Compilation of two short amateur industrial films, which document the repair and extension of the oil tanker Wellfield at the Smiths Docks & Co Ltd dry docks at North Shields, beginning in August 1931 and the sea trials of HMS Bulldog, which was built at Swan Hunters at Wallsend. The North Sea trial takes place off the coast of the Tyne on the 8th April 1931. The films were produced by James Cameron, one of the founders of the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers'...

Compilation of two short amateur industrial films, which document the repair and extension of the oil tanker Wellfield at the Smiths Docks & Co Ltd dry docks at North Shields, beginning in August 1931 and the sea trials of HMS Bulldog, which was built at Swan Hunters at Wallsend. The North Sea trial takes place off the coast of the Tyne on the 8th April 1931. The films were produced by James Cameron, one of the founders of the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers' Association (ACA). Title: A Topical Film of Interest~ Title: By James Cameron Title: Oil Tanker Wellfield. This vessel went ashore at the entrance to the Bosphorus, fully loaded with benzine, on 25 February 1931 The opening shot shows the battered tanker in dry dock. Title: For several months she was buffeted by seas and was eventually salvaged with difficulty on 6th May 1931 Title: Temporary repairs were effected at Constantinople and the vessel towed to the Tyne. Title: She was dry docked by Messrs. Smith Dock Co Ltd, North Shields, on 14th August 1931. High angle view of the vessel in dry dock at North Shields. A shot follows of the stern of the vessel, showing its battered condition, with the name of the ship still visible. Title: It is decided by the owners to lengthen the vessel about 25 feet to help rectify the longitudinal twist in her. A shot follows of the wooden supports around the vessel in the dry dock. Workers are standing on the decks next to the ship's rail. Title: This difficult work necessitated the vessel being completely cut in half and one end drawn apart. Shots follow of shipyard workers at work on the steel structure of the ship. A left to right panning shot shows once again the hull with its wooden supports in the dry dock. In the dock just underneath the hull, a workmen shovels debris into a large bucket or skip. Next workmen use sledgehammers to repair [?] links of a large chain. Three men lower another length of similar sized chain as it is lowered to the ground by crane. A worker sits on a gang plank. He is holding a wooden notice board. It is still attached to the gang plank's chain rail, so he balances it on his knee. The notice reads 'Notice, No Admittance Except on Business'. The word 'Admittance' is partly obscured by a white piece of cloth or paper. Title: A heavy channel bar was securely bolted on each side of the after portion of the hull, to act as a guide, and the after end of the vessel was ballasted and shored. A brief close-up follows of the supported hull cuts to a shot of steel plates drilled with holes and overlapping one another. Two men wearing suits and bowler hats (probably gaffers) study the ship from the dockside and talk to one another. A curious schoolboy in uniform and cap, approaches the ship and stands next to the two men. He carries a small camera in his left hand. It’s possible this is James Cameron’s son, also named James, who later made films with Newcastle ACA. A group of men in trilby style hats and bowlers study some of the structural plates on the hull of the ship. The men inspect the work so far. The schoolboy briefly looks towards the camera. Title: The dock was partially filled A shot follows of water surging through a sluice gate at one end of the dock. Title: Getting the floating portion onto an even keel. Shots follow of a large chain being lowered by crane onto the deck of the ship as workmen gather round and manhandle it into position. A close-up shows the steam crane lifting the chain. Title: - and the fore end of the vessel was floated to the required position. Note levels of plating of the ship's side. The camera looks along the length of the hull. A workman stands on the dockside and looks down to another worker who is busy amongst the wooden hull supports in the dry dock. A man in a smart suit and bowler hat walks along the dockside, supervising workers. Shots record the steel platework on the ship's hull. There is a gap in the platework which is gradually lengthening as the two halves of the vessel move apart. This operation is supervised [?] by a man in suit and bowler hat, the gaffer. He blows a whistle. Title: An angle bar secured to each side of the moving portion of the hull came vertically into line with a fixed stopper on the guide when the correct position was reached. The next shot shows the bulkhead[?] of one half of the split vessel. An overhead shot shows a short stretch of water between the two halves. The camera pans up to a group of workers on the opposite side of the dry dock looking into the gap created by the split ship. Title: The actual moving of this forward portion only occupied 13 mins from start to finish Two men in bowlers (gaffers) on a gang plank consult a set of plans [?] Title: Repairs in full swing An overhead shot shows workmen busy on the deck of the ship. Lots of metal structures and components lie strewn across the deck. A close-up shot shows the gear of a motor rotating. A welder cuts through a sheet of metal with a gas torch. A steam crane manoeuvres a steel plate into position, two men each holding a corner of the plate to prevent it swinging. The next shot shows a steam crane travelling towards the camera on its own narrow gauge railway. General views follow of men working on the deck and superstructure of the ship. A steel plate, swinging just above the head of one of the workmen is lowered into position. A worker with a pneumatic drill drills holes in some steel plate. The film cuts to a shot of the remaining gap in the ship’s hull. A general view follows of a riveter at work. A worker (known as a heater) attends to a brazier where rivets are heated, watched by other workers. He operates some bellows beneath the brazier in order to keep the fire's temperature up. Another workman shapes a rivet with a pneumatic rivet hammer as steel plates are fixed together. Men feed steel sheet through a roller press. General views show men on deck manoeuvring a steel plate into position using crowbars. Another worker tightens a bolt on a deck plate. Title: The complete repairs will last over 3 months Overhead views of workmen on the deck of the ship. The camera pans up showing the ships funnel at one end of the vessel. A close-up follows of a life belt which reads 'Wellfield, Newcastle'. Various shots record the new platework, which forms part of the extended hull, and work taking place on the bow of the ship. A platform is suspended across the bow held by two chains, which come from the anchor ports on the upper part of the bow. A panning shot from right to left shows more general views of activity on the deck. Another shot shows open hatches leading to the tanks below. Two workers make repairs to the ships propeller, which is laid flat on the dockside[?] or in a workshop. A general view of the completed ship and workers on deck ends the film. The HMS Bulldog trials film opens with a portrait shot of a bulldog. The camera cuts to a nameplate, which reads 'Bulldog' attached to part of the superstructure. The film cuts back to the sitting bulldog. Title: Photographed and Produced by James Cameron of the Newcastle Branch, Amateur Cinematographers Association Title: HMS Bulldog Torpedo Boat Destroyer. Length 320Ft BP, Displacmt 1330 Tons. Engines - 34000 Shaft Horse Power The sequence opens with a still painting or photograph of the destroyer. Title: Built by - Messrs Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd, Wallsend-on-Tyne A still follows of the destroyer. Title: Acceptance trial run off the Tyne - 8 April 1931 A repeat of the still of HMS Bulldog follows. Waves crash against the concrete pier at the mouth of the Tyne. Title: Gales and Rough Seas Further shots of the rough seas pounding the pier. Title: Held up the trial for over a week. More rough seas hit the pier, shot in slow motion. Title: Ready to cast off The captain[?] appears on deck. Four ratings assemble on the gun deck. A long shot shows the length of the ship at its mooring on the quayside. Title: Down the Tyne to the open sea Tracking shot from boat of the HMS Bulldog heading out from the mouth of the Tyne. Closer shots follow of the ship at sea. Title: The Official Photographer gets ready [presumably he is also on the boat following Bulldog]. The photographer prepares his equipment, a large plate camera complete with blackout sheet. Title: Passing the pier heads. The ship sails from the Tyne out to sea and ploughs through the waves. Title: Off to adjust compasses General view of the ship at sea. Title: The sea shots of this film were taken under difficult conditions from a rolling and pitching tugboat. Another general view of HMS Bulldog out at sea. Title: Working up to top speed More general views of HMS Bulldog at sea. Title: Quite unconcerned A close up of the skipper[?] of the tugboat nonchalantly smoking his pipe. Followed by another shot of HMS Bulldog travelling right to left across frame. Title: All out - 36 knots an hour! A closer shot of Bulldog as it passes by at speed, followed by another shot of the ship passing by. During the trial. Title: Goodbye to her birthplace. The ship travels away from the camera. Waves crash against one of the concrete Tyne piers. The film ends with another portrait shot of a bulldog. Title: The End