Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. The archive's collections of magic lantern slides, films, videos and associated materials capture the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day and serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
This film is part of Free
Dymchurch
Join the Giles family, and their two well behaved Boxers, on several annual holidays to their seaside home in Dymchurch on the Kent coast
From the collection of:
Overview
This compilation of holidays to Dymchurch starts in 1957 when we see Mrs Giles and her daughter playing on the beach accompanied by their boxer dog. A trip to Dover Castle follows. In August we see the children playing in the garden or on the beach - now with two boxers. After the adults ride the children's bikes we next see men struggle to launch a sailboat onto a choppy sea. An elderly woman plays swing-ball with a girl while the pair of boxers sit patiently as they're being filmed.
Eric Leese Giles, born in 1901, was a professional interior designer and artist who worked on, amongst other projects, the Dorchester Hotel’s penthouse suite. He was also trained in automobile design and was a member of the Bugatti Owner’s Club. He designed a chassis for that company as well as the club’s badges and magazine front covers. He became President of the club in 1951. He and his family lived in Surrey for many years and his numerous home-movies feature the children, the family’s pets and the family’s friends. When he retired, Eric and his wife enjoyed caravanning holidays, which he also filmed. He was also an avid fan of motorbikes, and rode in the Pioneer London to Brighton run well into his 80s.