CITY LIGHTS

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 17th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

Feb 1964

Length of issue (in feet)

894

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1CITY LIGHTS
2. 2THE PLACE WITH THE COAL
3. 3HORSE SHIFT

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: The export of coal to Venice to fire the Mestre Power Station.
NCB Commentary - Venice must be high on the list of the world’s most beautiful cities.
At night, be you a beatle-type, or an old St. Marks square - under the moonlight - the charms of the city enfold you.
And under the lights of the city - Venetian and visitor alike - are bathed with sympatico.
The electricity for these man-made moons which light the city, comes from Mestre Power Station, on the water, a mile or so north-west of the city.
Not all the world’s power stations are fired by coal - but Mestre is - and some of it is British anthracite from the valleys of Wales.
A lot of coal is needed to augment the stocks at Mestre, and the Venetians bring coal from a larger depot nearby. The coal once loaded, being very fine, is neatly sheeted-down - to prevent drifting when it’s on the move.
In 1963 Britain exported over 7-million tons of coal - not only to Italy, and other Common Market Countries, but Spain, Rumania and Scandinavia - coal for a thousand purposes - and at Mestre for electrical generation - coal by wire.
In the control room at Mestre all is clean and shipshape. As the sun slips below the Adriatic skyline, the flick of a switch brings power and light and heat for all who need it in the neighbourhood - and to Venice itself - a city of light and coal-made moons.

Keywords

Mining; Fuels; Energy resources

Locations

Italy

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The British National Film Catalogue   Vol.2 1964, p.55
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit