An unknown home movie begins with a visit around the Empire Exhibition taking place at Glasgow in 1938. This is followed by a family’s summer holiday featuring visits to both Wittingham in Northumberland and High Force waterfall in County Durham. Come autumn a woman and two girls harvest apples, heather and berries from a farm. The final part of the film features actors Charles Farrell and Marie Tempest shooting scenes for the feature film ‘Moonlight Sonata’ possibly in Sweden where the film...

An unknown home movie begins with a visit around the Empire Exhibition taking place at Glasgow in 1938. This is followed by a family’s summer holiday featuring visits to both Wittingham in Northumberland and High Force waterfall in County Durham. Come autumn a woman and two girls harvest apples, heather and berries from a farm. The final part of the film features actors Charles Farrell and Marie Tempest shooting scenes for the feature film ‘Moonlight Sonata’ possibly in Sweden where the film is set. The film begins with views around the centre of Glasgow including George Square and the La Scala cinema on Sauchiehall Street. A number of trams travel along Sauchiehall Street passing the Beresford Hotel, a flag flies from the roof of the hotel. In the distance the dual spires of Glasgow University. An ‘AA’ sign points ‘To the Exhibition’. A woman speaks with a member of the Glasgow Subway staff on a platform as a train pulls in. Passengers make their way towards the exit as the train pulls away into a tunnel. At Bellahouston Park The Palace of Engineering building and a flag flying in the wind from the roof. Visitors make their way into the building followed by a motorized carriage transporting visitors around the site, a large hoarding across the top of the carriage reading ‘Blackstone’. People walk around a recreation of a traditional Highland village known as The Clanchan and Tower. They walk past thatched cottages and a stone tower. A sign points towards ‘Amusement Park’ is followed by a journey onboard a miniature railway train and people enjoying various rides at a fair including a number of chair-rides and a rollercoaster. From the Festival Tower views across the site followed by general views around the site including various pavilions. Title: July Title: Holidays An empty platform on Wittingham railway station changes to a man unloading a large trunk from the back of a van. A small group walk along the platform and onto a road. The group have a picnic in a field beside a hedge, two dogs also enjoy food along with their owners. One of the dogs, a long-haired pug, sits on a rug grooming itself. A man walking along a railway track, a small girl plays in the field as a woman does some sowing. A girl changes into a bathing costume, another girl sits reading. A young woman sleeps in the back of a car. An older woman sits beside a stone house reading, a pram stands in front of her. Ivy grows over the large house and ducks fly away from a pond or river. A visit to a zoo where a keeper feeds seals and penguins. In another encloser a Polar Bear while monkeys swing from ropes in their cage. A hand feeds an Ostrich through the fence and a Brown Bear dances for food in another enclosure. Views of Reindeer and other animals follow. Title: August Title: “High Force” The High Force Hotel at Middleton-in-Teesdale and a poster on a wall. Water cascades over High Force waterfall on the River Tees. Title: September A woman and two girls pick apples from trees in an orchard, a pair of hands pick flowering heather. The group walk through a field and begin to pick berries from plants growing on the ground. At the other end of the field a line of beehives. Title: October A statue atop a column, possibly Nelson’s Column in London, changes to a large crowd standing along a quayside looking at a four-funnelled passenger liner in the distance heading out into open water. A towering building followed by view of the statue atop the column. Title: ‘On Location’ A lake surrounded by woodland changes to a sign reading ‘London Film Production’. Title: Moonlight Sonata featuring Actor Charles Farrell in costume poses for the camera. He pulls over a second man, possibly director Lothar Mendes shakes his hand and leads him away. A film crew shoot a scene for the movie in the woods, members of the crew help set up shots as Charles Farrell and Marie Tempest perform a scene of them climbing over a fallen tree. The director speaks with actors and the scene is filmed again and then a third time. Marie Tempest stands on her cue for another scene, members of the crew work around the film camera. The scene is filmed with Charles Farrell coming over and the two of them walking away. A man holds up the clapperboard for the camera at the end of the shot. A third scene is rehearsed and filmed down at the lake shoreline. The crew pose for the camera beside their film camera. A reel of 35mm film is taken out of the camera and replaced with a new one. Another scene is filmed with Charles Farrell punting on logs on the lake. He falls into the water and another man comes over to rescue him. Other members of the crew come over and help him out. The film ends with Lothar Mendes speaking with the soaked Charles Farrell who waves at the camera. End title: Fin