An amateur film made by Stockton-on-Tees toyshop proprietor Leslie Brown of a family holiday to Dinard on the Cote d’Emeraude of Brittany, France in July 1955. The film begins with the filmmaker's son Tony Brown preparing to leave the family home in Norton near Stockton and the family flying from Newcastle Municipal Airport to Dinard. Arriving at their destination, the family enjoy the local beach, visiting the local market and take a boat journey to the town of St Malo. The film ends...

An amateur film made by Stockton-on-Tees toyshop proprietor Leslie Brown of a family holiday to Dinard on the Cote d’Emeraude of Brittany, France in July 1955. The film begins with the filmmaker's son Tony Brown preparing to leave the family home in Norton near Stockton and the family flying from Newcastle Municipal Airport to Dinard. Arriving at their destination, the family enjoy the local beach, visiting the local market and take a boat journey to the town of St Malo. The film ends with the family flying home and Tony unloading suitcases from the family car. The film opens with Tony Brown coming out of the family home in Norton, collecting the post and sitting on the doorstep. He sits on the step and opens the first letter and begins to read the book inside; ‘A Fortnight in Dinard’. He then starts reading a second book; ‘What to say in French’. Tony then holds up to the camera a BKS Air Transport passenger ticket and baggage check for a flight to Dinard. Tony rushes in and out of the house loading two suitcases and a bag into the back of the family car. Each of the bags has a triangular label on the front denoting ‘Bretague’, ‘Cote Emeraude’ and ‘Dinard’. With the bags packed Tony jumps in the passenger seat of the car which then drives away across Norton Green. The film cuts to show a large wooden sign beside a road reading ‘Newcastle Municipal Airport’. Lettering across the top of hanger at the airport reads ‘Newcastle Airport’. [B&W] Commercial footage showing a propeller aircraft taking off and flying into the sky. [Colour] From inside the aircraft during the flight a view of the top of Tony’s head and the window beside him. The film cuts to show Tony asleep with cotton buds in his ears. From the cockpit over the pilot’s shoulder views from the aircraft as it flies over the Brittany coastline and a town. The aircraft then circles and comes into the land at an airport filmed from over the pilots shoulder. On the ground a Jersey Airline de Havilland Heron aircraft (Reg: G-ANWZ) taxis along the runway intercut with a view from inside the plane passing a building at the airport. A view follows of the triangular Dinard luggage label seen previously. The French Tricolour flies from a pole, followed by a cut to the terminal building at the airport with the name of town embossed above the entrance; Dinard. A Citreon DS drives away from the airport and there is a phantom car ride into the French countryside and through the town of Dinard. The film cuts to a view of the Hotel des Dune along Avenue Georges Clemenceau in Dinard. A woman and two boys stand at the balcony of the room. Tony walks through the courtyard of the hotel past a woman in glasses, Tony’s mother, who is sitting at table under an umbrella. General views show other guests sitting at tables relaxing. Looking down from the cliffs a view of Port-Riou Beach busy with holidaymakers and lined with awning. On the beach a pole in the sand has each of the three French travel labels seen previously attached to them; Bretague’, ‘Cote Emeraude’ and ‘Dinard’. A group of adults play a game of beach volleyball. In the foreground, Tony appears and begins to play in the sand. He is wearing swimming trunks, a striped top and cap. General views show activity taking place in the beach. A line of children walk along the sand hand-in-hand, a young girl and her mother walk hand-in-hand across the beach and a group of adults stand talking while a toddler plays in the sand at their feet. The film cuts to show Tony’s mother sitting on the sand beside an older woman and a man, possibly hers or Leslie’s parents. They throw a small ball at each other and Tony rushes in and takes it away. In the sea Tony and his mother splash about in the surf, while around them a large number of people enjoy the water. Nearby a group of children play on a pontoon that has been moored in the surf. General views show children swimming or paddling in a rubber boats on the water. In the background, a couple of small sailing dinghy’s sail past. A sign above an entrance to a building reads ‘Boulle’. Nearby a small jazz band performs for a number of customers sitting at tables under awnings. On the dance floor a number of people move to the music. A large sign above a shop reads ‘Le Pingouin’. Sitting at an outside table at the A La Goelette café, the Brown family enjoy drinks and pastries. Tony and another small boy are bought ice creams from a crème glacee booth on Port-Riou Beach. A general view shows a souvenir and glacee shop next to the beach with people looking over the goods on display. A small triangular flag on a pole reads ‘Club de Pingouin’. At the rear of the beach, the film shows a race between a number of small children beginning with two small girls climbing a rope and touching the ‘Club de Pingouin’ sign at the top. One of the girls then climbs over a frame, then comes down a slide. A number of young boys climb through a climbing frame. General views show children playing on a seesaw, and a boy coming down a zip line. A man dressed in white entertains a group of children sitting on the ground. He appears to be telling them a story using hand gestures. They all look on intently enjoying the tale. A number of adults watch on from the boulevard behind the children. The film cuts to show the children dancing. The film changes again to show Tony Brown climbing onto and then coming down a slide. On the beach, the man in white watches a group of children running a round. He blows a whistle and they all stop frozen in their position. He blows the whistle again and they all start moving around again. Ropes separate a number of small enclosures on the beach where the children, including Tony, dig in the sand and build mounds or castles. An amphibious vehicles drives across the beach. A boy walks across the sand selling newspapers to the sunbathers. Tony and another boy enjoy eating an ice cream. They are joined by a younger boy who attempts to take a bite from Tony’s ice cream. Title: Market Day in Brittany Tony Brown and his mother walk along a street past a number of shops with produced for sale in the street. At a covered market they walk around the many stalls that various foods, linen and clothing products. Many of the stalls are set up under a large marquee, a banner across the entrance reading ‘Le Bazar A100’. A large crowd stand around one salesman selling nylon stockings. He waves his arms around and eventually places the stockings over his head much to the crowds amusement. Wandering around the market a man sells bouncing balls on a stick. A man in traditional costume of long blue overalls and a tall black hat sells black sausages. Another salesman sells coloured rugs and carries them on his shoulder as he walks around the market. A sign attached to a tent reads ‘Au Petit Breton’. The camera pans right to show a large crowd standing around looking in on the tent. Another stall sells flowers and small religious figures. A man sits in the street weaving the seating on a chair. A woman in a traditional costume that includes a tall lace hat or coiffe, sells lace items from a stall. A crowd of children run around collecting pieces of paper that have been thrown into the air.  Crowds walk by a van across which is written ‘L’Alsacienne’. The film cuts to a man standing beside a ram that has a small wagon attached to it. From the rear of another van, another salesman gathers a large crowd as he sells items wrapped in tin foil. Large words written beside the yellow van that reads ‘Distribution’ and ‘Gratitude’. From the back of lorry, another man sell artichokes. The sequence ends with a man playing an accordion followed by a man on a street corner painting the scene. Title: Children’s Corner On the beach, underneath the cliffs children, including Tony Brown, play in a shallow paddling pool or climb on the rocks over the spring which feeds the pool. On the beach children play around the pontoon seen previously moored in the surf. The film cuts to show the Brown family sitting at an outdoor café chatting with two women.   General view of the exterior of a large building. Above the entrance is written ‘Vedettes Vertes’. A large sign written in French is followed by a crowd standing in the doorway as a man opens the entrance. A view from an elevator cuts to show people walking along a small wooden pier and getting onto a boat. A lifebuoy attached to the boat also reads;’ ‘Vedettes Vertes’. From the boat travelling through the sea views of the coastline and a lighthouse on a rocky promenade can be seen. The boats approaches a harbour intercut with views of other similar passenger boats coming in and out of the harbour. A luggage label reads ‘St Malo’. Across any alley or street hangs a large ships wheel. The film cuts to a policeman directing traffic in front of the ‘Café de Paris’. Near to the beach, a man sells bouncing balls on a street. A woman pushes a barrel of linen past he camera and a sailor walks through a set of gates towards a large modern building. Sitting at a table outside a café are the Brown family enjoying drinks. The waitress goes back  inside, writing on the awning over the café can only partly be made out. It reads ‘… au Soleil Levant’.     A view looking down onto St Malo Beach. The film cuts to the beach showing crowds relaxing and sunbathing beside awning set up at the back of the beach. A young girl leads a pony or donkey along the beach pulling a small wagon on which sit two small children under a sun umbrella. On the water a group of children play with a rubber boat, they try to see how many they can get on to it. Eventually it tips over and they all fall out. The film cuts to show a man sitting in a deck chair reading a copy of ‘Cinemonde’. Inside he looks at photographs of young women in bikini’s and bathing costumes. The film changes to a commercial film showing a young woman in a bikini sunbathing behind a sand dune near a beach. She gets up and walks towards the beach where she meets another young woman. They both return to the spot in the dunes where the second woman strips down to her bikini. They both lay on the ground sunbathing. The first woman leans over to her friend and taps her on the shoulder. Title. Coming for a swim? They both get up and run towards the sea on the other side of the dunes. The film cuts to show various neon sign’s lit up at night including ‘Casanova’, ‘La Paix’, ‘Café Bocage. Paddy’s Bar’, ‘Copacabana’, ‘Roche Corneille Hotel’ and ‘Hotel les Dunes’. A well-dressed couple walk into a casino past an older door attendant. Another couple comes out and the attendant hails them a taxi, opening the door for them. A second couple appear out the hotel and the door attendant hails them a taxi. After he helps them into the car and it drives away a man in a dinner jacket appears looking after the couple in the taxi. Standing in the background behind a barrier is a large crowd watching proceeding. Although no cameras are visible, this could be a scene being filmed for a movie. The film cuts to show a Jersey Airways de Havilland Heron aircraft taxing along a runway. Passengers board a different Jersey Airways aircraft, a de Havilland Dragon Rapide aircraft (reg: G-AKNE), as well as the first. A man pushes a luggage trolley towards a Southern Railways railway station, possibly Gatwick Airport. Tony Brown sits on the trolley, his mother walking beside. Tony Brown comes up an escalator and then goes back down. The film cuts to show passengers boarding a Hunting-Clan Douglas Dakota aircraft (reg: G-ANPJ). The film comes to an end with the family car driving back across Norton Green towards the family home. Tony Brown unloads suitcases from the car and closing the boot reveals the closing credit ending the film. End credit: The end. A Coppelia Production