An amateur record of life in the Teesdale village of Romaldkirk between 1934 and 1935 produced by the village doctor K. Shallcross-Dickenson that features many of the village characters interacting with the filmmaker as they go about their daily lives. Important local events are also recorded including several weddings taking place at the Church of St Romald, the Tees Valley Beagles during the annual New Year’s Day hunt and celebrations to mark the silver jubilee of King George V on the 6th...

An amateur record of life in the Teesdale village of Romaldkirk between 1934 and 1935 produced by the village doctor K. Shallcross-Dickenson that features many of the village characters interacting with the filmmaker as they go about their daily lives. Important local events are also recorded including several weddings taking place at the Church of St Romald, the Tees Valley Beagles during the annual New Year’s Day hunt and celebrations to mark the silver jubilee of King George V on the 6th May 1935. Title: Personal Picture Title: A PLAY WITHOUT A PLOT. “(The proper study of mankind is man)” Title: THE ACTORS:-All kinds and conditions of men. THE SCENES:- In and about Romaldkirk, Yorks, N.R. Credit: Photography by :- K. Shallcross-Dickinson. 1934-35 A man hand cranks a film camera on a tripod. He looks though a view finder before turning the camera towards the audience. In the front garden of Rose Cottage a man is gardening using a folk to turn the soil. He takes a break to light a cigarette, a second man joins him who wipes his shoes before leaving through the garden gate. The Station Master walks the platform of Romaldkirk railway station. A two-carriage passenger train pulls into the station. It departs, a panoramic view of the surrounding hills. The Station Masters walks past the painted platform railway sigh that reads 'Romaldkirk', another trains steams through the station and he exchange tokens with the driver as he passes. Title: “Taken for a ride” – Miss Dorothy Dickenson and Mr. Reggie Lowson A small girl sits astride a horse which is lead out of a stable by a man. He leads the horse around a small yard before returning to the stable, the girls smiles happily. Title: Mine Host of the “Rose and Crown”. (Mr Turnbull) A man comes out of the entrance of the Rose and Crown public house, walks over to a parked car and looks for something on the backseat. He turns to return to the pub and on seeing the camera waves. He speaks with the cameraperson. Title: Mrs Donald, whos motto is Ecclesiastes Ch: IX. V: 10 An older woman wearing an apron stands in the doorway of her house holding a letter. She puts on her glasses and begins speaking with the person behind the camera. Title: View from “The Square” Panoramic view of the Romaldkirk village green, a small girl runs towards camera. Title: After the marriage of Miss Hodgson of Baldersdale to Mr Burdess. Dec. 8th 1934 The happy couple and small wedding party come out of the Church of St Romald. As they all leave the churchyard confetti is thrown on them. Title: THE TEES VALLEY BEAGLES. (J.H. Nussey Esq. Master) A man sweeps snow from outside a house, he sees the camera and removes his flat cap. He continues to clear the snow and puts his cap back on and then off again. Holding a bowl of dog food, he walks towards a door with a horseshoe on it. Opening it six beagle dogs, mainly puppies, come out and jump around his feet. He places the bowl on the ground and they eat from it. Outside the Rose and Crown, a woman strokes the fur of one of the beagle, in front of the pub a group of men and boys with the other dogs. She steps forward and strokes several of the dogs gathered there affectionately. A crowd gathers as a man a comes over leading a pack of beagles. The hunt heads off out of the village with the beagles running around their feet. Title: Mr. Oliver, our “Universal Provider” A man in an apron stands in the doorway of a shop watching the hunt pass. The name above the door reads ‘A. Oliver’. A woman comes forward and collects a bag from the man, she places in the sidecar of a motorcycle. The two talk, possibly about the weather as they look up into the sky. Now in a brown coat Mr Oliver gives a sweet to a small girl who approaches him. Beside a ‘Triumph Services’ petrol pump he starts pumping a leave to dispense the fuel. The hunt continues to make its way out of the village, it is now made up of a large crowd of both men and women, and children. Title: Round and about Egglestone Bridge – the River Tees A waterfall flows under Egglestone Bridge is followed by flood water passing under the bridge. Winter and the Tees around Eggleston Bridge is frozen and covered in snow. In spring, with the water receded two men shovel stones into a horse-drawn wagon, one of them leads the horse away. Title: The Parish Church, on Princess Marina’s Wedding Day The Church of St Romald with a Union Jack flying from the tower. Title: THE SLEEPY VILLAGE. – A panoramic view from the church tower From atop the church tower a panoramic view around Romaldkirk with smoke coming from many chimneys. Title: MR J. H. HUGILL and friends A man standing the other side a stone wall blows his nose into a handkerchief. He takes his flat cap off and begins to climb atop the wall. A small girl wearing a feathered hat joins him on the wall, he begins to saw branches from a tree. Title: THE CHURCH AT PLAY. Rev. C. Snushall and Rev. G.R. Robertson exercise their muscles In a field beside the church the two reverends use a two-man saw to cut several logs into sections. They are watched over by two other men, one of whom is holding the log for stability. Both men turn and smile at the camera when they see it, one knocks his hat off with his hand. They stop as one of the reverends wipes his brow with a handkerchief. End title: End of Reel 1. Reel 2 will follow immediately Title: “Our Village” Reel 2 Title: Mr (Billy) KIPLING is inclined to be shy A car pulls up outside a row of terraced houses. The drive gets out, makes his way to the other side of the car, and gets back in again. He walks along a path towards one of the houses and although he occasionally turns to look for the camera, for most of this sequence he deliberately turns his face away. Title: Mrs KIPLING is almost as camera shy as her husband A woman walks along a snowy pathway, two children stand nearby. She makes her way to the garden gate into Rose Cottage and stands beside a man holding a stick. The camera goes in to stand behind her, she refuses to turn around. She walks away, the camera follows. Title: “JIMMY” A small boy poses for the camera, behind him the man seen previously with the stick still standing at the gate of Rose Cottage. Title: School-time is ended for the day An older boy in a flat cap followed by a girl in a beret appear along a pathway that passes between one building and the village church. More children of various ages appear and walk past the camera, some walking others running along the snowy pathway. At the rear a small girl who walks over to a car and waves at the woman behind the wheel. A man sits in the backseat, the car drives away. Three men work in a trench dug beside the road; one man appears to be laying flag stones in the bottom of the trench. Nearby a woman watches the men from her doorstep. The worker laying the flags uses a masonry chisel to break one stone into the size he needs. Nearby another man is using a pickaxe, he stops to remove his hat. The third man picks up a large stone from a pile beside the pavement, he replaces it and looks over another stone. Title: After the marriage of Miss Eliz: Sayer to Mr Reuben Robinson (both of Baldersdale) EASTER MONDAY, 1935 A car parked beside the road, the words ‘JUST WED’ are marked in chalk on the spare tyre attached at the vehicle rear. A small crowd stand beside the front of the car, several boys walk along the other side of the road. Well-dressed men, women and children come out of the Church of St Romald. A group of women stand chatting, behind them lined up along the church path girls in school uniforms. The happy couple appear from the church and their guests standing along the path throw confetti on them as they pass. Outside the church entrance a crowd watches as the bridesmaids get into a car. Title: SCENES ON JUBILEE DAY May 6th 1935 In the churchyard three men, two holding a large jubilee paper lantern. In a field two boys jump over a rope the ends of which are being held by two men. Two small girls in white dresses sit on a wooden plank, one of them wearing a bonnet gets up and does a forward roll on the grass. In another part of the field women of various ages sit chatting. Another group of women sitting on deckchairs are also chatting, behind them a group of men huddle around one another also chatting. In the background a large Union Jack hangs over the entrance into the field. Three men stand chatting near to a stone wall behind which a house decorated with bunting and flags. In the foreground a family group sitting together on the grass. Three girls compete in an egg-and-spoon race, a fourth girl, the one seen previously doing the forward roll, follows behind. A man looking at the camera and removes his hat, a second man beside him takes his pipe from his mouth before also removing his hat. A third man in a flat cap smiles at the camera, a fourth beside him also removes his pipe from his mouth. The girl with the bonnet swings hands with a woman standing beside her, two other women and a man stands beside them. A woman followed by a man look directly at the camera, the woman walks away in surprise. A group of men complete in a sprinting race, a man walks past picking up a series of wrapped bundles from the ground. Four costumed children race up to a rope and stand in a line, a group of smaller children crawl across a plank of wood laid on the ground, behind them adults watch. Older children chase each other around the field in pairs, the one in front holding a balloon on a stick. Eventually only one boy remains still holding his balloon, he is chased now by three boys. A girl skips on a wooden platform, two boys come over to watch. A second girl skipping but faster than the first. She stops and a third girl takes over, a small crowd now stands nearby watching. In the background a woman speaks with a group of children. Title. Extract from “THE CHURCH MAGAZINE” from April 1935. Kings Jubilee. The appeal in the last month’s issue for the offer of St. George’s Flag has already been responded to very kindly by Mrs Addison, and we are very grateful to her. The flag of St George flies from the tower of the Church of St Romald, a white car is parked in the lane beside the church. Title: Procession inaugurating the Floral Fete at Carrowcroft, June 22nd 1935 A marching brass band leads a procession of costumed children and adults along the driveway towards Carrowcroft house. They pass through a gateway with a cross above it. Near the rear two men carry chairs. Title: Rev: Mr Brent hopes to win the Tennis Championship A car comes along the driveway and through the gateway, behind a man in a blazer and carrying a tennis racket. Title: “THE CARROWCROFT LIDO” (Owing to the sudden appearance in the garden of Billy’s Bull, a certain air of tension will be noted) A young woman in a bathing costume sits at a small table near the entrance to Carrowcroft. In the shadows of the doorway a second older woman can be seen. The younger woman gets up and walks past a small dog towards a lawn to collect a small girl sitting there. They walk off hand in hand across the lawn before returning, the woman then runs past around the side of the house chased by the dog. She appears from the house with the older woman who walks across the lawn to the girl. The older woman and girl head inside the house followed by the younger woman. The younger woman returns to the lawn to collect a towel or shawl laying on the ground taking it back inside, the older woman and child are now back outside again. In a field sitting against a large hay bale a couple eat a meal, the woman in the bathing costume and the little girl are with them. The woman in the bathing costume wonders around the far side of the bale, another woman follows from the other side holding a teacup. Title: A “Private Carriage” from Romaldkirk to Middleton The woman in the bathing costume rushes behind the bale, along a raised railway line at the other end of the field a small locomotive speeds past. Title: “EACH MAN IN HIS TIME PLAYS MANY PARTS. (Dr. Dickenson turns haymaker) A man and small child ride past on a square shaped agricultural sled being pulled by a horse. The film ends with the man riding past again, this time pulling a rake which collects up and crates bundles of grass cuttings. The third of three amateur films recording life in the Teesdale village of Romaldskirk during the summer of 1935. Produced by the village doctor K. Shallcross-Dickenson the film features two weddings taking place in the Church of St Romald, a village garden party, the children of the local school as well as a visit by a travelling circle to nearby Raby Castle. Title: Scenes from the Marriage of Miss ISA HUGILL of Romaldkirk to Mr ANGUS TEASDALE of Copley. 24th July 1935 Two well dressed women carrying bouquets step out of a large stone house accompanied by a small child. They walk down the garden path before passing another smaller stone building where two women are standing in the doorway. Back at the house two more women come out and walk through the garden to the exit. They are followed by the bride and her father who come out of the house and walk towards an alleyway beside the house, they turn left passing a dog and make their way along the path towards the village. The bride and her father make their way through the churchyard of the Church of St Romald, behind in the street a small crowd gathers to watch. The bride and her bridesmaids stand in the church entranceway waiting to go inside. The bride and her new husband come out of the church making their way back through the churchyard accompanied by family and friends following behind. Title: Romaldkirk Rectory Garden Party. August 1935 Deckchairs and benches are set up around a large lawned area where well-dressed men and women sit and watch either a group of men play bowls, or a game of mixed-doubles tennis being played on a marked-out court. Title: The wedding of Miss BETTY ARMINEL BAILES. August 1935 A one-armed man cuts branches from a large tree using a saw, he turns and seeing the camera instructs the cameraman to come forward. He unfolds a poster and pins it to the tree, it reads ‘Northern Echo. Romaldkirk Wedding Pictures’. A couple come from behind the tree and stand together in front of the poster holding hands. They lean towards each other to kiss, but the man seen previously steps forward and jokingly pushed the man almost knocking him over. They all laugh. The one-armed man comes to pose beside the couple who are still holding hands. Another woman appears, the one-armed man kisses her passionately and they both embrace happily. Title: The Train-Bearer shows her frock A small girl in a white dress stands in the gateway of Rose Cottage. She turns to show her dress to the camera. Title: The BRIDEGROOM and his Escort The bridegroom and best man, both in top hats and spats, make their way through the churchyard to the Church of St Romald accompanied by two friends. A lone woman walks behind. Title: Some of the guests A steady stream of well-dressed men and women make their way into the church, some come as couple’s others on their own. Title: The bridesmaids The four bridesmaids, all carrying bouquets, walk through the churchyard and into the church. Behind them more guests arrive, several women also carry bouquets. Title: Arrival of the bride The bride and father enter the churchyard accompanied by the small girl seen previous now holding the train of the bride’s dress. They and the bridesmaids stand in the church entranceway waiting to go in, the bridesmaids work to adjust the bride’s dress. They all head inside. A small crowd gather in the churchyard as the happy couple come out of the church following the wedding service, their guests follow behind. A man stands in on the path taking photographs. Title: Paying tribute. (An old Teesdale custom) The couple and their wedding party make their way slowly along the road outside the church. They approach a rope barrier being held by two men, confetti is then thrown on the couple as they make their way through a small doorway into a garden. Title: M. Volpre’s Circus at Raby Castle. August 1935 In the grounds of Raby Castle, a seated crowd watches as a man leads a small horse around a circus ring. Using a stick he encourages, but doesn’t touch, the horse to jump up on its hind legs. The crowd applauds as the animal walks sideways and backwards. A small dog is led out into the circus ring by one of its front paws and is lent against a box. A bandage is placed over one of the dogs eyes. A Dalmatian is led into the ring pulling a wagon with a cross on it. The other dog, now lays on the ground covered in a Union Jack, is picked up and placed in the wagon. The Dalmatian is led away pulling the wagon containing the small dog. Next, the smaller dog jumps through a metal hoop a number of times before rolling a barrel around the circus ring, the crowd applauds. The horse seen previously returned and is led into standing on a small box. The horse them walks around the box, its front hooves remaining on the box. The ringmaster leads the animal to nod its head. Title: Some of the children from Egglestone School. Ed Smith Esq: Headmaster Outside Egglestone School the Headmaster lines his children up in neat lines with the smaller children at the front, older and taller ones at the back. The girls followed by the boys walk past the camera single file. The headmaster walks past followed by him standing beside the school wall lighting his pipe. He heads back into the school and bowing before going inside. Title: The REV. F.C. LADELL, Vicar of Egglestone, and FRIEND The Reverend Ladell walks along a county road accompanied by his dog. He stops and takes a look at one of the dog’s paws before walking past the camera. Title: Messrs LOWSON & OLIVER at the GATE HOUSE GARAGE, Egglestone A man walks over to a car parked beside a petrol pump and looks at the cars rear bumper, a second man joins him. The first man smiles at the camera and takes off his flat cap, the second man does the same. End credit: Titles by IV.S Jackson. Stockton Heath