The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
School and Family Outings 1950s
Baby boomers from Bridlington starting out in life with school trips, waiting at now defunct stations adorned with early 1950s travel posters, armed only with a packed lunch.
From the collection of:
Overview
The engagement with his pupils shines through in this grainy film made by Bridlington teacher Bill Freeman. A concern for a broad education clearly animates the visits by these children, on the cusp of senior school, to York, Beverley, Flamborough and Goole and Hull Docks. They travel by boat and steam train on railway lines soon to be closed by Beeching, always well behaved and fascinated by what they see. A generation that clearly was lucky at least in some respects.
School and family outings merge together in these films made by Hilderthorpe Primary School teacher Bill Freeman, who clearly took his pastoral and teaching responsibilities seriously. Although the outings include museum visits, they also take in working environments, such as the docks, which provided experience of the wider world. Visiting institutions of educational value was counted as part of the school day from 1896, but this very much expanded and increased in scope after the 1944 Education Act. This film provides an opportunity to observe school outings in the 1950s, although it is an open question as to how typical these outings were for that time.
Related
Goole Silver Jubilee Pageant Goole Silver Jubilee Pageant
Non-Fiction 1958 12 mins Silent Location: Goole
Goole in more prosperous times, when the whole town dresses up in celebration of itself and presents itself as a community.
The Modest Millionaire The Modest Millionaire
Documentary 1985 25 mins Location: Swinton
A genuinely fascinating businessman, with workman’s hands, an old battered Austin, still labouring at 77, and keeping many a church going.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.