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Rural Sports

1928 , Southwold (Suffolk)

Cat no. 149

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Southwold Common Rural Sports Day 1928.

This is a record of a rural sports day held on Southwold Common on Whit Monday, 1928 (the date was discovered by enlarging the image of the poster in the film). The film begins with the officials marking out the track. Sports include an under-5s race, a 3 legged race, the high jump, a fathers' race, an obstacle race, a sack race, a tug-of-war and egg and spoon race, a bicycle race and a slow bicycle race. At times Southwold Church and Southwold Lighthouse can be seen in the background. The film ends with the prize giving ceremony

Featured Buildings

Southwold Church; Southwold Lighthouse

Featured Events

Rural Sports Day, Whit Monday, 28th May, 1928

Background Information

Rural Sports were popular before World War One. This was an attempt to revive them. Presumably it was not a success, despite the impression given on the film, as this was not repeated. "Around 1900 Frederick Jenkins came to Southwold and set up business as a photographer. In the 1920s, his shop in the high street sold stationery, artist’s materials, hand-made pottery, gramophones, wirelesses and photographic materials. Barrett Jenkins, his son, was then in his twenties, and worked in the shop. In 1928 a Kodak BB cine camera (a smaller version of the B) came into the shop, but it never had the chance of being bought by a customer, for Barrett took it from the shelves, and began to record local events. On May 28th 1928, Whit Monday, Barrett filmed the races and prize giving of the “Rural Sports”, held on the common. These sports had flourished before the First World War, and this was an attempt to revive them. Although on the film everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, these Rural Sports were not held again. Barrett Jenkins was pleased with the results of his filming, and so continued.” Cited from D. Cleveland (2009) Films Were Made, Volume 1, The Region at Work. p. 139

Manifestations

Rural Sports

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