The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
This film is part of Free
Surf Lifesaving
A delightful training film from the very early days of surf life saving in the UK.
From the collection of:
Overview
A training film is made at Perranporth with the Cornwall County Constabulary at a time when surf life saving was in its infancy and fell to the most able in the community, in other words the police. From the fifties onwards Australians and Americans were taken on as lifeguards and surf lifesavers because they could work and teach surfing and this helped to develop the sport. Ironically as surfing became a major sport in Australia numbers taking up surf life saving dropped.
Surf life saving came from Australia where by 1900 a need to save swimmers caught in the sea surf was identified and patrols were started. Australian Allan Kennedy is credited with setting up the first UK Surf Life Saving Club up in Bude in North Devon in the early fifties with equipment such as the patent-type of belt mentioned in the film having been imported from New South Wales. St Agnes, Newquay and Brighton followed and the Surf Lifesaving Association of Great Britain was formed. National competitions and events help to raise funds for the seventy clubs and over seven thousand trained surf lifesavers that patrol beaches around the coast of Britain from May to September.
Related
Watch for free
Homemade Surfboards Homemade Surfboards
Current affairs 1969 3 mins Location: Perranporth
Andy Price checks out how to make your own surfboard.
Watch for free
Cornwall Cornwall
Home movie 1930 10 mins Silent Location: Cornwall
1930s Newquay is the setting for Lewis Rosenberg's film - with horse riding, tennis, girlfriends, much tickling and glorious Cornish beaches
Watch for free
Perranporth Where Did We Stay? Perranporth Where Did We Stay?
Amateur film 1931 11 mins Silent Location: Perranporth
A sandy beach holiday to Cornwall for two families is typical of its day.
Watch for free
Holidays at Perranporth Holidays at Perranporth
Amateur film 1933 7 mins Silent Location: Perranporth
A beach holiday featuring kite-flying and the boating lake.
Watch for free
Reminiscences of a Fortnight Spent at Duporth Holiday Camp Reminiscences of a Fortnight Spent at Duporth Holiday Camp
Amateur film 1935 40 mins Silent Location: Charlestown
Life's a beach to these 1930s pleasure seekers, for whom two weeks at a Cornwall holiday camp is the holiday of a lifetime
Watch for free
Poldark Author Winston Graham Poldark Author Winston Graham
News 1983 4 mins Location: Perranporth
Winston Graham writes about the Cornwall that inspired him.
Watch for free
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
Watch for free
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Watch for free
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Watch for free
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
Watch for free
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
Watch for free
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.