Queen o' the Border

Welcome to Hawick, pronounced 'hoik' by the locals. Here it's all holidays and hosiery!

A vibrant portrait of Hawick, pronounced 'hoik' by the locals, a town in the Scottish Borders. If this film is anything to go by, the Hawick people (known as 'Teris') holiday for three days and the rest of the time they knit - the Pringle brand started here. The film was shot in Technichrome - a vibrant colour system developed in 1948 to photograph the British Olympic Games.

The Central Office of Information (COI), which sponsored this film, was constantly on the lookout for new ways to promote Britain overseas. With its thriving 200-year-old knitwear industry and age-old customs, it's no surprise that Hawick was chosen to showcase an idealised view of Britain's industry and culture to overseas audiences.