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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Sunday Best and Seaplanes - Monkton and Pembroke Dock
From Sunday streets to the sea – the merry kids of Monkton, and Pembroke Dock’s famous flying boats
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Overview
It’s a fine day in Monkton, and youngsters in their Sunday best pour from the church towards the camera, pleased to stretch legs in the sunshine after their confinement. After posing it’s time to amble, or run, along the quiet streets, which exude a Sunday feel. Suddenly however, the focus is on the famous flying boats in Pembroke Dock, serene and stately on the water. It may be their Sunday, too!
The church seen here is the Church of St Nicholas and St John, known locally as Monkton Priory Church. Nearby Pembroke Dock was home to an RAF flying boat base from the early 1930s to 1959, the sight and stories of its famous Sunderland seaplanes lending unique colour to this part of Pembrokeshire. For a time during WW2 it was the world’s largest operational base for flying boats. The identities of the children in the film are unknown, as is nature of the church event they have just been released from. We would welcome any information that viewers may have on the kids or the occasion.
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