Promotional video for the Tyne & Wear Development Corporation (TWDC), presented by John Grundy, that records the progress of their redevelopment of the site of former docks, Albert Edward Dock, at North Shields, North Tyneside, and containing the pre-existing North Shields International Ferry Terminal. In 1990 it was renamed the Royal Quays and development included housing, a shopping centre and a water park known as Wet n Wild.  Credit: TWDC logo Aerial view of the construction of the...

Promotional video for the Tyne & Wear Development Corporation (TWDC), presented by John Grundy, that records the progress of their redevelopment of the site of former docks, Albert Edward Dock, at North Shields, North Tyneside, and containing the pre-existing North Shields International Ferry Terminal. In 1990 it was renamed the Royal Quays and development included housing, a shopping centre and a water park known as Wet n Wild.  Credit: TWDC logo Aerial view of the construction of the park at the Royal Quays development at North Shields on Tyneside. Title: Royal Quays: The Story of the Royal Quays John Grundy stands next to site notices indicating the extent of the Royal Quays development: ‘Royal Quays – New 20,000 SqMtrs (215.000 sq ft) Proposed Factory Outlet & Leisure Complex on 22 Acres’ Superimposed photographs show the area prior to development, followed by a photo of schoolchildren, and then an aerial view of some new housing. Aerial footage showing the facilities now available across the whole site. Children enjoy thrills and spills on water slides and tunnels ride at the Wet and Wild water park. On camera John Grundy explains that it is probably the most popular feature that’s been developed at the Royal Quays. His introduction continues at a historic road named Coble Dene. An old print of a fishing coble is superimposed on the road sign. Pictures assist John Grundy’s description of the area as a picturesque inlet. At one time a colliery and a windmill operated in the area. Eventually the area was transformed into the Albert Edward dock. An old photograph shows the boat the Prince of Wales arrived in on the Tyne to officially open the new dock in 1884. Archive stills show a busy dock at its prime. An aerial still shows the Albert Edward Dock operating in the midst of a highly industrialised river. Other archive photographs show the destruction of riverside bombing raids at North Shields during World War Two. A dramatic re-enactment with school children, a project by Royal Quays Education Centre, illustrates the evacuation by train of children during World War Two from Percy Main. A group of girls offer tea to an official who is helping with the evacuation. The ‘evacuees’ are seen walking along a platform past a steam engine to board a train. Aeriall view of the Albert Edward dock area. The commentary explains that, after the war, the dock area went into decline and the area around the dock became derelict. Three flags fly from flagpoles, one Jnion Jack and two T&WDC flags outside the Tyne and Wear Development Corporation offices. On-site notice boards outline the extent of the development. The chief executive of the T&WDC is Alistair Balls, he walks towards the camera. In voiceover he describes the location as an aerial view of the dock is shown. He continues on camera. Over an artist’s impression of the new development he continues his exposition on the broad vision for the new development, the main element being the building of a ‘harbour village’. An aerial view shows building work taking place on the site. Title: Public Investment £80 Million+, Private Investment £160 Million+ [over picture] On camera John Grundy reports from Chirton Dene Park on how an attractive landscaped public park was transformed out of a wilderness. A view shows the area cleared before landscaping takes place. In voiceover the Project Director John Holmes describes its transformation. Title: John Holmes Project Director, Royal Quays He describes how the site needed decontamination before development could take place. Aerial stills show its transformation, followed by general views of grassed, landscaped areas and water features. Title: Monitoring Panel 1991 This section shows a meeting of the Royal Quays Monitoring Panel, comprising of local people. Around the table the members browse through handouts and documentation from the T&WDC. Footage follows of a 1991 meeting by the group with Joe Mills, a local trade union leader and T&WDC board member, who listens to the groups concerns. An aerial view shows an area of housing the near the Royal Quays site. At the nearby Meadow Well estate riots took place in 1991. Views follow of boarded up shop units. Title: Meadow Well 1991 The pictures show a run-down estate, which the film shows has now been transformed. Title: Meadow Well 1995 General views of the estate record the new housing, built following the development corporation’s support of North Tyneside’s City Challenge bid Title: John Foster Executive Director, North Tyneside Council Foster outlines the positive partnership between the Development Corporation and City Challenge. A view follows of two roadside notice boards which read: ‘Welcome to the North East’s most exciting harbour village’. Aerial views show the new road network that was built for the development. General views document housing association developments at the Royal Quays. Bricklayers are at work on garden walls. Title: Home Housing Association 264 Homes: 216 for Rent, 48 Shared Ownership. A travelling view follows showing an estate of housing association homes. Title: Summer 1995 234 Homes Completed, 216 for Rent Title: Habinteg Housing Association – 36 ‘Lifetime’ Special Needs Homes Completed. Title: ‘Social Housing’ 300 Homes – 25% of Royal Quays Houses Views follow of private housing on the site. The housing minister Sir George Young is greeted by Sir Paul Nicholson, chairman of the T&WDC. Sir George Young signs an agreement between three developers and the T&WDC to build the houses to a specific standard. The houses will be built by Bellway, Cussins and Leech.284 were completed by 1995. Aerial views show completed housing estates. Title: ‘Low Cost’ Housing 284 completed, phase 2 – 120, to follow – 500 Artist illustrations with ‘aerial’ views illustrate completed estates. Project Director John Holmes speaks on camera about the demand for the new houses. John Grundy speaks to camera in front of one of the landscaped waterways. He enthuses about the North East ‘feel’ of the development at Royal Quays. General views show areas of the landscaped parkland. A group of boys catch tadpoles in jars from one of the waterways. Views follow of a new playground, based on ideas from children and parents. A sign board reads ‘Royal Quays Community Centre – A Community Development Initiative by Tyne and Wear Development Corporation’ A temporary building houses the centre, to be replaced by a permanent one. In an open area just outside the centre, a group of people stand in a circle holding a large multi-coloured fabric disc or wheel, an integral part of a game they are playing. A view follows of Chirlton Dene Park where a party takes place to celebrate its first anniversary in 1994. Traditional dancers perform and a children’s entertainer amuses his audience. Traditional crafts and rock music is also laid on to entertain the local crowds. Maureen, Ian and ‘mother’, the Branton family are new residents. Maureen is an active member of the residents association and speaks on camera. She likes the area and hopes for a bright future for her children. Her two sons are enthusiastic users of the nearby Wet and Wild water park. She sees them off at the front of their house. As they approach the water park, they run to the entrance of the building. A scrolling title reads: Water Park – 600,000 visitors in two years: 75 jobs created. General views show children enjoying the facilities and the green ‘pipework’ which transports swimmers out of the main building around a complex route then back into the building. General views show part of the landscaped park area. New industry has been attracted to the development including Twinings the tea manufacturer, one of the first. General view of the new square factory building. Inside some 300 people are at work amongst machinery and conveyor belts. A roadside sign advertises the site of the Baltic Industrial Park, where new offices will be built. Title: Royal Quays 2,000+ Jobs At a building training centre run by Wimpeys, a group of men practice brick laying skills. A view follows of the Royal Quays employment office, followed by an aerial view of a ship belonging to Scandinavian Seaways moored at the ferry terminal on the Tyne. Visitors and cargo from a number of countries call at this terminal. Views follow of cars coming off one of the ferries, and the traffic on the roads nearby. The commentary states that shopping may be an attraction for the visitors and a new development by Morrison developments is soon to be built on a new leisure complex site. John Holmes appears on camera with a colleague at the perimeter fence of the site. He explains off camera about the development. On screen an artist’s impression shows what it will look like. Title: Morrison Developments - £20 Million Investment - 500 Jobs The new development will include factory outlet shops and leisure facilities, near to the nearby Wet and Wild water park. An aerial view follows of the area around Wet and Wild. An aerial view of the ferry terminal is next as John Holmes explains in voicever that significant numbers of visitors will use the new amenities. He continues on camera with his expectations about how the new amenities will be used. An aerial view shows the new Nissan roll on/ roll off ferry terminal on the Tyne. The old Albert Edward dock itself will be transformed for leisure use. An artist’s impression shows how the new development will look. In voiceover John Holmes outlines the facilities available, which include a permanent berth for the fishing fleet and catering for leisure use. The film cuts to a Royal Quays monitoring panel meeting. John Holmes explains, using a map, the infrastructure development programme for 1994/95 The Reverend Charles Hope is chair of the Royal Quays Monitoring Panel. One section of the panel discuss new housing developments the other looks at the plans for the Helen McCardle Health Centre. Title: Helen McCardle Health Centre: 80 Jobs. Children leave the Royal Quays Education Centre and board a bus. The schoolchildren are then taught in one of the rooms in the centre. Linda Benneworth, Head of the Education Centre, explains how the children react to the centre and she outlines their views and perceptions of the Royal Quays development Benneworth leads a group of children in hard hats and high visibility jackets out onto one of the building sites at the Royal Quays to see the work taking place. Alistair Balls, Chief Executive of the T&WDC, takes in the view overlooking the water park from a wooden walkways. Various shots of the whole development are shown as Alistair Balls talks in voiceover about the future of the Royal Quays. On camera he continues with his assessment. On camera, John Grundy sums up his impression of the Royal Quays. A section of the schoolchildren’s wartime evacuation drama is repeated. Emma, one of the girls who appears in the drama, gives her view of the Royal Quays project. A repeat of some of the aerial views seen earlier accompany Emma’s assessment. In a marquee a group of children and parents watch a children’s’ entertainer. More general aerial views follow, then the film cuts to a steam engine as John Grundy explains that a historical railway line between Percy Main and the Royal Quays is being relaid, which in turn will attract more visitors to the area. Over a series of artist impressions credits of the Royal Quays appear: Credit: The Tyne & Wear Development Corporation thank everyone who helped make this video. Especially Royal Quays Monitoring Panel, Royal Quays Education Centre Norham Community High School, Stephenson Railway Museum, North Tyneside Council, North Tyneside Central Library. © 1995 T.W.D.C. Title: Live It, Love It, Royal Quays   [Note: Urban Development Corporations were created as a partnership between central government and the private sector. TWDC was established in 1987 to aid the redevelopment of the riverside areas in Tyne and Wear. Flagship projects included regeneration of the East Quayside in Newcastle, Royal Quays in North Tyneside and St Peter's in Sunderland. Its activities were primarily property-led but it also had a community redevelopment strategy. It was dissolved in 1998.]