National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Mackerel Fishing, Tanybwlch
A shoal of mackerel has drawn hordes of fishermen and women to Tanybwlch beach, Aberystwyth, on a warm summer's evening.
From the collection of:
Overview
On an occasion such as this, when a shoal of mackerel has come close to the shore, the fishing is easy for those who know how. Many of the fishermen and women have arrived at Tanybwlch beach, Aberystwyth, by car, eager to take some of the free fish home, and plenty of people have come just to watch. The harbour wall, the building that was once the town's TB isolation hospital, Pen Dinas with monument, and Allt Wen all feature.
The film-maker, Gareth Hywel Vernon Jones (1918-1987) was born in Tregaron but his family moved to Aberystwyth when he was 5 and he remained there for the rest of his life. He married Joan Elizabeth Jones (1929-2017) of Lampeter in 1958 (who had also moved to live in Aberystwyth with her family, when she was 18). They had one daughter, Miriam Elisabeth (b.1967). Mr Jones, an audio-visual officer with the council's education department, was interested in recording family and local life on film and was also a well-known player of the 'saw', using a cello bow to do so. He would entertain local societies with his skill and talent and also demonstrated them on television.
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