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.
This film is part of Free
Opening of Denton Burn Co-op
Self-service is still a novelty to the curious crowd at the opening of a re-vamped Co-operative store in Newcastle.
From the collection of:
Overview
There’s still a sense of wonder for the 60s suburban Denton Burn crowd ogling shelves a-plenty at the opening of a self-service store for the Co-operative Wholesale Society in Newcastle. No doubt the film cameras added to the excitement, but this was after all a post-war British shopping revolution in the making.
The Co-op was in the vanguard of the self-service and supermarket trend in Britain (actually the brainchild of Clarence Saunders, founder of the American Piggly Wiggly grocery chain). The Newcastle Society lagged behind London branches: Romford got one in 1942 as a response to wartime staff shortages. But it was one of the first traders in Newcastle to convert stores into self-service. The re-fit of this grand 1930s West Road shop in Denton Burn was announced at a members meeting in 1955. Once rationing ended in 1954 self-service supermarkets slowly caught on, but for a while ‘the hostess’ guided customers around these bewildering new environments and cajoled them into using wire baskets.
Related
Watch for free
Seaton Burn Flower Show and Sports Seaton Burn Flower Show and Sports
Non-Fiction 1919 5 mins Silent Location: Seaton Burn
The wonder of the camera attracts a jubilant flower show crowd in this moving portrait of the Seaton Burn mining community soon after World War One.
Watch for free
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Watch for free
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Watch for free
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Watch for free
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.