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Herrings For Sale

1955 , Great Yarmouth (Norfolk)

Cat no. 678

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The herring industry at Great Yarmouth - fishing, processing and packing.

Herring drifters, some of which are owned by Bloomfields Ltd, a Unilever subsidiary, come into Great Yarmouth Harbour. The commentary offers a brief history of the herring industry, which can be traced back to Cerdic the Dane in 439AD. On the quayside the catch is unloaded at the Fish Quay. The drifter 'Ocean Vim', one of the Bloomfield boats, features here. There are shots of the market and the auction. The commentary explains that early prices may be as high as 80/ - 90/ a cran; later prices may have fallen to 35/ a cran. his explains the importance of being fast to return to harbour, shown later in the film. To keep prices high the Herring Industry Board raises a flag to show when catches are heavy. This warns drifters not to put out to sea. Elderly 'fisher girls' gut and pack the herring on the Fish Quay. At the Unilever factory the company experiments with using machines for gutting. The operatives here are still women but younger. There are shots of the herring being packed into barrels. This is described by the commentary as a 'skilled woman's job.' There are views from inside John Woodgers smokehouse, now owned by Unilever. There follows an exterior shot of a MacFisheries shop. There are also scenes of herring being packed in ice for export to West Germany. The film shows quick-freezing methods and there are shots of plant and of the process. The commentary mentions the Unilever Birds Eye factory at Yarmouth, but these scenes are filmed in the Fromac factory at Fraserburgh. The next sequence covers the herring fishing itself, showing scenes shot aboard the 'Ocean Vim'. It explains what signs to look out for when in search of herring. There are interior shots of the cabin. The nets are cast. There are shots of the men eating before the nets are hauled in and the herring shaken out. The catch is stored in the hold and the drifter makes for port. It is shown back at the Fish Quay.

Keywords

Drifters; Fisher girls; Frozen food; Herring fishing; Smokehouses; Unilever

Other Places

Fraserburgh

  • Producer : James Mellor

  • Camera : Guy Blanchard

  • Editor : Dudley Birch

  • Script : L.M. Mitchell

  • Sponsor : Unilever

Manifestations

Herrings For Sale

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