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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Extracts from the Year of Office of the Right Worshipful The Mayor of Durham, Councillor Norman Richardson J.P. and the Mayoress Mrs Penny Richardson Commencing May 1963
The pomp of local public life gets a good airing here as a sprightly Prince Philip visits Durham, the customary formalities on show along with a wonderful display of ladies hats.
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Overview
A visit from Prince Philip, clearly in his prime, is enough to bring out the local dignitaries of Durham in all of their finery as they carry out their traditional public functions. After the opening of the new County Hall offices of Aykley Heads House by the Duke of Edinburgh, the ladies give a marvellous display of hats and the etiquette of having a civil cup of tea. A parade for the occasion includes marching nurses, once a common sight, now only seen on demonstrations.
One public servant relating to this film has certainly left his mark on the City of Durham. Norman Richardson, the then Mayor of Durham, has a Postgraduate Research Fund for Ustinov College (Durham University) named in his honour, as bestowed by his widow Mildred Richardson. The designer of the County Hall, Sir Basil Spence, was a notable modern architect, who designed many iconic buildings, including Coventry Cathedral and St Aidan's College in Durham. It is believed the royal visit was filmed by George Pennington, the manager of Cosy Coaches in Meadowfield, County Durham.
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