The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Wallis’s Holiday Camp Cayton Bay
A pastel-coloured dream of a home movie harks back to the 50s heyday of a popular holiday camp at Cayton Bay.
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Overview
Shot at Wallis's Camp Cayton Bay, near Scarborough, talented cine hobbyist Leonard Winter constructs an ice cream dream of a 50s family holiday film. A phantom ride shot from a quirky duo 'social cycle' for hire gives us a tour of the two-tone caravans, dinky chalet huts and the popular Rendezvous Club. Swell fun too to be had on the beach, where father settles into a deckchair with his new Vidor 'Robot Face' portable radio, whilst mother models the latest in swimwear.
It started back in the 1930s, but Wallis's took on the Cayton Bay holiday camp in 1946, keeping the pre-war caravans. The camp's memorable jingle famously advertised 'Walli-days are Jolli-days'. The well-loved Rendezvous Club was built in 1955 and was later used as the location for Mr Boo's seedy nightclub in the 1998 British film Little Voice.
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