The East Anglian Film Archive, the first and largest Regional Film Archive in England, was established in 1976. Since 1984, EAFA has been owned and operated by the University of East Anglia, Norwich (UEA), to support research and work to preserve our moving image heritage. More than 250 hours are freely available online as examples of the wide range of film which attracts interest the world over.
This film is part of Free
trip on a cockle boat
Living in Leigh-on-sea, a stone's throw from the shore and busy fishermen, amateur film fan Harold Jones was on hand to hitch a ride on one of the boats and film the men at work.
From the collection of:
Overview
Old Leigh still retains its charm as a fishing hamlet and cockles are still harvested from the Thames Estuary and served fresh from the boats. But in the 50s Leigh was alive with fishing smacks and home to a thriving industry supplying fresh cockles to the London markets. Harold captures the race against the tide and back breaking work to harvest the cockles and bring them back to shore where the job starts to clean them up ready for sale.
Harold William Jones worked at Kodak from the age of 16 until he retired at the age of 63. His work gave him better access to film than most and he was able to indulge his hobby of filmmaking, recording family and people around him. Living in Old Leigh, Harold had a love for the sea and boats and would have persuaded local fishemen to take him onboard to film them at work - thus preserving a way of life which was such a very special part of Leigh and an important livelihood to many.
Related
Watch for free
The Essex Coast The Essex Coast
Travelogue 1977 19 mins Location: Tilbury
Tilbury to Fingringhoe, Leigh-on-Sea, to Burnham-on-Crouch.
Watch for free
National and Country Dancing National and Country Dancing
School programme and Educational film 1952 14 mins Location: Leigh-on-Sea
Want to learn to dance the Swedish Masquerade, Dutch Hakke Toone, or maybe the Italian Tarantella? Essex schoolchildren show us how it’s done.
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.