Metadata
WORK ID: YFA 3953 (Master Record)
| Title | Year | Date |
| HARROGATE REEL 2 | 1937 | 1937-01-01 |
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Details
Original Format: 16mm Colour: Colour Sound: Silent Duration: 14 mins 29 secs Subject: Architecture |
| Summary A film showing various landmarks in and around Harrogate, including footage of Mother Shipton's Caves in Knaresborough as well as Bolton and Fountains Abbey. |
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Description
A film showing various landmarks in and around Harrogate, including footage of Mother Shipton's Caves in Knaresborough as well as Bolton and Fountains Abbey.
The film opens with scenes in the countryside in Nidderdale and shots of Brimham and Plumpton Rocks.
It then switches to an agricultural show where shire horses are being led around by their owners and prize cows are being judged. More farmyard animals are seen, including suckling piglets, goats and a sheepdog trial. Two children...
A film showing various landmarks in and around Harrogate, including footage of Mother Shipton's Caves in Knaresborough as well as Bolton and Fountains Abbey.
The film opens with scenes in the countryside in Nidderdale and shots of Brimham and Plumpton Rocks.
It then switches to an agricultural show where shire horses are being led around by their owners and prize cows are being judged. More farmyard animals are seen, including suckling piglets, goats and a sheepdog trial. Two children are sat on ponies and two prize-winners collect their trophies.
The next sequence is back in the countryside where people are scrambling to the top of some rocks to get a good view of the landscape. In Knaresborough, the market place is busy and a vendor is selling bowls that don't smash when dropped. There is a glimpse of Knaresborough Castle before rowing boats are seen on the River Nidd and a steam train crosses the bridge above them. Following this a crowd can be seen looking up at the limestone petrifying well, a part of Mother Shipton's Caves, before further shots of rowing and punting on the river.
Leaving Knaresborough the film heads to Fountains Abbey and focuses on the ruins of the cloisters and the well-kept grounds and lawns. It also ventures into Studley Royal Park where the Temple of Piety can be seen across the lake, before a woman crosses the famous stepping stones at Bolton Abbey. Children paddle in the water and an artist paints the Abbey whilst a woman has a picnic in the grounds.
The next section of the film is taken at the Yorkshire Gliding Club headquarters on Sutton Bank near Thirsk. Gliders are seen on the ground outside the YGC hangar before the camera is taken airborne and a glider is seen flying alongside. A car then drives down a lane with the White Horse in the background.
The final segment of the film takes place at the Spa in Harrogate where a concert is taking place and a large crowd listens to musicians playing their instruments.
Context
The film is one of many deposited by the North Yorkshire County Council. However, while previous films in this collection emphasise Harrogate's role as a spa town, the film focuses on areas surrounding and within Harrogate such as Knaresborough and Nidderdale.
The film was created in 1937. This was a period of turmoil for Britain and the rest of the world. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 had caused high rates of inflation and bankruptcy. In the North-East, there were issues to do with...
The film is one of many deposited by the North Yorkshire County Council. However, while previous films in this collection emphasise Harrogate's role as a spa town, the film focuses on areas surrounding and within Harrogate such as Knaresborough and Nidderdale.
The film was created in 1937. This was a period of turmoil for Britain and the rest of the world. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 had caused high rates of inflation and bankruptcy. In the North-East, there were issues to do with health and unemployment and the year prior had been extremely worrying with the monarch, Edward VIII, abdicating. Recovery was slow. The film, however, seems to show Harrogate and the surrounding area as being stable and instead benefitting from tourism, suggesting that the town was not as badly affected as other areas and that it was recovering. This is perhaps due to other parts of Yorkshire depending on the coal mine industry. Entertainment and leisure also became more popular in the years following the crash as it distracted people from the political and economic issues they faced. Workers were also given more holidays than in the 19th century so there more time for leisure. Little is known about the filmmaker or the organisation that created this film. It could be promotional but most likely, could be an amateur filmmaker or tourist documenting their journey. The woman shown on the Stepping-Stones in Bolton Abbey is shown a few times after, suggesting they know each other. The film focuses a lot on historical architecture. For instance, Fountains Abbey, a monastery dissolved in the 1530s under Henry VIII after the break with Rome in 1525. The abbey is one of many that tell the story of a big turning point in the religious history of the United Kingdom. Alongside it is the water gardens from the 18th century. In addition, with Knaresborough, the film shows both the Knaresborough Castle and Knaresborough Viaduct. The castle is a remnant of medieval history as part of a previous stronghold and the viaduct is a reminder of the impact of the industrial revolution that accelerated the growth of transport. However, what is striking about this film is the focus on the nature and beauty surrounding these places shown. For example, the film includes Brimham Rocks and Mother Shipton's Cave, both of which centre around rock formations and natural wonders. Brimham Rocks was taken over by the National Trust in 1970 and is a collection of rock formations, eroded over thousands of years, possibly millions. Mother Shipton's Cave is believed to be where Ursula Southeil was born, a woman who said to have created prophecies in the 16th century and involves items that have been "petrified". The cave has been open to visitors since 1630. With Bolton Abbey, the film not only shows the stepping stones and the Bolton Priory (another monastery dissolved) but also the country surrounding it. The film also shows how people themselves are engaging with this and how these places are acting as tourist attractions. For instance, with the River Nidd, people are shown to be sailing and canoeing, showing how people are using the landscape for their leisure activities. It shows how these people coped during a period of unrest. The film also contains footage of the Yorkshire Gliding Club on Sutton Bank, which was founded four years prior. Gliders had been created back in the 1800s but were gaining popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, showing how certain pursuits of leisure were being explore during this period. Most of these places as well are still tourist attractions today, showing how there is a continued fascination with the world around us. References: M. Langthorne & C. Bambra, "Health inequalities in the Great Depression: a case study of Stockton on Tees, North-East England in the 1930s", Journal of Public Health, 42.2 (2020), 126-133 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdz069>. |
