A home movie produced by Thomas Johnson begins with a visit to the Bowes Museum in County Durham and then to Alnwick in Northumberland where a group of eastern European musicians and dancers perform in traditional costumes. The remainder of the film is of a visit to the north-east by two German friends of Thomas Johnson; Fritz Juncker and Gustle. Thomas had met Fritz during World War Two when Fritz was a prisoner of war. Gustle had also served, but on the Russian Front. While in the region...

A home movie produced by Thomas Johnson begins with a visit to the Bowes Museum in County Durham and then to Alnwick in Northumberland where a group of eastern European musicians and dancers perform in traditional costumes. The remainder of the film is of a visit to the north-east by two German friends of Thomas Johnson; Fritz Juncker and Gustle. Thomas had met Fritz during World War Two when Fritz was a prisoner of war. Gustle had also served, but on the Russian Front. While in the region Thomas takes his friends to Beamish, The Living Museum of the North near Stanley in County Durham, North Shields, Walkworth in Northumberland as well as many of the site around his native Newcastle. Two women walk the exterior of the Bowes Museum before looking down on the laid-out garden below the terrace. On a bowls green a group of older men and women play a game changes back to the Bowes Museum and the garden in front of the chateau with cars parked along the driveway. Standing beside a car the two women make a sandwich from food in a car boot. A young man working in a music studio changes to the two women walking along Market Street in Alnwick. A market is taking place near the town hall with stalls and a steam-powered fairground organ playing music. At the rear of the organ the punch-cards or book-music feeding into the machine to provide the tune. In a walled garden a group of musicians and dancers in traditional eastern European costumes prepare to perform. A crowd gathers around as they begin to perform a routine. On a small stage area, a woman performs several clog dances. Musicians lead a group of costumed children into the garden, they all begin to perform several dance routines. Cars pass through Alnwick town wall while back outside the town hall a woman changes the music-book on the fairground organ. Pedestrians walk past both the organ and stalls selling shoes, clothes, and other household items along with fresh fruit and vegetables. In the 1900 Town at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North two men cross the cobbled street past large crowds of visitors. One of the men acknowledges the camera. The men cross the footbridge towards Rowley Station and look around the signal box. A carousel on a nearby fairground with crowds watching or enjoying some of the other rides and attractions. From an upstairs window back in 1900 Town crowds walking past below as well as various costumed volunteers and members of staff. The two men take a ride on a tram. At a garden centre the two men stand chatting and looking at the flowers and plants on display. They look over a small ornamental bridge. In a car park the two men make their way to a Mercedes-Benz car with a German licence plate, they get in. The men walk along the causeway to St Mary’s Lighthouse at Whitley Bay and with binoculars look out to sea possibly at seals which often come out of the water on nearby rocks. Walking along New Bridge Street towards Blackett Street the two men takes photographs of the golden statue atop the clock outside Northern Goldsmiths. The two men walk around the city centre before heading down into Monument Metro station and taking photographs of the station and its and passengers. The two men walk around the North Shields Fish Quay before jokingly walking into and then out of a local public house. Back along the fish quay they look at a trawler moored there and watch other boats coming into or out of the River Tyne. At Tynemouth the men look up and take photographs of the Collingwood Memorial to naval hero Admiral Lord Collingwood on a large pedestal. They walk along a path down towards the river. The men walk around the filmmakers home looking inside the bathroom and bedroom presumably where the two men will be staying. They make a joke using bread baguette putting each end to their ear. Outside cars pass along the street below. The Mercedes-Benz seen previous is parked outside Walkworth Castle with the men now standing with a woman and small boy. The group goes inside and explore the ruined castle along with other visitors. The men take photographs of the village and River Coquet below before taking a walk through village itself and along the riverbank. Back in Newcastle the men walk along the quayside passing under the Tyne Bridge and looking across at the Tuxedo Princess moored on the Gateshead side of the river. They wonder along to the Swing Bridge before heading the other way past buildings sculptures including ‘River God’ and ‘Siren’. The two men pose beside another sculpture outside a new office block and walk past ‘Jimmy Mack’s’ restaurant and music bar. They stop to admire a carving of Newcastle and the Tyne on a wall. The men visit the Trinity Maritime Centre and Museum looking over a display of model ships on display. A garden pond with frogs in it changes to the two men walking along Grainger Street in Newcastle taking photographs of Grey’s Monument. The men then walk through Central Arcade and around near the Civic Centre intercut with one of the frogs back in the pond. From a road bridge along the Tyne the men take photographs of ships on the water include the Shields Ferry moored at North Shields. They sit in the front two seats of a Tyne & Wear Metro car which passes through a station and across the River Tyne into Gateshead where the film ends. Title: Merry Christmas