[Family Scenes]

Various family scenes from Jaywick, Essex

The opening shot shows three policemen. The following scenes show the sea front at Jaywick and the Allums' shop, 'Dots,' at 8, Broadway, Jaywick. A long-distance shot shows a paddle steamer calling at Clacton Pier. The next shots show an upturned car that is righted and towed away as a policeman and crowds look on. There follows a largely unsuccessful attempt to film from a moving vehicle. The next shot shows a fire engine and crew and a crowd watching on. There are shots of the beach at Jaywick and a further, less successful, attempt to film from a moving vehicle. The lifeboat is launched from the lifeboat house and is filmed on the sea. There are shots at high tide and passengers board a paddle steamer. The next shots show fire-fighters tending another blaze and a shot of College Street and the Allums' home. There are brief scenes of Jaywick carnival and scenes of Brooklands beach showing people in the sea with a lilo. There is another shot of 'Dots' from 1936 and shots of a fancy dress pageant at Clacton Pier swimming pool. This is followed by a relatively long sequence showing floats and people in fancy dress at Clacton carnival. One of these floats is celebrating the 'Jubilee of Mixed Bathing.' The next sequence shows family scenes. Firstly Mrs. Allum is filmed outside the family home in College Road and then with daughter Jill at Flatford. There are scenes from the Jaywick Riding School that include Mrs. Allum. Shots from 1938 show Mrs. Allum, Jill and a younger baby daughter, aged about fifteen months, in the garden of their home. The next scenes come from an earlier date as they appear to show the toddler being christened at the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Light at Clacton. There are family shots that include the Priest, Father Worsley. These shots are of quite poor quality and show signs of deterioration. The next sequence begins with scenes of the fire at Lewellens' Department Store in Pier Avenue on 4th June, 1939. Fire-fighters tackle the blaze and crowds watch. There is a shot of a person at an upstairs window and of a fire-fighter, Bernie Howard, on a high ladder above the building. The fire engine leaves the scene. The later shots in this sequence show signs of deterioration. The next shots show another fire, this time a chalet fire. There are shots of the Allum girls on ponies and then in a railway carriage on Jaywick Railway. Three girls wave to the train as it passes. The last shots, from c. 1942, show the wedding of Denis Allum, Mrs. Allum's brother, at the Roman Catholic Church, Jaywick, followed by at least two family christenings. There are shots of family groups and of the babies. The final scenes are of a children's party.

Featured Buildings

Clacton Pier; Dots of Jaywick; Lewellen's Store; Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Light

Featured Events

Jaywick Carnival, c. 1936; Clacton Carnival c. 1936

Keywords

Christenings; Carnivals; Family life; Fires; Seaside; Weddings

Other Places

Clacton-on-Sea

Background Information

Mr. Allum owned the shop Dots in Jaywick. The ancient farmstead of Jaywick was acquired by FC Steadman in 1928. Within a few years a small town of 2000 holiday bungalows had been built. He also built the Jaywick miniature railway from Jaywick Sands to Crossways. This ran from 1936 to 1940 and operated a half-hourly service.Lewellens' was built in 1877 as the Public Hall and Assembly Rooms. The Public Hall was incorporated into Lewellens' stores in 1893. The Assembly Rooms became the Clacton Club.