Southern Seaside

Anyone for a trip to the seaside? From Bournemouth to Margate via Brighton and Folkestone – sunny delights in abundance.

Alluring cinematography is deployed at several charming seaside destinations to tempt prospective visitors in this silent film. Director Marion Grierson ran the film unit of the Travel Association, the precursor of Visit Britain. A significant amount of the footage was re-used by Grierson in her highly accomplished sound film Beside the Seaside, also released in 1935.

Despite living in the shadow of her brother John - widely regarded as the founding figure of the British documentary movement - and her sister Ruby who died tragically young, Marion Grierson herself had an intriguing career in documentary filmmaking. Her style is notable for its inventive use of a sophisticated array of techniques combined with an assured lightness of touch. Her films were seen abroad more than in the UK, which perhaps explains why they are little known today. They provide a varied record of British life, and were nearly all made in the 1930s, at the height of the British documentary movement.