The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Coronation Day Parade in Newcastle; Trams and Trolleybuses
A splash of colour in a big Coronation Day parade in Newcastle and an evocative phantom ride through the city after World War Two.
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Overview
On the morning of 2 June 1953, the day of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, news broke of Hillary and Tenzing’s triumphant climb. This colourful film of the Coronation parade in Newcastle includes an Everest themed float along with Northumbrian pipe bands, military and youth groups, vintage cycles and fire engine. A second film features a playful ride through central Newcastle just after World War II, its cobbled streets full of trams and electric trolleybuses and life.
The Newcastle Journal described the Coronation gown as “glittery with magnificent embroideries and emblems …” The crowning of Queen Elizabeth introduced a splash of colour and extravagance to a generation used to the drabness and austerity of the war years – black-outs, rationing, brown or blue serge demob suits, no frills utility fashion, and the make-do-and-mend. This film was produced by filmmakers from the Newcastle and District Amateur Cinematographers' Association, one of the earliest British cine clubs, formed in 1927 by James Cameron.
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