Herne Bay Newsreel 1953

John Clague's remarkable 1953 chronicle of Herne Bay features a tempest, floods, golf, a carnival of May Queens and Coronation celebrations

1953 in Herne Bay gets off to a wild start with a disastrous storm surge that's battered the seafront promenade and flooded large parts of the town. A cliff collapse is happily followed by golf club antics and a Carnival of May Queens. Among the historically themed floats is a man, in drag, riding a tricycle. The Coronation is celebrated with souvenir mugs being given to schoolchildren, a huge tea-party and a play-day in the park. Actor Jack Warner also appears at a charity fete

John Clague was a keen amateur filmmaker who was based in Herne Bay. From 1934 to 1970 he produced annual newsreels showing events that had occurred in the Kent coast town and surrounding area. He used 9.5mm film at first but by the 1950s had adopted 16mm film and the collection forms a lively chronicle of life in Herne Bay over 36 years. An architect by profession, John set up his own company in the 1930s, working on a diverse range of projects including the replacement of Herne Bay's Grand Pavilion, which was destroyed by fire in 1970.