[Family Films]

A collection of family films.

This is a collection of short family films that records the leisure pursuits and business interests of a prosperous local family during the mid 1930s. It includes many shots showing contemporary local transport and fashions. 1. A Few Familiar Faces, 1934: This shows a gentleman filing his car with petrol at Ratcliffe Bros Auto Fuels. After some shots of the family, a car leaves the Esplanade Hotel and then returns along the front. This happens twice, apparently, as the shots that follow the couple leaving the car are different. There follow shots of an elderly couple in the family garden. 2. The Lifeboat Carnival: This is seen passing through the town railway gates. Many of the floats are decorated cars and many feature a lifeboat theme. This is probably from 1935 as one float advertises a pier show. 3. Boxing Day Hunt: The horses and hounds leave Frinton and ride cross country at one stage going along a river. There are scenes of the gardens at the Esplanade Hotel with ladies walking in the gardens with their dogs. 4. 1934 Gymkhana: This gives a record of the days jumping, including junior and senior events. There are also other pony club type events as well as shots of members of the family and their cars. 5. There follow various scenes from the garage and horse riding along the street and along the beach. The family swim in the sea and a young boy plays on the beach with a dog. Gentlemen and ladies in fur coats are seen outside the Esplanade Hotel, along the front and on the beach. Various guests or friends are seen with their cars outside the Hotel. One bows to the camera. There are shots of men saddling their horses and then riding along Connaught Avenue, Frinton. The hydraulic lift at Ratcliffe's garage is seen operating. 6. This section shows a point to point at Little Clacton. This features the family in the car park with their cars as well as the jumping. 7. Tendring Hundred Farmers' Show features crowd scenes and ring events. These include show jumping, carriage driving and a polo demonstration. The 1898 MMC car is filmed driving along a suburban street in Clacton, with children piled onto the back. 8. The final sequence is of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Green with many generations of their family, at several houses, including their farm at Great Holland. The family gather in the garden of a bungalow and then go for a walk, passing through the farm yard, along a country lane and through the village. There are shots of the family by the tennis courts at the back of the farm house. There are several shots of them walking past a double fronted house in the village and the final shot features them passing a disused windmill.

Featured Buildings

Ratcliffe Bros. Auto Fuel; The Esplanade Hotel

Featured Events

1934 Gymkhana Frinton; 1935 Carnival, Frinton; Boxing Day Hunt (1934?); Point to Point, Little Clacton; Tendring Hundred Farmers Show

Keywords

Family life; Gymkhanas; Hunting

Intertitles

A few familiar faces, 1934. 1934 Gymkhana. Tendring Hundred Farmers and a few familiar faces. 1898 MMC car. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Green and Family. Manor Farm, Gt. Holland. Essex. England. August 1935.

Other Places

Little Clacton; Great Holland