Sunny Clacton

Amateur colour film of a fundraising carnival and summer activities at Clacton-on-Sea in the month before World War II was declared.

Clacton 'Hospital Carnival': there are floats and people in fancy dress. 'Miss Clacton' rides by on a float decorated with flowers. Views of spectators are intercut with the procession which includes bands and a fire engine. One of the floats advocates 'Peace'. At the fairground the big wheel is shown. People, including a vicar, ride on 'bucking bicycles.' There is a fast rocket ride, a big dipper and a carousel. At the the entrance to a park, there are flags flying and shots of rose beds. The rest of the film is shot at Butlins holiday camp. Children play on trikes and people are on the promenade. There is a poster advertising camp entertainment, including Terence de Marney and Michael Carr. A 'Costume and Figure' Competition on Sunday, August 20th, shows women in bathing costumes. A poster announces that proceeds are donated to the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. There are pool scenes. Games and exercises on the beach include 'Comic Cricket' where the umpire is thrown into the swimming pool. A girl sits painting her nails with a bottle of nail vanish. Arsenal footballers Eddie Hapgood and Cliff Bastin judge another 'Costume & Figure' competition, also on August 20th. The winners pose with their prizes and the footballers. There is a 'knobbly knees' competition, and the camp comic sells tickets to a charity event at the Century Cinema. The final scenes are of the sea at sunset.

Keywords

Beauty contests; Carnivals; Fundraising; Holiday camps

Intertitles

Clacton Hospital Carnival. Miss Clacton 1939/40. Sweeney Todd. Costume & Figure Competition.Proceeds to Gt. Ormond St. Hospital. Comic cricket.The Umpire in trouble. Duck him.Throw him in.Costume & Figure Competition. Knobbly knees competition.

Background Information

Parnell's Encyclopaedia Of Association Football carries these entries about Eddie Hapgood and Cliff Bastin: Cliff Bastin - Had won every honour in English soccer by the time he was 21. Arsenal took him from Exeter as a 17 year old and put him on the left wing where he struck up a fine understanding with Alec James. A remarkable left foot shot and his penchant for dashing into scoring positions brought him 157 league goals for Arsenal, 33 of them in 1932 - 33. This 157 goals was the all time scoring record for Arsenal until it was broken by Ian Wright during the 1997- 98 season. Eddie Hapgood - Captain in the notorious 'Battle of Highbury' and England's football ambassador during the troubled 1930s, was a vital factor in Arsenal's League and Cup success in that decade. Slight for a full back, he relied successfully on skills, interceptions and anticipation. He was a firm believer in fair play and true sportsmanship, refusing to be provoked even when an Italian broke his nose in that 1934 international at Highbury. Both Cliff Bastin and Eddie Hapgood were named in The Hundred Club, a list of 100 players to have graced the football league, published to make the League's centenary on 4th August, 1998.