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Ramsgate to Richmond

Join the jolly crew aboard this cabin cruiser as it journeys from Ramsgate to Richmond in John Clague's fascinating maritime epic

Amateur film 1967 12 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Screen Archive South East

Overview

Starting at Ramsgate Harbour we see a variety of yachts, dinghies and commercial shipping. The film captures several interesting sights along its route. Sir Francis Chichester's famous yacht, Gypsy Moth IV, is seen in Ramsgate as well as a hovercraft leaving for France. On entering the Thames Estuary we see busy shipping lanes, towns, industrial sites before we sail through the city of London itself. Arriving at Richmond we get a rare glimpse of an Amphicar in action.

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.