The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Seven O' Clock Regulars' Swimming Club Part 1 of 3
Seven O'Clock Regular Swimmers' Club open the new season with a splash!
From the collection of:
Overview
The Seven O' Clock Regulars' Swimming Club open the new season with a splash. They sing their anthem "Come to the Pier”: "The sun is shining to welcome the day, Heigho! come to the Pier! The boys are so bright & so merry & gay, Heigho! Come to the Pier! There are thin ‘uns and fat ‘uns and tall ‘uns and short, whatever their figures, they’re ready for sport, Come then, seven o’ clock regulars, Dip in the pride of the morning, Our presence cheery is chock full of fun!”
The Regulars are joined by the Mayor Ambrose Andrews and the Mayoress. This film is part of the collection of amateur films by Claude Redvers Endicott, a local butcher. Here he demonstrates early visual effects by reversing the films so the divers come out of the water backwards. Endicott playfully films the swimmers performing comedy sketches. This rare film shows the Promenade Pier in Plymouth pre-the Second World War. Bombed and destroyed in 1942, the pier was never rebuilt and this is believed to be one of a handful of moving images that still exists today showing the old Promenade Pier in Plymouth.
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