and local farmers gather around the sawdust covered circular area where livestock is shown to prospective bidders. The auctioneer keeps control of the sale with some rapid fire verbal dexterity as the farmers signal their bids. Anl outdoor market at Hexham takes place in the shadow of the great abbey. General views follow of the market with shoppers milling around the various stalls while stallholders shout out prices. Editor Michael Sharman walks by a perimeter wall near the abbey. In voiceover he continues his exposition about his newspaper. He continues his walk through the abbey precinct, towards the open market. He walks down a street making his way through the crowds of shoppers. He stops to talk to a man standing near a shop window, then he has a brief chat with two women standing nearby. He continues down the street. A photographer for the Hexham Courant, Hilton Edgar, takes a picture of a display of meat in a butchers shop window. The meat is from a champion breed as a cup and rosette are on display with the meat. Michael Sharman stops to speak to him. A close up of a label on the meat reads ‘Hexham Auction Mart Co. Ltd, Xmas Prize Show & Sale, Champion Prize’ On a country road, a large van in the distance makes its way up the hill towards camera. In voiceover Michael Sharman continues talking about the number of remote villages within the area of Northumberland the paper serves. Michael says, the local library service which uses the van as a mobile library, provides a valuable service to remote communities. One of the Hexham Courant junior reporters, Gillian Hume is spending a day on the mobile library to write a feature article for the newspaper. With a light dusting of snow on the ground, the mobile library pulls up outside a stone built house. A woman comes down the garden path with an armful of books and her four dogs. The woman returns the books and starts browsing through others on the shelves. Gillian Hume, armed with a notepad, begins to ask the woman about the service she receives from the mobile library. Gillian also asks the user about the types of book she likes to read and what more she would like to see from the service. David Bell, a local correspondent for the paper, crosses a field of sheep. He is meeting a farmer in order to do a Christmas feature for the newspaper. A woman carrying a long walking stick meets him and together they continue their walk. Inside, a log fire burns in the grate. The woman reminisces about Christmases from her past, which will be the main theme of the feature article. David Bell sits in an armchair opposite her in front of the fire, while he takes down notes. She explains she is from a large family where there was always a large number of relatives involved with celebrations at Christmas time. David Bell asks a question about food. The farmer goes on to say this often involved using their own livestock for the Christmas table. The interview continues as a shepherd is pictured herding sheep out on the moorland. In voiceover Michael Sharman outlines sources for the stories featured in the newspaper. The film shows a reception desk at a local police station, where a reporter from the Courant takes down notes as she talks to a duty officer. The film moves to a Tynedale District Council planning meeting where there is a discussion taking place over the future of a local landmark, the Stublick chimney, part of the Langley Lead Smelting Mill. Ronnie Turnbull, the assistant editor of the Hexham Courant, takes notes during the meeting. Horses and hounds gather for a local hunt meeting, the Haydon Hunt making its way along a street. Drinks are distributed to hunt members. A reporter takes down notes as one of the huntsmen outlines the route. General views show the hunt making their way along a country road. Back at the newspaper's headquarters, a typewriter is busy, as a reporter transfers her notes to typescript. Then a meeting follows where Hilton Edgar, the photographer seen earlier, is showing editor Michael Sharman the pictures of the butcher’s window display he took earlier along with other photos. The reporter who was at the police station looks on and the editor asks her to write a caption for one of the photos. In another office, Lynne Plummer, the current chairman and chief executive of the newspaper, requests an item to be brought in by his secretary. In voiceover Michael Sharman outlines the history of the family-owned newspaper, since it was founded in 1864. Photographs on the office walls show portraits of the founder of the newspaper, Joseph Catherall and other family members. The editor explains that the chairman does most of the advertising and commercial work for the newspaper. Next, Santa Claus greets children at a school. He shakes hands with the teacher, and the children respond enthusiastically to his questions. They then sing a carol. The film shows a man taking down notes as in voiceover the editor of the newspaper explains that they have sent their chief reporter, Brian Tilley, to the event to find out more about Santa Claus. The children then open presents as the reporter off camera quizzes the man taking the role of Santa Claus, asking him about his background and the number of times he has appeared as Santa Claus. On camera the interview continues. Back at the newspaper offices, the editor goes through a number of typewritten pieces of paper marking them up for the composing room. Another reporter comes in to see the editor with some sports photographs, seeking guidance about the story which should accompany the pictures. The film then shows the work of the compositors who prepare the newspaper for printing. Lines of type emerge from one of the machines. Stan Atkinson, the head of the composing room, puts the new type into a page frame or form which will be used to print a page of advertising. Printing machines are prepared for the latest edition of the paper. Another machine turns pictures into printing blocks made of aluminium. Children perform in a nativity play at a school. The three wise men say their lines as parents watch and the Courant’s photographer Hilton Edgar takes pictures as the children sing a song, and the carol ‘Away in a Manger’. The film shows the primary school at dusk as the play continues. Coloured lights adorn a Christmas tree in Hexham, and a few lights decorate a small tree next to the abbey. The carol singing from the nativity play continues off camera, as traffic makes its way through the decorated streets. The film goes back to the composing room where another page frame is being levelled by the use of a mallet and flat piece of wood. The editor scribbles some notes on a piece of paper. A page frame is put into a printing press. In a busy press room, reporters strive to get their stories completed and ready for the latest edition. In the composing room, the editor goes through some of the page frames with Stan Atkinson. In the printing press room pages from the latest edition need to be proof read. The editor takes one of these early prints and starts checking it for mistakes, making notes on the page with his pen. Finally the presses start to produce a run of prints for distribution. High angle view of the offices of the Hexham Courant in Beaumont Street. The camera pulls back for a panoramic view of the town across the rooftops and to the countryside beyond. A general view of the countryside follows as Michael Sharman the editor sums up his view of the role the Hexham Courant in the local community. End Credit: research Michael McHugh End Credit: camera Norman Jackson, Dave Dixon End Credit: sound Bob Rhodes End Credit: film editor Bill Oxenham End Credit: executive producer Leslie Barrett End Credit: director Tony Kysh End Credit: Tyne Tees Logo followed by Tyne Tees Colour, © Trident Television Ltd. MCMLXXVI