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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Royal Visit to Billingham
A flying visit from Prince Philip to the futuristic ICI chemical plant and Central Avenue Stadium at Billingham.
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Overview
Theres an air of excitement at ICI Billingham as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, pays a whirlwind visit in 1963. The royal car ventures down Nitrate and Ammonia Avenue in the royal car, past the awesome sight of steel production towers and pipes, described by one worker as a complex beast. After a final enthusiastic welcome at ICIs Central Avenue Stadium, the Duke, who earned his wings in 1956, takes to the skies at the controls of the royal helicopter.
This royal visit was captured by two different internal film units operating at ICI on Teesside, illustrating the importance afforded to film production at the company. ICI was one of the first serious in-house corporate producers, its film unit formed in 1929.
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