An amateur travelogue produced by Bryan McIvor of a coach trip to Belgium from Dover in July 1960. Taking the trip alongside family and friends they enjoy the beaches of Ostend as well as the capital Brussels. They also visit a number of war cemeteries, the Waterloo battlefield and briefly, Bruges. Credit: McIvor Film Productions take pleasure in presenting Title: A Trip to the Continent Credit: Starring Olga Plahe, Paul Plane, Blanche McIvor, John W McIvor, Bryan McIvor, Rose Seaman,...

An amateur travelogue produced by Bryan McIvor of a coach trip to Belgium from Dover in July 1960. Taking the trip alongside family and friends they enjoy the beaches of Ostend as well as the capital Brussels. They also visit a number of war cemeteries, the Waterloo battlefield and briefly, Bruges. Credit: McIvor Film Productions take pleasure in presenting Title: A Trip to the Continent Credit: Starring Olga Plahe, Paul Plane, Blanche McIvor, John W McIvor, Bryan McIvor, Rose Seaman, Susan Seaman, Robert Seaman, Florence Little, Robert Little Title: The film which is now being screened tells the story of when a group of ten people set out on July 22nd, 1960 to tour Belgium and the surrounding country by coach. So now the film opens they have reached Dover after travelling overnight from Middlesbrough by coach. After passing through the customs they board a ship to take them to Ostend where their holiday on the continent begins. Credit: Photography and direction by Bryan McIvor. Photographed in Kodachrome Dover Castle overlooks the sea as cargo ships come into port. Passengers on board a ship relax as their luggage is loaded below on the foredeck. The ship leaves harbour passing the White Cliffs of Dover then crosses the North Sea to the sandy beaches and high rise apartments along the Belgian coast at Ostend. A number of sailing boats sail along the coastline. The ship enters the harbour at Ostend, the spires of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the distance, and the docks. Passengers disembark this is followed by views of the city with the Middlesbrough party posing beside a car on display under an awning. Tall apartment blocks line the Plage d'Ostende beach while visitors relax on the sand or swim in the sea. The camera shakes as Bryan McIvor kicks a ball about on the beach with a friend. The Middlesbrough party walk along the promenade before relaxing in deck chairs in the sun. The group sit outside a cafe before catching a tram to another part of the city. Once again the party pose for the camera while sitting on a bench. The film changes to the coast at Zeeheldenplein while crowds enjoy relaxing on the beach. Nearby is the Seaman's Memorial statue; sailing boats are moored in a marina. A coach is parked on a road, a statue of a figure with its right arm in the air stands nearby. A phantom coach ride follows through the Belgian countryside. Traffic travels across a road bridge into Bruges while a tourist boat travels past along a canal. Views show the city along with pedestrians and traffic crossing another modern bridge lined with Belgian flags. A view of a tombstone inside a war cemetery changes to show the tower of a large Medieval church. In the cemetery a number of the group stand quietly in front of a memorial. A shepherd leads a herd of sheep through a town or village, then the film shows another memorial in a different war cemetery. Colourful flowers grow around a number of statues. Traffic moves along a street with tall buildings followed by views of a number of suburban houses. Near a beach a number of cyclists ride a series of unusual bicycles around a track. One man rides a miniature bike, another, as it goes along, causes the rider to bob up and down in his seat. On the promenade two women and a man ride past on pedal powered miniature Vespa scooters. On another circuit near the beach men race motorised go-karts. Title: Bruxelles Brussel Cars and trams travel along a road near to the Palace of Justice in Brussels. Views of the city show Notre Dame du Sablon, the Royal Palace of Brussels, St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral and Brussels Town Hall as well as Mannekens Pis or the Peeing Boy Statue of Brussels. The group visit the battlefield at Waterloo before posing beside their bus. A phantom coach ride back through Brussels passes a number of Martini neon signs. Passengers walk on-board a ship which sails back toward England passing again the White Cliffs if Dover. They pass a several other passenger ships before arriving back in port. Once again passengers disembark. Blank The film ends on commercial footage of Queen Elizabeth II on horseback possibly taking part in the Trooping the Colour. End title: God Save the Queen