Felixstowe

Alfred Sinfield film of Felixstowe and Flatford featuring model boat racing and Willy Lott's Cottage

This charming amateur film begins with shots of grand Felixstowe houses. Men are racing model yachts of various sizes on the pond in front of an attentive crowd. The victors are presented with their winnings. The film progresses to Constable Country where on the idyllic river Stour a man boats near a family of swans. Two more men boat downstream. Atop a wooden bridge a few people take in the serenity of their surroundings. At Flatford Mill seven young women in deckchairs paint. Still shot of Willy Lott’s Cottage in Flatford follows. Back at Felixstowe more people race their model yachts. An amphibious plane is in the water. The pilot carefully climbs onto its wings. Girls in togas and garlands perform a dance routine. Behind them the 'grim reaper' walks scythe in hand, followed by two ladies dressed in mourning attire; one carrying a placard which reads “FELIXSTOWE IS SO SHOCKING". The fancy dress procession continues with the king and queen. Boys and men in the pond race through an assault course which includes passing through lifebuoys, inflating balloons and diving under netting. In the sea a speed boat propels between obstacles. Back in the pond men straddling a wooden pole attempt to unseat each other with sacks. Decorated floats pass through the town’s streets containing people in fancy dress. The film concludes with more model boating on the pond.

Featured Buildings

Melrose Hotel; Bridge Cottage; Flatford Mill; Willy Lott's Cottage

Keywords

Amateur; Model boats; travel

Intertitles

FELIXSTOWE Sports & Carnival. Prize giving at Model Yacht Races. Constable's Country. Flatford Mill. & Willie Lotts Cottage. Student Artists.

Other Places

Flatford

Background Information

The amphibious plane featured is the Saro A.21 Windhover. Only two of these were constructed. This the, 'A.21/2', first and only production example was completed July 1931. After modifications (addition of auxiliary winglet over engines to improve air flow and lift), it was sold to Francis Francis as G-ABJP, who sold it in September to Gibraltar Airways for the Gibraltar-Tangier route. In July 1932, it was sold to The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce and named City of Portsmouth. The undercarriage was temporarily removed, and during August 1932, it was used in three attempts to break the world flight-refuelled endurance record. That was not achieved, and in May 1935, the aircraft was sold to Jersey Airways, being taken out of service in 1938. Wikipedia