9th October 11am
Sound recordist Chris Watson captures 24 hours in the life of Newcastle Central Station.
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
