An edition of the Tyne Tees Television programme The Works showing preparations for and opening of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race taking place in and around the River Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne between the 15th and 19th July 1986. The film opens with views of the mouth of the Tyne and the arrival of a number of old sailing ships, passing Tynemouth Priory on the far bank. At the Newcastle City Information Service people are working on publicity for the event. General views of ships...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television programme The Works showing preparations for and opening of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race taking place in and around the River Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne between the 15th and 19th July 1986. The film opens with views of the mouth of the Tyne and the arrival of a number of old sailing ships, passing Tynemouth Priory on the far bank. At the Newcastle City Information Service people are working on publicity for the event. General views of ships arriving and river police activity. Tracking past Quayside warehouse sheds in winter. Two organisers walk along the snow-covered Quayside at Newcastle upon Tyne. Panoramic shot of the Tyne river and quaysides.  Views of the Tyne,tall  ship berthing, crowds singing, folk musicians entertaining on the Quayside and folk dancing, the Baltic Flour Mill on the Gateshead Quayside and market traders in their shorts in the summer sun. Young sailing apprentices stand in the ship rigging as a nother tall ship sails into Newcast. Young Russian crew members mingle with the crowds on board the "Kruzenstern". Russian folk dancing and sellers at market stalls can be seen along the quayside. On a busy Northumberland Street a news vendor is selling papers with special Tall Ships souvenir supplements. A Chronicle headline on shipyard closures is stuck to the lampost. General view of the deserted Hawthorne Leslie shipyard and an architect discusses plans for the Hebburn Village Project on the site. A general view follows of a small boat builders' yard and workers and apprentices on a YTS scheme welding. Two men look over plans for a river cruise vessel in an office. General views of tall ships moored on the river and a children’s choir from Felling singing. Cutaways of crowds on the Quayside looking at the moored ships and boats. School children visit the Maritime Exhibition and are taught about sailing with a model. Paintings with a maritime theme are on display at the Van der Grou Galleries. Outside, an artist paints a picture of one of the ships on the river. More views follow showing the crowds on the Quayside. A number of interviews follow including one with George Hamilton, Director of the Tall Ships Race. Young men are in the rigging of one ship. Queen Elizabeth II visits the all sail training ship, the "Sir Winston Churchill" with its 'all-girl crew'. A man speaks at how popular the event has been.  Aerial views of the river are followed by the pennant for Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race 1986. More views of riverside activity. A teenage Robson Green (with suedehead cut) asks the North Shields-born playwright Tom Hadaway what he thinks about it all.  Afterwards a scene shows three local actors including Robson Green gathered round a small boat on the river at low tide. The actors perform a scene from a production of Tom Hadaway’s play "The Long Line" which was produced at Live's Quayside in Broad Chare. The actors pause and the director and Tom Hadaway come down to discuss the scene. Interview with Tom Hadaway about the play and its connection to the festival. A Cullercoats fishing boat is out on the Tyne hauling in nets. The actors act out a scene in the theatre to a small audience. Night scenes of the fireworks display over the river, the party for crew members in the riverside sheds and the official drinks reception at the Civic Centre in Newcastle with views showing the ships lit up on the water. The next morining views of crew activity in preparation for the beginning of the race, organisation meeting and ships leaving. This is followed by views of the Parade of Sail and aerials, including huge crowds lining the route and gathered at South Shields and Tynemouth. The film ends with views of ships grouping out at sea in full sail for the start of the race followed by the now near deserted river mouth.