Made by amateur filmmaker George Cummin, this film documents a summer holiday in Jersey with girlfriend (and later wife), Norah, and a group of friends. The film uses both original amateur footage and commercial film and cartoon inserts as comic interludes, including Mickey Mouse sequences. This film is part of the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) collection. Title: A.C. Pictures Present ‘Happy Days’ Credit: Cast The Holiday Girl – Norah The Cameraman –...

Made by amateur filmmaker George Cummin, this film documents a summer holiday in Jersey with girlfriend (and later wife), Norah, and a group of friends. The film uses both original amateur footage and commercial film and cartoon inserts as comic interludes, including Mickey Mouse sequences. This film is part of the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) collection. Title: A.C. Pictures Present ‘Happy Days’ Credit: Cast The Holiday Girl – Norah The Cameraman – George Title: It was rather cold travelling in September A sequence from a commercial film introduces George and Norah’s holiday footage. Huskies pull sleds uphill through an Arctic landscape. Title: But we headed South and eventually reached a warmer clime – Jersey General view of St Helier and nearby coastline in Jersey. Exterior of the Pomme D’or Hotel. Leaving the hotel, a group of friends and Norah, dressed in a polka dot sundress, smile as they pass the camera. The group play in the sea, dancing in a ring. They play football on the beach, then leap frog. All the friends then attempt to balance on the back of one of the men. Leaning against the promenade wall, they enjoy a cup of tea. Title: A popular feature on the beach. An Auster MK. 5 biplane airliner comes in to land on the beach at St Aubin bay (Registration G-AGYF) with its passengers. A row of similar planes are parked at the beach. Title: But lots of people still prefer being seasick. Various shots record a very busy harbour where people board a steamer. The ship is crammed with passengers and waved off from the quayside. Title: Sports Day at St Brelades Bay A general view follows of a beach, which is quite empty. Later, some people play cricket on a beach. George Cummin and his friends walk towards camera. People line up on the beach and a men’s sprint takes place, followed by a women’s race. Norah and two women friends (including Newcastle & District ACA member Doris Graham?) sit on the shoulders of the three men friends. They lark around on the beach. Next, an egg and spoon race takes place. Two of the women have dropped their eggs in the sand. One woman retrieves her egg and continues in the race, running in high heels across the sand. A men’s sack race is run, some of the men almost tripping over. Title: After the Sports – a beach concert by famous artists. A suntanned Norah sits reading under a shade on the beach. Close-up of Norah. A commercial Mickey Mouse film sequence follows. Title: George has a day off Title: Morning – early and a bit chilly. One of George and Norah’s male friends jumps into the sea for a swim. A few people paddle in the sea. Title: Afternoon – warmer George Cummin sunbathes on the beach. Title: Night – Rather Hazy Various shots record bar and hotel signs and facades. A ‘rocking’ shot follows of hotel signs, the final one, the Pomme D’Or hotel sign, which urns upside down, denoting the drunken state of George. Title: And so (hic) to Bed Title: Further Outlook –Very Unsettled Title: Havre des Pas Pool is a popular resort People board a tour bus with open top deck, including George and Norah’s friends. Travelling shot along the road. General views follow of the large sea water pool on the St Helier coastline, the sun decks on different levels busy with holiday makers. Norah looks up towards the camera from a lower level. A commercial film sequence is inserted here of underwater swimmers and a slow motion shot of a woman diving into the sea. Bikes are parked along a railing beside the sea. Norah walks towards a booking office advertising ‘Tours Round the Island’ for 3/6. Norah smiles through the window of a tour bus. The Mascot tour bus drives off. Travelling shot on board the bus and of the coastline, a lighthouse, rocky shoreline and the road in front. Title: Norah leaves the coach to explore on foot. George and Norah’s friends wave from the tour bus. Norah is looking out to sea, taking in the view. General view of a bay. Various shots follow Norah on her walk, including picking fruit beside the road. Portrait shot of her eating. The following sequences are taken from a commercial cartoon with farmyard characters. The story follows the adultery of a hen with a duck. The intertitles are as follows: Title: She finds a Farmyard and meets Clarabelle and Daisy Title: The Three Little Pigs – and Friends Title: Rupert the Rooster – the Lord of the Fowl House Title: Henrietta the hen – his Spouse and a bit of a gay bird Title: And Dirty Dick – a Duck and a Dashard Title: Rupert comes home to inspect his new family Title: “Great Eggshells. The chickens are all ducks. That Duck shall pay for this.” Title: Dick Duck goes home for a little wifely sympathy Title And Norah goes on her way by a calm and peaceful sea Back to George Cummin’s amateur film, Norah is at a beach in a small cove. Title: But even Jersey has an occasional storm, and then the sea changes. Footage of a stormy day on the Jersey coast. Waves crash onto the beach. Title: After the Storm A man sweeps up storm debris. Title: But happy days fly, and, all too soon, we see the sun set on our last day. Norah stares out to sea on a breezy evening at St Helier. Title: Next morning A woman in a fur wrap boards a biplane airliner, waving from the door. Title: Good-bye Jersey A plane takes off from the beach at St Aubin bay. Note: George Cummin had been making films since 1934 and was a member of Newcastle & District ACA. He was born in 1907 (?). Began his career as a clerk but played in a dance band. He then played in a dance band full time. He served in Manchester Fire Brigade 1939 - 1945. Then he opened a book lending library, followed by a record lending library. He retired in 1985. An indefatigable traveller, his film collection includes many films of his travels throughout the world.