The Friendship Club River Tyne Boat Trip

All aboard a Tyne ferry, the Friendship Club of Newcastle take a pleasure trip down river in glorious summer sunshine.

Filmed on board a ferry in glorious Kodachrome hues, this is a rare colour portrait of the Newcastle Friendship Club, a social club for elderly Jewish men and women and part of a national movement founded in 1950. Family and friends are in high spirits for a cruise down the River Tyne to Ryton Willows in the balmy sunshine.

The ferry service was operated by the Mid Tyne Ferry Company and ran between Low Walker and Hebburn from 1939, serving to transport workers to and from an engineering company and three big shipyards including Swan Hunters, as well as pleasure cruises for day trippers. As Tynesides heavy industry declined, passenger numbers reduced and the last ferry ran in July 1986. This short reel of amateur footage is a companion to film of the picnic at Ryton Willows, which also features on BFI Player.