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Title: PREWAR HERRING QUEENS, WICK & THURSO

Reference number: 4626

Date: 1930s

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bwcol

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 49.56 mins

Description: This large reel contains many small films all approximately dating from the 1930s. Subjects range from Wick Model Yacht Club, Wick Herring Queen ceremonies, general views of Wick, Lybster and surrounding areas, Wick harbour HM Coastguards in training, Scouts and Guides, Caithness Show, open air swimming pool, ploughing competition, and a steeple jack at work.

Shotlist: [col] man setting up model yacht on windy beach, c/u bird eggs in nest (0.07) people of all ages at Wick Model Yacht Club witness model boat launches (0.53) club officials note times using stopwatch (1.00) m/s and pan across water various model yachts sailing (1.28) [b&w] gvs drill of HM Coastguard - vehicle is unpacked, first aid is performed on 'injured' man, he is winched across cliff to ground below (3.33) [col] sign in background reads 'Irvin', boat carrying Herring Queen moves into harbour (4.11) Queen disembarks and gets into car with other girls (4.28) c/u 'Wick Herring Queen' banner, the pageant starts with participant carrying sign reading 'Grow More Food' (4.36) brief shot float, people perform Scottish Country Dancing, piper (4.45) various floats pass by, including one with wooden herring barrels, one with men in rowing boat, one a fish van, another shows 'Begg of Port Dunbar' carrying live chickens, another a Gala Day float (5.25) [b&w] more gvs the fantastic parade complete with bunting, floats, people dressed up, Herring Queens, some horse and carts in shot (note sign for John O'Groats Journal on wall in background) float displays include horticultural displays, chickens, a makeshift whitewashed 'cottage', 'The Groat' advertisment, 'James Sinclair, Fishcurer' advertised on another, a brass band marching, one float has sign reading 'Abrach's Dream Wick to Thurso Canal costing £7000000' (7.18) gvs children's fancy dress parade, led by Herring Queen (7.28) Herring Queen coronation ceremony - she is presented with flowers and makes speech (8.56) shot of Wick harbour, largely empty (9.10) [col] gvs bustling harbour full of boats, boats enter harbour (10.11) wicker baskets are unloaded from boat, salt is thrown on them, gvs headscarved women gutting and sorting fish into baskets (10.48) slow pan across harbour, full of boats, funnels visible, bunting across masts (11.53) striking shot of boats lined up in harbour (12.01) shot looking down main street (Wick?) - there are no cars, gvs people walking along (12.09) busy fishing boats filled with passengers, leave harbour - a girl jumps aboard at the last possible moment (12.37) [b&w] crowded harbour, a fishing boat heavily decorated in flag enters harbour - funnels of steam visible (a sort of 'salute') (14.11) shot of a cross with 'Old Poliney' written on it, man pretends to strangle a dummy of a person (14.24) gvs street thronged with people, Union Jack flags across street, some cars (14.59) gvs busy crowds, and a Herring Queen parades past - there is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution RNLI float in background (?) (15.32) [col] speeches by man in kilt - possibly Chief Scout Leader - and lady wearing blue (connection with Girl Guide movement), followed by shot of young man in Scout uniform (15.57) brief shot people trying out their shooting skills as Scouts look on (16.02) crowds gather - probably a Scout / Guide event (16.14) Herring Queen walks along and is crowned on podium, a few Scout leaders are there (16.42) view of crowd, Queen and her attendants get up and walk off (17.00) solo young girl performs country dance (17.23) gvs Scout pipes and drums (17.34) small girl waves to camera, shot of flower and plant stall (17.41) man makes speech to assembled crowd, gvs crowd milling about (18.32) Scouts in uniform line up and perform / demonstrate fitness exercises using poles (18.41) marching pipes and drums, followed by mock 'sword fighting' in fancy dress (19.16) shot of crowd lined up, castle visible in background - unidentified (19.26) man with white beard (possibly writer George Mackay Brown) in conversation with another man (19.34) shot of milkmaids tumbling wooden barrels (churning butter?) under canvas (19.42) vehicle with hand operated music box (?) (19.53) horse and cattle show (20.34) Scouts and Girl Guides perform outdoor fitness exercises (20.43) pipe band line up in full Highland dress (21.00) c/u people in crowd (21.08) shot of quiet main road (Wick?) (21.14) shot of estuary or river with cottage to one side (21.34) brief shot man standing on front of camera, waves off after a while (21.41) view over bay - there is a whitewashed lighthouse at far left (?) (21.58) model yacht on cart (21.17) boy dressed up as Native American poses for camera outside house (22.22) men walk up street, two policemen stand outside 'Royal Navy and Royal Marines HQ' alongside church Minister and another man (22.46) exts shop 'Lindsay & Co.', exts Empire Tearooms (22.53) brief shot unidentified man standing on step (23.00) shot of street, exts building with turrets, could be church (?) (23.07) shot of beach and sea, children playing in sand, hotel on sea front wide angle and slow pan to houses on front (24.17) turreted archway at roadside (24.24) overlooking unidentified town from hill above - there is a road descending into town (24.52) family pose for camera on pavement (24.54) man dressed as cowboy in leather chaps walks towards camera (25.08) people dressed as cowboys ride alongside harbour - there are floats showing 'hayricks' and a 'travelling menagerie' on another (26.45) [b&w] gvs crowded street, pipes and drums march by, agricultural machinery, floats with paper mache heads, crowds mill by (27.40) background contains Central Cafe on Olrig Street, gvs crowds outside and lining street beyond, exts 'Lindsay & Co.' shop opposite (27.57) shots beach (28.10) view of town - possibly Wick - and pan right to left of crowds gathered there (28.47) brief shot Highland Dancers [col] man riding Penny Farthing cycle, children's races (29.21) Herring Queen is piped out and the group process solemnly to podium where they all sit in line (30.11) man performs acrobatic tricks on three wheeled motorcycle for expectant crowd (30.20) solo dancers in full Highland dress perform Highland Fling (30.42) Girl Guide and Scout Parades, including demonstration of fitness exercises, massed pipes and drums, procession of Herring Queen (31.15) slow pan along assembled Herring Queen and entourage (31.35) man makes speech (31.37) view over open air pool, there is a stall in foreground - possibly selling cakes (?) (31.59) gvs crowded open air pool, lots of children jumping off dales, swimming races, using empty wooden herring barrels as floats (33.01) ducks on water, hills smothered in heather, brief exts house with horse and metal plough tied outside (33.25) view of fields, sign for 'Lybster', view of same houses in town (33.55) small pony and cart, the little girl holding up a sign reading 'Delicious Ices' (33.57) exts Portland (?) Hotel and couple standing outside, the man smokes. Front of hotel is covered in flowers - possibly a wedding (?) (34.15) two men stand on an empty street corner (34.22) view over harbour, man mending box / creel (?), shot of man relaxing on fishing boat, a young boy pumps out water (34.43) brief shot sheep (34.46) very brief shot harbour (34.49) ruined stone / brick house with archway bridge in background - gvs scenery (35.04) shot of steam train passing level crossing (35.14) gvs Wick in the snow and in winter, a few aerial / elevated type shots [jump cuts and flash frames] (36.52) brief shot steeplejack climbing up steeple and presumably repairing it (37.03) gvs ploughing competition with hand guided ploughs, includes brief shot man drinking tea from flask - children gather round towards end of shot (38.50) gvs Gala events - starting of quiet but the event is soon very busy - including funfair and games, piper, races, cycling races, Highland dancing, football games (42.23) -blank- (42.28) fishing boats sail into incredibly busy Wick harbour, the Herring Queen aboard (46.12) gvs park, ceremony involving Herring Queen occurs (47.20) gvs floats participating in procession - including various local businesses 'Wick GBS Coronation Show', various people in fancy dress collecting money, children (48.39) the procession commences, floats drive along, horses and riders, pipes and drums, brass band plays as crowd looks on (49.56) [no ecs]