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
Herne Bay Newsreel 1953
John Clague's remarkable 1953 chronicle of Herne Bay features a tempest, floods, golf, a carnival of May Queens and Coronation celebrations
From the collection of:
Overview
1953 in Herne Bay gets off to a wild start with a disastrous storm surge that's battered the seafront promenade and flooded large parts of the town. A cliff collapse is happily followed by golf club antics and a Carnival of May Queens. Among the historically themed floats is a man, in drag, riding a tricycle. The Coronation is celebrated with souvenir mugs being given to schoolchildren, a huge tea-party and a play-day in the park. Actor Jack Warner also appears at a charity fete
John Clague was a keen amateur filmmaker who was based in Herne Bay. From 1934 to 1970 he produced annual newsreels showing events that had occurred in the Kent coast town and surrounding area. He used 9.5mm film at first but by the 1950s had adopted 16mm film and the collection forms a lively chronicle of life in Herne Bay over 36 years. An architect by profession, John set up his own company in the 1930s, working on a diverse range of projects including the replacement of Herne Bay's Grand Pavilion, which was destroyed by fire in 1970.
Related
Herne Bay after the cinemas have gone Herne Bay after the cinemas have gone
Amateur film 1989 3 mins Location: Herne Bay
Alan Stingemore's short film shows what happens after a town's 1930s cinema has vanished from the scene - and the conservation efforts to rescue an even earlier example.
Ramsgate's Odeon and the demolition of a Herne Bay cinema Ramsgate's Odeon and the demolition of a Herne Bay cinema
Amateur film 1985 8 mins Location: Ramsgate
Watch in horror as two of Kent's Art Deco cinemas await their terrible fate at the hands of developers
Various Cinemas in the Medway towns Various Cinemas in the Medway towns
Amateur film 1986 2 mins Location: Gillingham
A sad end awaits Medway's forlorn looking cinemas and theatres in Alan Stingemore's short film from the 1980s. Which ones will succumb to the bulldozers and which will survive?
The Frozen Sea at Herne Bay in 1963 The Frozen Sea at Herne Bay in 1963
Amateur film 1963 5 mins Silent Location: Herne Bay
John Clague's remarkable look at an ice-bound and shivering Herne Bay during Britain's Big Freeze of 1963
Herne Bay Pier & Prince Charles visits Westgate in Canterbury Herne Bay Pier & Prince Charles visits Westgate in Canterbury
Amateur film 1978 4 mins Silent Location: Herne Bay
Herne Bay's pier suffers a battering in this 1978 film by John Clague, which later shows the great and good of Canterbury greeting their royal visitor, Prince Charles
Herne Bay's new tower block Herne Bay's new tower block
Amateur film 1975 5 mins Silent Location: Herne Bay
Watch Herne Bay's newest high-rise building grow from its foundations to its topping out - in John Clague's film featuring his own architectural creation
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.