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Title: EYEMOUTH REVISITED

Reference number: 7953

Date: 1940 - 1959c

Director: originally filmed by Rev. James Massie Milne

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bwcol

Fiction: Non-Fiction

Running time: 58.31 mins

Description: Comprehensive record of everyday life and subtle changes to the town of Eyemouth in the late 1940s and early fifties. Events such as the Herring Queen celebrations, the severe storms of 1953, church activities and a Scottish Cup football match with Celtic in 1953 are covered. There are also snapshots of everyday life and subtle changes to the town.

This title screened at the Berwick on Tweed Film & Media Arts Festival: Crossing Borders, on Tuesday 20th September 2005. It was entitled 'EYEMOUTH REDISCOVERED' on that programme.

Milne was minister at the Congregational Church in Eyemouth 1947 - 1964.

Credits: [re-ed. Rev. John Jackson and Fergus Milne]

Shotlist: [shotlisted from speed corrected Digital Betacam tape at 16fps. Manual control track]

[manual control track] (0.00) [BW] (0.12) fishing boat approaching A "Hurker Film" presented by J. Massie Milne. EYEMOUTH and entering Eyemouth harbour in storm conditions (0.37) gvs stormy seas, waves breaking on rocks (1.13) view of harbour looking towards town, quayside with boats in harbour (1.22) brief shot stormy seas (1.27) exts house, two figures stand at doorway (1.33) c/u street sign "Masons Wd." and gvs same, two women walk along narrow wynd (1.50) exts W. Scott & Son shop (1.59) c/u sign 'George Sq." gvs same, a few people walking about (2.16) boat enters harbour, calm water (2.36) people sit chatting - two women and a man (2.44) looking up a hilly street, some women push a pram up, generally quiet (2.55) man (wearing some sort of uniform?) and two women stand chatting (3.02) group of men - fishermen? - stand chatting (3.10) gvs boats in harbour, gulls swoop overhead (3.20) c/u man mends fishing net by hand, some other people look on (3.43) men walking, over bridge over river and along riverside path (4.03) man sawing side of wooden fishing boat, other men look on (4.15) slow pan L to R Eyemouth Harbour, boats in harbour (4.43) shot of postman walking to camera (4.53) street (5.03) two wee boys in back garden, playing with tin can? greenhouse in background (5.11) [COL] view looking down river (Eye Water?) towards sea, past bridge and houses, steam train passes along on LHS (5.6) The 'Hurkers' gvs these rocks, near entrance to Eyemouth Harbour (5.53) view of Eyemouth and harbour, as seen from bay (6.07) view of 'Hurkers' rocks again (6.42) [BW] gvs rocky coastline, the 'Hurkers' and Eyemouth harbour and town, as seen from moving boat (7.53) another boat is seen sailing alongside (8.10) gvs bowling green, match in progress (8.54) [COL] contd. gvs bowling, note there are shots of spectators too, some of the women knit while they watch (10.14) [BW] St. Abbs 1949 (10.18) [COL] gvs same, hillside walk and pan across harbour (11.15) beach scenes on sunny day (11.29) wooden fishing boat 'CN177' 'Maid of Morvern' bedecked with flags, poeple sitting in boat it is on shore (12.11) man launches the boat, hitting side with bottle, 2nd time lucky, it breaks on hull! (12.31) group of men operate handle, allowing boat ropes to loosen. gvs crowds watching boat launch (13.02) gala queen? lots of children dressed up on stage, could be panto / drama etc? girls perform dance wearing floaty white dresses (13.56) [BW] EYEMOUTH VIADUCT Re-Opened July 1949 (14.03) steam train passing over viaduct (14.26) sign for 'Sir Robert McAlpine' then pan to Herring Queen celebrations and building site at bottom of viaduct (14.53) c/u brickwork on pillar supporting viaduct bridge, gvs earth moving machinery, moving blocks, men moving timber in wheelbarrow (16.49) [BW] THE HERRING QUEEN 1949 (16.54) [COL] busy harbour, boats bedecked with flags (17.04) children's sports races in field (17.20) gvs crowds, a brass band plays (17.26) [BW] fishing boats, covered in bunting, approach Eyemouth Harbour (17.44) shots of the boat carrying the herring queen [Nan Lough] and her entourage, all dressed up [boat is BK251] (18.10) the queen walks along with father? , various pictures of her with her maids (18.31) procession of the herring queen, extensive, watched intently by guides etc. (19.09) speech is made, herring queen is crowned, and presented with various things (staff, necklace etc) woman then minister make speeches (20.07) girls, in some sort of patronage to Queen?, make procession in front of queen and those on podium, first 'St Abbs', then 'Burnmouth'. Queen gives trophies / cups? to some people such as boy scouts. More speeches. a drum is presented to drum major? (20.48) c/u picture of Queen's mother and father? (20.58) gvs procession, including trainbearers, sailors and maids etc (21.41) boat departs, crowds wave as the Queen passes by (22.31) wider shot of the boats in harbour, looks like she is arriving? she is helped out of boat by father (22.58) the Queen is crowned, onlookers watch with umbrellas. She stands and makes speech (23.41) [COL] EYEMOUTH 1951 view of Eyemouth looking down river, steam train passes LHS (23.59) view overlooking Eyemouth from hill behind, houses, harbour and sea beyond (24.24) shot of harbour, boats moving in and out (25.08) THE HERRING QUEEN pipe band marching down road to harbour , followed by crowds of young children, Union Jacks flying] (25.47) two policemen standing (25.53) herring queen [of 1951, Mary Dougal] and her entourage arrive by boat in harbour, the pier is decked in flowers, the boats are decorated with bunting (26.05) band plays, we see herring queen leaving boat with father (26.14) procession slowly makes its way along (26.35) crowning ceremony (26.47) gvs crowds at the Herring Queen ceremony, gvs singing - possibly from hymnbook (27.05) Campers & Bowlers young man holding up sign "GFBRS Garngad for God. Our Motto" (27.24) gvs young people at camp, tents in background, they pose for group photo (27.42) inspection of equipment which is laid out on grass (27.51) preparing food, peeling potatoes into big pans (27.59) pose for photos, one boy holds up sign, [Glasgow??] (28.07) exts tent, sign above "The Boys Brigade 1st Carluke Co. Camp" gvs older men in group, passing cigarettes about? (28.26) group of women and children walk along (28.37) boys throw stones in river (28.43) young and old sit around in group near BBQ? campfire? (29.00) speeches are made at the bowling green (29.14) busy views at the bowling, stalls (29.21) gvs bowling games, spectators enjoy tea and cakes on the sidelines (30.28) British Legion Week fancy dress collection for British Legion (31.40) pipes and drums lead the procession along streets of Eyemouth (32.01) [BW] CORONATION YEAR 1953 Eyemouth United vs Celtic [on January 24th 1953, Eyemouth United 0-4 Celtic, Scottish Cup?] Eyemouth United FC Grounds brief shot (32.16) c/u programme for the match, Scottish Cup First Round. (32.25) Eyemouth players come out onto pitch, wee boy too (32.42) Eyemouth United captain and Celtic captain Jock Stein toss a coin to start then gvs game in progress (33.32) CORONATION YEAR 1953 The Storm wide view of Eyemouth, waves crashing against houses over harbour walls, gvs streets with water coming up them, shot of solitary man watching the scene (34.42) men trying to save boats (35.01) aftermath, scenes of destruction and damage , flooding, a car drives along flooded road (35.57) THE STORM Jan 31st 1953 gvs scenes of devastation around harbour, rubble etc. Horse drawn cart is employed to move material (36.11) men dig with spades to try to clear rubble / break it up after the damage to road and house frontages (36.27) gvs scenes of aftermath (36.46) wider shot, pan Eyemouth and harbour (37.05) CORONATION YEAR 1953 The Herring Queen Queen and entourage pose outside terraced house, banner across road "Welcome to our Herring Queen' (37.20) closer shot, with c/u Kathleen Dougal the Queen (37.32) march of sailors? sea scouts? (37.40) arrival of Queen and her party in the boat 'Lindfar' (37.50) provost? and another man in conversation, facing camera (37.57) crowning ceremony, Queen makes speech (38.25) procession (38.55) CORONATION YEAR 1953 Sunday School Picnic Yetholm July (39.03) gvs sunny scenes, women knit, people sit on grass or deckchairs (39.28) gvs games, including races for the grown ups (40.13) shot of wee boy playing with balloon (40.17) children's games 'throw the bit of wood'! (40.35) gvs games in field (41.11) 1954 SS Picnic Kelso gvs same, people relaxing in the sun. enjoying food (41.45) ring a ring a roses type game, skipping ropes (42.24) men look after the urn of boiling hot water (42.33) more races for young and old, including wheelbarrow race (43.39) 1954 The Herring Queen and Fancy Dress Parade outside the Herring Queen's house, pose for photos Queen [Jenny Robertson] and her maids (44.07) approach of boat into harbour (44.37) standing for photos (44.45) procession (45.02) speeches on podium by Queen, she leaves with Provost? gvs procession (45.56) gvs picnic in the sun, young and old (46.21) gvs fancy dress parade (47.15) three elephants are paraded along street, followed by crowds of children (47.34) It happened in 1955. What a winter! but What a Summer! very brief shot bird feeding in garden (47.43) general winter scenes around the streets of Eyemouth in deep snow - people digging paths, walking through drifts (48.18) frozen river (48.36) snowplough drives along street, people take a ride on the back (48.44) gvs snow covered town (49.12) sledging down big hill (49.38) pan across Eyemouth and harbour in the snow (49.56) The Herring Queen and British Legion Parade girls gather outside house in their finery, pose for photos (50.18) Herring Queen [Agnes Maltman] and her father walk along harbour, gvs pipe band (50.32) Herring Queen receives her crown from previous years Queen [Jenny Robertson] (50.51) procession (51.25) gvs people in fancy dress (52.17) Herring Queen parade, led by pipes and drums (52.37) SS Picnic. Longformacus. Phew! It was hot! gvs picnic scenes in the sun, some children wear swimming costumes. Games (53.24) feeding baby with spoon, gvs children and babies, they run to camera (53.50) two men walk to camera (53.58) [COL] gvs picnic in grounds of large house (54.34) children swinging and laughing on swinging seat (54.43) gvs picnic scenes, familes enjoying themselves, playing with lilypads in water, eating ice-cream that is served by a woman from big metal canister (56.32) very brief river. gvs races in field, for both children and adults (57.44) brief shot people sitting in sun, gvs river (58.09) torchlight procession [very dark] (58.31)