This film was made by John Scorer who was born in 1931 in the Willington Quay area and spent most of his life in the parish of Cullercoats on the North East coast where he lived with his mother. A scholarly gentleman who was well-loved by those who knew him, John taught RE at Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay but had many hobbies and interests, film making included. John had a passion for historical costume which he enjoyed sharing with others by staging exhibitions in unlikely...

This film was made by John Scorer who was born in 1931 in the Willington Quay area and spent most of his life in the parish of Cullercoats on the North East coast where he lived with his mother. A scholarly gentleman who was well-loved by those who knew him, John taught RE at Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay but had many hobbies and interests, film making included. John had a passion for historical costume which he enjoyed sharing with others by staging exhibitions in unlikely venues such as Killhope lead mining museum and at his local Womens Institute. As well as collecting costume, John was also an avid sewer and often took apart the costumes in order that he could recreate them for local dramatics groups. John had a love of the outdoors and along with his mother would spend the entire summer holidays in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, taking a taxi there and back each year. John was a very modest filmmaker and did not seek recognition for the films he made, but they provide a fascinating insight into one man’s personal interests and work. This film captures one of his many trips to Reeth in Swaledale. John passed away on 11 January 2018 aged 87 years. (1)

The introduction of 16mm film in 1923 opened up the world of filmmaking for the first time to non-professionals and was popular for non-theatrical productions (for instance, industrial and educational films). Eastman Kodak first developed this film format and pioneered accessible and affordable film technology during the early 20th century. Kodak had vastly improved the safety of its products too, with new-fire resistant acetate rolls of film meaning that amateur filmmakers could enjoy a cigarette whilst projecting their home movies without fear of causing an inferno.

By the mid-1930s, a German observer estimated that the British amateur cine scene had around 250,000 hobby filmmakers and about 3000 to 4000 of those people was a member of an amateur cine club; the home movie craze had taken hold of Britain. By 1965, amateur film equipment had become increasingly smaller, lighter, cheaper and easier to use, leading to increased popularity of home movie making and screening.

Whitley Bay, formerly known simply as Whitley, appeared on an Ordnance survey map in the early 1860s and was little more than a large hamlet. An 1825 description of the small village described 5 public houses and it is known there was a colliery called Whitley Pit which operated between 1817 and 1848. The pit was located on the site of Whitley Railway Station, now the Whitley Bay Metro Station. Whitley was officially named Whitley Bay in 1902, by which time the village had grown to become a popular coastal resort for holidays and day breaks for tired workers of Tyneside’s and the North East’s heavy industry. This popularity increased rapidly from 1962 following the establishment of the railway which linked Blyth to Tynemouth, inspiring investors to rapidly build shops and large houses to cater to the swelling number of visitors to the golden sands. (1)

In 1910 the white domed building known as the ‘Spanish City’ was opened near the coastline at Whitley Park along with a funfair known as the Pleasure Gardens. The Spanish City is Whitley Bay’s most famous landmark and is clearly visible towards the end of the film as the parade makes it way to the coach station. The Spanish City was so named due to the Spanish style decorations of the large tents of Charles Elderton’s open air ‘Torreador’ theatre, which predated the dome around 1907. The theatre was nicknamed the Spanish City by the locals and the name stuck by the time a permanent structure was built on the same site. The Spanish City was immortalised by Dire Straits in their 1980 song ‘Tunnel of Love’ which recalls the excitement of the fairground rides and attractions of Whitley Bay and nearby Cullercoats. In 2018 the Spanish City reopened following extensive investment and restoration. (2)

Although the original can labelled this film as 'Whitley Bay Carnival' information was received from Brian and Jenny Hunt in 2020 identifying the event as a procession of international dancers taking part in the Tyne and Wear Folkmoot through Whitley Bay, in which they took part. The was part of the International Folk Dance Festival held in Whitley Bay and other North East venues, which ran for numerous years from about 1974 to 1986, hosted in the town by Monkseaton Morrismen and Folk Dance Club, who's founder member was Alan Brown. Brown had been a student member of the rapper sword team that was founded by Professor Bill Cassie at King’s College, Newcastle (now the university).The groups pictured also include the Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup and Loftus Traditional Sword Dancers.

Little is known of the exact origins of the Whitley Bay Carnival, but the annual May bank holiday event was once a focal point in the town’s calendar. Until 2014, and following the enthusiasm of locals who successfully applied for lottery funding to revive the carnival, it had not been staged for more than 20 years.(3) 

Loftus is a small town in the Cleveland area of North Yorkshire renowned for its traditional sword dance teams. The origins and symbolism of the Loftus sword dance is uncertain, but it has been speculated that the swords have a military significance, meaning some teams wear military uniforms during performances, or that the circle of life is a theme, which could refer to the symbolic killing of an old woman at the end of the dance, suggesting regeneration and fertility. The team Captain in the Carnival parade executes the ‘sword lock’ star, which in some performances is placed over the Captain’s head. Sword dances originated in the North East and North Yorkshire and make up a significant element of local folk culture. The dances are usually performed around Christmas time and are said to derive from a rite to ensure a fruitful harvest. Sword dances were banned under Oliver Cromwell but were revived when the monarchy was restored under Charles II. (4)

As with the Loftus sword dancers, little is known of the origins of the Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup, also known as the Nutters. Folk traditions like these are passed down through the generations with little written record left behind. It is believed the nut dances and costumes portray the story of countless men who were trapped down coalmines. The blackened faces of the dances are reportedly in reference to these miners, though they may also reflect the pagan tradition of blackened faces to ward off evil spirits. In the 19th and 20th century, blackface was a theatrical make up technique used by non-black performers to represent a caricature of a black person or person of colour. While the mining and pagan references cannot be discounted, the blackface may also reflect the origins of the dance which reportedly date back to the Moorish pirates of North Africa who settled in Cornwall and became employed in the coal mines. These Cornish settlers headed north as more mines were opened during the 18th and 19th centuries, and two men in particular relocated to Whitworth. The dances spread throughout Rossendale and the present day Britannia Coconut Dancers descended from the Tunstead Mill troop dating back to 1857. The Nutters traditionally perform their dance on the annual Easter Day procession, accompanied by a silver band. (5)

The Morris Dancers of the Monkseaton Morris Men and Folk Dance Club predate the founding of the Nutters by 2 years, forming in 1955. Today they are still going strong and are considered one of the leading folk dance groups in England. The Dance Club perform the traditional dance of Northumbria, passed down from generation to generation. Traditionally performed in spring or early summer when the crops were beginning to grow, the jingling bells, waving handkerchiefs and knocking sticks were believed to ward off evil spirits and the  leaping of the dancers were said to encourage the crops to grow. (6)

References:

(1) Whitley Bay and Cullercoats - https://englandsnortheast.co.uk/whitley-bay-cullercoats/

(2) Whitley Bay and Cullercoats - https://englandsnortheast.co.uk/whitley-bay-cullercoats/)

(3) Whitley Bay Carnival - https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/whitley-bay-carnival-you-need-11387646

(4) Loftus History - https://alisonsmall32.wixsite.com/loftushistory/sword-dancing

(5) Coconutters - https://www.coconutters.co.uk/history/

(6) Monkseaton Morrismen - https://www.monkseatonmorrismen.co.uk/dances/)