Tayport and Its Industries

Old shoes are given a new soul in the bustling repair workshop of Smith & Kays shoe shop in Tayport, Fife. Fridge magnet intertitles introduce the viewer to the traditional shop front, where rows of stacked shoeboxes greet the customer. The film then delves behind the scenes into a warren of small rooms where lines of men, some with bloodied fingers hammer, glue, trim, polish and buff tattered shoes using a medley of machines. An intimate portrait of a once bustling industry.

This amateur film was brought to you by R. Robertson, who shot a series of films showcasing community life in Tayport. The films were bequeathed to Queen Street Church, now Tayport Parish Church and later donated to the Scottish Screen Archive to be known as the Robertson Bequest. Footage in the collection includes a Jubilee Day in 1935, shots of the Tayport Amateur Musical Society in rehearsal, and shots of a community picnic. 'Tayport and Its Industries' is a silent, black and white film, which does a brilliant job painting an intimate picture of the industrial side of this small community.