The Life Boys: The Surrey Area - Part 1
16mm film Black & White Silent c.1930 18:15
Summary: An amateur film of a summer trip to the seaside around Bude in Cornwall.
Title number: 705
LSA ID: LSA/922
Description: The film begins with shots of surf from Atlantic rollers breaking on the shoreline, people walking around on Summerleaze beach and swimming in Bude sea pool (a part-natural lido). There are also shots from cliff tops down towards the sea far below. Film around the ruins of Tintagel castle on cliff top includes stone walls snaking about the landscape. Views around Bude include the artificial harbour, small boats and the River Neet coming down the valley, with shots of the buildings on either side. A boat rows out to meet a ketch anchored at sea. The Ketch (named Ceres) comes into Bude harbour and to the sea lock gates where many men operate the gates and ropes, allowing Ceres to enter the Bude canal. Nearby a man guides a draught horse pulling a trolley full of sand along iron rails. A young girl is filmed playing with her pet cat on a lawn, teasing it with a stick. A rough sea is filmed breaking on the beach and the coastal rocks. Elsewhere, a boy feeds ducks in river with pieces of bread. The boy is also seen sat at a table in the dining room of a hotel laid out for breakfast. The same boy outside tries to put his coat on in the wind before heading off carrying spades, a rope, a ball and a box brownie camera. On the beach, the boy digs a channel between a pool and a channel of moving water.
Credits: Bawtree, Ivan (Filmmaker)
Further information: The ketch 'Ceres' seen in the film sank in 1936. The trolley carrying pulled by a horse is loaded with mineral rich sand, once a valuable export from Bude. Although the film title suggests that this film is related to the 'Life Boys', the youth wing of the Boys' Brigade, this is not evident from the film's contents.
Keywords: Holidays; Sea bathing; Atlantic ocean; Canals
Locations: Atlantic Ocean; Cornwall; Bude; Bude Bay; Tintagel
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Comments
I omitted to say on the last posting that my father's name was Walter Henry Ford. His father also Walter Henry Ford and was a Master Mariner on sailing ships all over the world, for a few years he was Master of the S/V Bessie Ellen which is still sailing and is currently sailing up around the Western Isles of Scotland, my father was the mate aboard her when his father was Master. The Captain / owner at this present time is Nikki Alford.
My name is Ann Wells and I live in Appledore, Devon. I have been watching the film of the Ceres entering Bude canal and I feel sure that my father was on board at the time . He joined her on 15/ 7 /1930 and was discharged from her on 25/11/ 1936, I have his discharge certificate which states that the place of discharge was Appledore -
ship foundered, his rank was Mate during this time.