News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 9th Year

Issue

Issue No.

9

Date Released

May 1956

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. CLAYPIT
• 2. LOTHIANS
• 3. BARN DANCE

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

NoS synopsis: barn dance in a Northumberland village with Jack Armstrong and his band. With a solo on the Northumberland bagpipe.
NCB Commentary - It is the end of a Saturday shift at Dinnington Colliery, not far from Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Shot firer Bob Gowan stops to give a light to engineer Bob Crozier. They’re off home to clean up, but tonight in nearby Brunswick village they’ll meet again with Bob Gowan in a different role - as M.C. at a local Northumbriam Barn Dance.
King pin of the Barn Dance movement is Jack Armstrong, well-known throughout the North country with his Folk-Dancing band, and himself son of a miner. Jack Armstrong is England’s top performer on the Northumbrian pipes and holds the honourable position of piper to the Duke of Northumberland.
His Barn dances up and down North East England are a testimony to the public interest in this traditional and exhilarating way of having a good time.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded on 9th April 1956.

Keywords

Music and dance; Entertainment and leisure; Social events

Locations

England; Northumberland

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.11 No.123 January 1957, p29.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board