A collection of home movies made by Austen McOlvin Laws between 1951 and 1957 showing family and friends on holiday at Beadnell in Northumberland. As well as showing them playing in the sand and paddling and swimming in the sea, they are also filmed in the garden of their house. The film also features the family in their small sailing dinghy sailing the waters near the beach and harbour. The film ends with a family trip to the Farne Islands. [B&W] The film opens on a view showing a...

A collection of home movies made by Austen McOlvin Laws between 1951 and 1957 showing family and friends on holiday at Beadnell in Northumberland. As well as showing them playing in the sand and paddling and swimming in the sea, they are also filmed in the garden of their house. The film also features the family in their small sailing dinghy sailing the waters near the beach and harbour. The film ends with a family trip to the Farne Islands. [B&W] The film opens on a view showing a sailing dinghy making its way out of Beadnall Harbour. The film cuts to show a young girl in a bathing costume splashing around in the surf. A man sits on the stone wall, part of Beadnall Harbour as another person climbs out of a small dinghy and begins to walk along the quayside. A small inshore fishing boat heads out to sea followed by a man working the sails of a dinghy. Various sailing dinghies are moored in the water off Beadnall beach seen from a boat traveling past. A man sits at the tiller of the boat. He is replaced by an older man who is smoking a pipe. General views of the dinghy on the water near the quayside. [Colour] A two-manned canoe makes it way towards the quayside, both men inside wear wetsuits. In the water beside them is a third man also in a wetsuit apparently floating by? In full scuba gear, he climbs out of the water onto the quayside watched by a small crowd. The film cuts to show a family sunbathing on the beach. A woman removes her dress revealing a bathing suit underneath. General views of a busy beach on a summer’s day with people slashing around in the water. Children participate in games on the beach assisted by their parents. They rush over to a canvas sheet held down by a number of grown-ups and begin to crawl underneath. Some of the adults take part in the game. In the front garden of a house a small boy jumps around watched by his family sitting beside a white-washed wall or in deckchairs. An older girl begins to jump as well. General views show children paddling in the surf on Beadnell beach. Three young girls in bathing suits come out of the water, the eldest in the middle holding the hands of the other two younger ones has a yellow rubber-ring around her waist. Two women help a small child undress into her bathing costume followed by a small boy playing in the sand beside a dog. A small girl in a green bathing costume splashes around in the sea. She is joined by two older girls, both wearing rubber rings around their waists. In a garden, a group of seven children perform gymnastics. A small boy sits on a stone step followed by the children parading past the camera one-by-one. One of them is holding a black poodle. They play together in the garden. Back on the beach various views follow of children playing together in the sea. An older girl paddles a small rubber dinghy. Another older girl swims in deeper water. A man and boy in a small sailing dinghy land on the beach. In the back garden of a house, a large group of adults sit on the ground enjoying a picnic or chatting with friends. General views of children playing or of their parents relaxing on the grass. General view of Beadnell beach followed by a group of children helping to push the sailing dinghy back into the water. The sails flap in the wind as three children try to keep the dinghy still so they can get into it. Once aboard the boat sails out to sea. General views follow of sailing dinghies travelling along the coast and past Beadnell Harbour. The film cuts to show large waves crashing against the harbour wall. On the beach a group of children and women prepare to go into the water followed by views of them swimming in the sea. They rest by holding onto a rope that is keeping a small sailing boat moored. Some of the children dive into the water from the harbour quayside. [Dark] The film cuts to a boat journey to the Farne Islands and views of other boats on the water and birds resting on the rocky outcrops. On one of the islands a woman holds the hand of a small child as they walk across the rocky landscape. General views show other people on the island and children running around.   Writing on a stone in a wall reads ‘Royal Visit June 29th 1958’. More people come off boats in a small harbour. The family sit on the ground near to the St Cuthbert’s Chapel as the children run around. The sequence ends with the boat coming back into the harbour at Seahouses with people on the quayside watching. A young girl on a tricycle pedals along a path beside a road. Two boys cycle past on the road followed by two younger children pedalling past on the pavement. The two older boys seen previously ride past again with their arms held out at their side. The film ends with a group of children feeding a number of geese beside a concrete footbridge.