The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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St Cuthbert's Church of England School Activities and Trip to Edinburgh
A blend of childrens games and classroom crafts deliver strictly old school home movie charm.
From the collection of:
Overview
With all the nostalgia and charm of grainy home movies, this affectionate film captures the rhythm and chaos of traditional childrens games. In the old schoolyard, happiness is a bat and ball and a skipping rope. This is the era of gobstoppers and aniseed balls but 1950s and 60s fashions burst in. A group of boys dance a mean Twist but the girls run rings around them with superb Hula Hoop work outs.
Can you identify the location of this school? Despite the footage of a school visit to Edinburgh, it is believed St Cuthberts was based somewhere on Tyneside. Far from the modern distractions of games consoles, mobile phones and the internet, its interesting to see the different gender roles assigned to children in primary school education and play of the 1960s sewing classes for the girls, building bridges and model cranes for the boys.
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