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
Redcar for Holidays
Showmen, pitchers, a cheapjack and cellophane swimsuit are caught on camera at the Cleveland Agricultural Show and popular seaside town of Redcar.
From the collection of:
Overview
This is a beautiful home movie advert for the popular seaside resort of Redcar and the bucolic charm of the 102nd Cleveland Agricultural show held at Redcar racecourse. The latest sunbathing fashions - halter tops are all the rage - along with local beach traditions of Fleets Punch and Judy, a ventriloquist and the showman Victor Vernons Victorian swings are captured in a glorious mosaic of Dufaycolor by Tees-Side Cine Club filmmaker, Tom Brown.
Redcar was known as Teessides Mecca and lured record numbers of day-trippers until the eve of the Second World War, boosted by its Whitsuntide races. Many were from Teessides industrial hinterlands. By 1936 there were an estimated 30,000 trippers on August Bank Holiday Monday, 12,000 travelling by rail. Produced in a pioneering natural colour, this 16mm Dufaycolor film stock was popular amongst well-off amateur film-makers like Tom Brown, eager to experiment after its launch by Ilford in 1934. When Ilford unveiled their new product trade press of the day enthused: Never before had such exquisite beauty been brought to the screen
Related
Launch of the RNLB City of Leeds Launch of the RNLB City of Leeds
Amateur film 1951 4 mins Silent Location: Redcar
Jostling for a view, a big Cleveland crowd watch the Princess Royal christen a new lifeboat in Redcar.
Yorkshire Riviera Yorkshire Riviera
Amateur film 1958 19 mins Silent Location: Redcar
A nostalgic dip and drive around the North Yorkshire coast in the sun-kissed 50s.
Sand Racing at Redcar Sand Racing at Redcar
Non-Fiction 1950 18 mins Silent Location: Redcar
Walking on sandy beaches can be difficult enough, but thousands turn out to watch motorcycle riders racing around a sand circuit on two wheels.
4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment at Redcar Camp 4th Battalion Duke of Wellington Regiment at Redcar Camp
Non-Fiction 1938 13 mins Silent Location: Redcar
With war looming on the horizon, troops from the Duke still find time to relax and joke even when learning how to grapple with mortar launchers and lie flat firing anti-tank rifles.
Clean Air Bus Clean Air Bus
1973 1 mins Location: Redcar
Behold Teesside Municipal Transport's Clean Air Bus - a silent and vibration-free bus powered by an experimental Rolls Royce liquid propane gas engine.
Heritage Heritage
Amateur film 1966 8 mins Location: Stockton-on-Tees
The times they are a-changin’ in this Cleveland odyssey.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.