Seaside Scenes at Hastings

Hastings looks marvellous in this sumptuous colour film from the late 1930s - complete with sunbathing, swimming and being slapped with a fish

This fascinating film of unknown provenance starts with a couple enjoying a day out on Hastings beach. Along with views of the town, we see fishing boats and fishermen, the cliff railway and speedboats. The couple, later joined by other couples, go on boat trips, sit sunbathing in deckchairs and play football on the beach. After a fishing trip, the couples bring back a box of fish and the man jokingly slaps the woman's face with a flatfish.