An amateur film of the annual Staithes Lifeboat Weekend that took place in the village between the 22nd and 23rd July 1983. The film focuses on the work of local people to participate in a community art project entitled ‘The Fish’ and to build not only two large puppets representing a local fisherman and fisherwoman, but also to build a large structure of a fish on the beach. On the beach at Staithes adults assist a group of children release a tinfoil balloon into the air, they all watch as...

An amateur film of the annual Staithes Lifeboat Weekend that took place in the village between the 22nd and 23rd July 1983. The film focuses on the work of local people to participate in a community art project entitled ‘The Fish’ and to build not only two large puppets representing a local fisherman and fisherwoman, but also to build a large structure of a fish on the beach. On the beach at Staithes adults assist a group of children release a tinfoil balloon into the air, they all watch as it disappears into the sky. Nearby three men help to launch a small boat into the harbour that has been made up to look like a fish. The boat motors around the harbour passing several small fishing boats before returning to the shore. The interior of a large structure built on the beach made from wood and cardboard changes to show the same edifice from outside which is in the shape of a large fish. A man painted the cloth or canvas exterior with white paint while nearby several men and boys prepare to and fly a kite in the shape of an octopus. In a local hall children work with older members of community to produce various craft items changes back to the beach again and two boys throwing stones into the sea. Behind them the large fish sculpture with people now painting the exterior grey. Triangular flags hang over the entrance like teeth while nearby people relaxing on the beach and a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) flag flies from a pole. A man asleep on the beach beside the fish and a small girl nearby looks up at a poster attached to a post that reads ‘The Fish: A Staithes Community Arts Project for Lifeboat Weekend July 22nd and 23rd’. A local fisherman works on his boat moored in the Staithes Beck near to the Staithes Bridge. In a nearby garden a man works on the bamboo frame of large puppet of a man with his head being the only part so far completed. Leaning against the wall of the house the giant figure of a woman which appears finished. Inside a hall a series of small fish shaped puppets changes to a man atop a ladder washing the windows of the Black Lion public house on High Street. Several large RNLI flags fly from a rope hanging across the street and outside houses. As people walk up and down the road drawings of fish produced by children can be seen in several windows. A sign on the wall outside the Mission Church of St Peter the Fisherman and nearby a woman working in her garden. Outside another property another younger woman works to build a large model in the shape of fish, she is joined by others and together they work on the design. Now on the beach the fish model sits over a small boat as the group prepares to launch it into the harbour. At dusk it is launched and motors around the harbour. The two large puppets seen previously are paraded along Seaton Garth and down onto the beach. They can now be seen to represent a fisherman with rod and a fisherwoman seen. Those in control of the man climb into a boat and are motored out into the harbour to where the fish is now moored. Both the man and the fish return to the beach where the fisherwoman is still standing. As the two figures makes their way of the beach a group of costumed children, possibly dressed as gulls, gather around the fish watched by a crowd standing along Seaton Garth. The fisherman and fisherwoman puppets parade along Seaton Garth as crowds gather around them before heading off into the village. The children on the beach now gather around the large fish sculpture before the two large puppets return to the beach walking around near to where the fish boat is moored on the sand. The children begin to perform around all of the large puppets, some carrying small puppets of fish. Most of the children come of the beach leaving the two large puppets on the sand posing with two boys. A small jazz band wearing what appear to be nightgowns come along High Street. A large crowd follows behind getting larger as they make their way towards Seaton Garth. The puppets of the fisherman and fisherwoman forms part of the procession as it passes through Staithes arriving in a field at dusk with the sun setting in the background. Many in the crowd carry smaller puppets of fish as they also arrive while other dance to the music being performed by the jazz band. From inside the mouth of the large fish on the beach a crowd gathers looking in changes to show a man dressed possibly as King Neptune now sits inside the mouth. In the harbour a RNLI lifeboat and a large crowd standing along Seaton Garth watching as another boat heads out from the beach into the harbour. The film fades returning to the fish puppet on the boat now sailing around the harbour passing several small boats including several RNLI lifeboats. An older RNLI lifeboat is rowed into the harbour while on Seaton Garth the fisherman and fisherwoman puppets walk down onto the beach as the rowers in the lifeboat arrive on the beach and are greeted by a crowd. Another small boat comes into the surf and the fisherman puppet climbs aboard and sailed around the harbour again passing other small boats moored there. The fish puppet appears as if caught by the fisherman and the two boats motor about the harbour. Returning to the shore the fisherman comes out of the boat and along with the fisherwoman poses beside the fish boat on the shoreline surrounded by large crowds. In the sky above the beach the octopus kite being flown again. Large crowds gather on the beach as the fisherman and fisherwoman puppets are marched around and small boats come and go in the surf. Eventually they make their way back onto Seaton Garth heading back towards High Street and as the octopus kite continues to fly in the sky a Royal Air Force Sea Link rescue helicopter hovers over the harbour. Outside a house two men work on a piece sculpture that features three fish attached to a pole. One of the men spins the pole showing how the fish move. Back on Seaton Garth a band featuring an older woman playing an accordion performs in the parking bays while local children dance along to the music. Standing nearby two adults wearing fish themed headdresses and a woman passing through the crowd carrying a large wooden staff. As the music continues to play the woman seen previously playing the accordion now performs on a hammer dulcimer, more people join in with the dancing. Now at low tide the fisherman and fisherwoman puppet wonder around the beach accompanied by the fish puppet which has been removed from the boat. After wondering around they all make their way onto Seaton Garth with the film ending on them being paraded back into the village.