A catalogue of work and play at the Linskill Girls High School in North Shields, filmed by the staff and students of the school. The film documents all aspects of the school day, and after-school activities such as sport, drama, music, and gardening. Title: A Day in the Life of Linskill Title:- Scenario… The Staff Photography… Sidney Bilton Direction… Mary Purdie Technician… Alan Davison Art Titles… Margaret Pratt Musial Arrangements… Ella Younger, Elsie Arnott Title: Cast Headmistress,...

A catalogue of work and play at the Linskill Girls High School in North Shields, filmed by the staff and students of the school. The film documents all aspects of the school day, and after-school activities such as sport, drama, music, and gardening. Title: A Day in the Life of Linskill Title:- Scenario… The Staff Photography… Sidney Bilton Direction… Mary Purdie Technician… Alan Davison Art Titles… Margaret Pratt Musial Arrangements… Ella Younger, Elsie Arnott Title: Cast Headmistress, Staff, & Girls of Linskill Secondary School… and Sooty. Title:- Appreciation. Without the work of the Staff both before and during the making of this film, it would have been impossible to produce it. We therefore pay this tribute to them for their patience and energy at all times. Title: A Linskill Girls’ Production [Colour:] Close-up view of a sign marking of civic boundary of Tynemouth, and the County Borough of Tynemouth. [Black & white:] View of the main entrance of Linskill Secondary School. Title: 8.30am The film begins with a tour of the school grounds. A panning view around the empty playground in front of the school, and several views of the entrance to the school. Inside, the hallway, classroom corridors, a door marked “GIRLS”, and a close-up of a bell. A peek through an interior glass window through to an empty classroom, with rows of wooden desks. The school hall or gym is also empty, chairs lined up against one of the walls, and a piano in the corner. Close up view of some signs: “TRUTH”, “TREVELYAN” / “MERCY”, “MITCALFE” / “FRIENDSHIP”, “FITZHUGH” / “BRAVERY”, “BURNETT”. View of a school honours board, the “Roll of Merit”, with names printed alongside every year from 1933 to 1949. Close-up view of the names: Nancy Hunn, Wilhelmina Best, Violet Dawson, Pat Wilkinson, Audrey Hamblin, Jean Foreman, Jean Whitelock. Title: 8.55am Girls play together in the playground. Inside, a girl delivers some letters to a member of staff. Outside again, one of the girls rings the bell to signal the end of play. The girls then file back into the school building in pairs. Girls file into the school hall and take their seats for morning worship. Title: Morning worship begins the school day. Scenes of hymn singing, a close-up of piano playing, and views of the school band. Title: Business begins Title: Arithmetic Views of blackboards, with chalked copperplate handwriting listing the prices of various household items. The schoolgirls work. Title: How many right? The girls, sat behind desks, all raise their hands. Title: English View of a blackboard with writing chalked on it: “DEBATE: Should Sweet Rationing be Restored?” Girls chatter and giggle at the back of the classroom. One of the girls, sat behind the teacher’s desk at the front of the class stands up and makes a speech. Other girls take part in the debate. A vote is taken, for: 21, against: 11. Title: What’s in the news? Magazines and newspapers have been hung from drawing pins on a wooden panelled wall. Title: Milk builds bonny girls. Two girls unload a trolley laden with crates of bottles of milk, as other girls gather around. The milk bottles are lined up before girls file into the room, each collecting one. Views of the girls drinking the milk through straws, and chatting. Title: Workers’ playtime. Title: The Clerical Hub. Staff pour each other tea. A secretary types out a document on a typewriter. Title: History Title:- A Pageant of Famous Women. Cornelia – A Roman Mother Boadicea – A British Queen St Genevieve of Paris – who saved a city Queen Margaret of Scotland – a good housewife St Catherine of Sienna – friend of lepers Margaret Roper – a faithful daughter Elizabeth – Queen of England Elizabeth Fry – prison reformer Florence Nightingale – a great nurse. Girls perform parts in a drama production, each playing the part of the aforementioned famous women. Girls take part in mock elections. View of a chalked blackboard. Girls address the class from the front. Votes are cast. Mavis Weir – Labour: 22; Sheila [unreadable] – Independent: 17; Mary [unreadable] – Conservative: 1. Title: Handicraft Title: Teaching children to be practical and manipulative through:- Weaving, Leather-work, Puppetry, Needle-work, House-crafts etc… Girls sew puppets and then perform a play with them. Girls weave on small desktop looms. View of scarfs made by the girls. Next girls sew leather items, iron, cut fabric, operate automatic sewing machines. Title: The ‘belles’ of Linskill in models of their own creation… Girls stand in a line modelling their dresses. Title: Developing the artistic senses… Girls paint, during an art lesson. Views of their work, and their muses. The classroom is decorated with murals of clowns and scenes of fantasy. Paint brushes are washed up in a sink. Title: What have we here? A Stray Artist! Outside, one of the girls paints a watercolour scene of a village. Title: What’s on the menu? View of the side of a van marked, “Tynemouth Education Committee No2” Crates are unloaded, then views of girls preparing food. Dinner is served by the girls, who wear aprons, to staff and their fellow students. Views of the dining hall as the girls eat. Title: Oliver Twist A girl is served second helpings by a dinner lady. Title: A wireless lesson BBC Orchestra playing New World Symphony by Dvorak. View of a newspaper sized document, “BBC Broadcasting to Sschools”. A teacher switches on the wireless radio. The girls sit and listen. Outside, a group of girls plays skipping games, and performs folk dances. Sports: a rounders match is underway. Swimming: girls chatter by the side of and outdoor swimming pool (possibly Tynemouth Outdoor Pool) in their swimming costumes, then views of swimming races and exercises. Diving is practised. Back in the school grounds, a netball match is underway. Girls fish with nets in a pond or river, and display samples of pond life in jam jars. In a biology lesson, the schoolgirls are learning about the Caddis Worm. View of two rats in a wooden cage. Views of the school garden. Girls troop out with garden tools (rakes, watering cans, etc.) and tend to the plants. Title: Three months later Text is chalked on a blackboard: “For Sale in the Garden Today. Peans Beans LETTUCE TURNIPS POTATOES” View of an illustrated title card demonstrating the school’s various extra-curricular activities: choir, sport, library, records, drama. The film then documents girls taking part in a drama production: Title: Mine – The Waxworks. All visitors, except the artist, leave the exhibition. Then the waxworks come to life. The magician causes trouble, but the artist steals his wand, and restores happiness. Title: Drama “The Poetasias of Isphan” by Clifford Bax Silvermoon daughter of a rich merchant, is to be won by a poem. Many try/ But the poor letter-writer succeeds. The school recorder band plays to a staff member’s piano accompaniment. Girls leave the school for a trip aboard a Galley’s coach. They are wrapped up in winter coats and each carry leather suitcases. They wave handkerchiefs out the window as the coach departs. The film ends by repeating the image of the sign of the Tynemouth civic boundary, and the 'Appreciation' title card. Title:- Appreciation. Without the work of the Staff both before and during the making of this film, it would have been impossible to produce it. We therefore pay this tribute to them for their patience and energy at all times.