A dynamic and powerful soundscape of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Station using location recordings to tell a
story of 24 hours in the life of this station – from the spring solo of a
robin at dawn on the street outside to the pounding roar of the heavy
goods trains which thunder along the rails past deserted platforms in
the darkness of the night.
Watson regularly travels to and from
this station and became fascinated by the sounds and acoustics of the
building. So when he was granted permission to record inside, he leapt
at the chance, visiting at various times during both day and night over
several months, to capture the sounds within; from the quiet crackle of
the overhead wires on a misty dawn morning to the terrifying roar and
clamour of footballs fans and police dogs when Newcastle were playing at
home to Sunderland, and the chanting voices and shouts of the fans
overwhelmed even the sounds of the trains.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Station was designed by John Dobson and opened by Queen Victoria in 1850.
Presenter/ Chris Watson, Producer/Sarah Blunt for the BBC
Wednesday 9 October