This amateur documentary  produced by John Paul Gee examines the eye-catching Byker Wall development in Newcastle upon Tyne, designed by Swedish architect Ralph Erskine and built between 1969 and 1982, which replaced Victorian slum terraced housing. Following a history of the development John Paul Gee talks about both the positive and negative aspects of the area and architecture and interviews some local residents. An artist paints a picture of the Byker Wall. Title: The Byker Wall –...

This amateur documentary  produced by John Paul Gee examines the eye-catching Byker Wall development in Newcastle upon Tyne, designed by Swedish architect Ralph Erskine and built between 1969 and 1982, which replaced Victorian slum terraced housing. Following a history of the development John Paul Gee talks about both the positive and negative aspects of the area and architecture and interviews some local residents. An artist paints a picture of the Byker Wall. Title: The Byker Wall – Success of Failure? [over picture] A commentary starts over still pictures of some of the old streets in the Byker area of Newcastle–upon-Tyne. General view of the river Tyne. A view of a map follows showing the extent of the Byker area as a blacked out shape. The northern border follows the A187 also known as Fossway, the southern border goes down to the Tyne Photo stills show the people of the district and also some of the demolished streets. Plans show its redevelopment and a photo of a completed section of the wall. A photo of the cover from the magazine of the Sunday paper, the Observer, shows another completed section on a front cover from the 1970s. An old map of the Byker area documents old streets in the area, a map shows a plan of pedestrian/bus routes, and a still photo records of old street. A plan of the living areas to be built as part of the Byker development shows room dimensions and access points. Another plan shows the area for redevelopment and those for clearance. Next an artist’s impression shows one of the walkways which allows access to apartments. A young girl and boy ride their bicycles onto parkland next to a road. A panoramic view is next taken from Byker across roof tops towards the Tyne Bridge and the centre of Newcastle, and to the right the Byker district A still photograph shows old Byker and an area cleared of old houses. The photo shows a horse harnessed to a flatbed wagon feeding on some grass amongst the debris. A plan shows some of the difficulties that need to be overcome with redevelopment regarding old mine workings and sewerage routes. Next, the film shows a view of a motorway set in a cutting which passes near the Byker wall site. This cuts to a view of one of the Byker wall houses where one of the residents is cleaning the inside of a main window.A row of maisonettes built with a sandy coloured brick is shown, which then moves to a view of the famous ‘wall’. General views follow of a block of houses or flats of different designs. A row of garages shows the doors painted in the same shade of blue. Another view shows a row of terrace-like housing each with a section of garden in front. A plan documents the proposed road network for the Byker site, followed by views of the Byker buildings, especially the Wall, as they are in close proximity to an urban motorway. The commentary says the developers were concerned about the intrusion of noise for residents. The camera pans to the left showing the extent of the famous Byker wall. Another building as part the Byker project is one that has been ‘landscaped’ using architectural features rather than using trees or plants. The architectural landscaping uses the addition of galleries and balconies to break up the harsh exterior of the houses and apartments. At one house an exterior doorway has a porch added to it. On another building railings and weather boarding has been added to the roofline. For the buildings forming the wall, different coloured bricks are used to produce different patterns. The film picks out a chevron pattern on one of part of the wall. The commentary goes on to explain how these extra features help to break up what would be a stark exterior of a brick and concrete building. Some extra features also have practical uses, including making safer walkways for children, or fences that help support plants. The film points out how the pathways also use different textures provided by different materials to enhance visual interest. The film goes on to record the use of colour in the Byker project. A local bowling club is surrounded by buildings which feature coloured roofs and balconies. A part of the Byker wall shows different coloured bricks used in sections of the wall. Housing on Chirton Street uses many colours on exterior features. Tree lined walkways run past terraced style housing. The commentary goes on to state that the houses are designed and arranged in such a way that the estate seems to be made up of separate small groups, a device Ralph Erskine, the architect, thought would allow people to feel very much a part of their own small section. The film shows various small groups of houses all created quite differently. Also shown are the areas of trees and plants which enhance the overall attractiveness of the estate. Residents are actively involved in planting their areas. Other views show different sections of planted areas each with their own character. Views follow of trees in bloom. Residents have been allowed to paint parts of their homes. A line of porches show the original colour of black, but one tenant has painted their porch a dark green colour. The film shows some of the different styles of housing that make up the Byker estate. One of the access points to the estate  is a small through-passage across which some apartments are built. There's a busy road junction nearby, which contrasts with the relative calm of the Byker estate. The film shows the various tree lined and leafy walkways which are part of the estate and bring an air of calm and tranquillity to it. The film continues to show how radical the estate looks compared to some of its near neighbours. General view of a church steeple and a conventional pitched roof building nearby, the very distinctive Byker wall in the background. A passer-by complains about the number of trees which he says in some cases block out light. Changes which have been introduced to the estate include speed ramps, to attenuate the speed of cars. A steel panel attached to a wall has graffiti sprayed onto it. Another view shows a blue coloured garage door with white paint sprayed on it. Two residents on the street, Muriel and Jane, complain about the lack of community spirit. One says it was very positive when she first moved in but not now. Some exposed pipe work shows that a wooden covering used to disguise it has been removed. The film also shows evidence of fly-tipping. The film closes in on of the distinctive multi-storey buildings in the shape of a triangle. A view shows the coloured brickwork of part of the Byker wall. Mr and Mrs Inglis, a couple who lived in the area before the building of the Byker development, summarise how they feel about the estate. Mrs Inglis complains about the lack of atmosphere on the estate compared to the old Byker area. Mr Inglis says he remembers the tennis courts and park area that used to exist before the new development. Mrs Inglis also says that contact between neighbours is not the same as it was in old Byker. General views show sections of the Byker wall apartment blocks. The commentator acknowledges that, although the spirit of Byker before redevelopment was much richer, living conditions have vastly improved for the most of the residents because of the clearance and rebuilding. Credits: Thanks to: Amber Associates Newcastle Central Library Director and Cameraman: John Paul Gee Assisted By: Bill Ferguson Geoff Mellor Jack Mills