This film is part of Free

Training

Is Mr Porter-Brown on the right track when he buys a Hornby model train set for his son?

Amateur film 1950 11 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for North East Film Archive

Overview

A couple argue over a gift for their homecoming son. The husband insists on a Hornby model trainset. But is nostalgia for his lost youth the real driver here? This short fiction film by Newcastle and District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) was the cine club's first 8mm production. Some of the cast and crew had been with the group since the 1930s, both behind the camera and as actors, including the wonderful Doris Graham who plays mother's friend, Amelia.

This film is part of a unique and eclectic collection, which dates back to the pioneering early decades of amateur cinematography. Back in 1927, James Cameron gathered together a small group of men and women interested in making moving pictures. They formed the Newcastle branch of the Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA), one of only five in Britain at the time, and still operating in the city in 2018.