National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Sea Scouts' Regatta at Watch House Bay, Barry
Racing and messing about in boats is fun for the Sea Scouts. Mothers and sisters or girlfriends support from the sidelines.
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Overview
The castellated Watch House at Watch House or Watch Tower Bay in Barry was built as a coastguard station c.1860 and later used as a base by Barry Sea Scouts who hosted an annual series of competitive regattas for local troops. The 28th Cardiff Sea Scouts would regularly take part, under the command of “Skip”, Brother Alfred [Herbert Guilfoyle], head of the De La Salle (Preparatory) School in Cardiff 1946-62 and 1978-84. He founded the troop in 1947 for ex-pupils of the school.
The Watch House was sold off by the council to a private owner in 2014. William Brenig Jones (1918-1978), who shot this footage, was born in Pentre in the Rhondda. He married Joan Mary Oakey (she sits with other women on a wall and removes her glasses) and they had 4 children: twins Terence and Paul (the 2 dark-haired boys wear shirts – red or teal – under v-neck jumpers and help carry boats from the water), and Carmel (red/black skirt/kilt and a brown blazer) and Martin (green and gold school blazer and cap) who are both seen at the regatta's end, standing with group. William became Head of Finance at the Welsh Office. The boys attended the De La Salle School in Cardiff and the twins - and later Martin - were Sea Scouts.
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