Saturday 20 February 2010

Fascinating glimpses of a working Thames


screen grab from "outtakes" (see below)

Having watched British Pathé's "New Barges for Old" as linked to by Granny Buttons, I clicked on something else which caught my eye.

Radio Caroline (1965) promised a "Film in two sections. First is a 'travelogue' style look at the River Thames. Second is a look at life aboard the ship that hosts Radio Caroline."

RADIO CAROLINE



From an unlikely beginning this 4' 47" film takes us on a short cruise up the Thames, looking at a few disjointed things: Tower Bridge; a young mother using a mangle on a houseboat; the Cutty Sark - with ridiculous commentary of which even the log on the website is disparaging: "...narrator is rambling on about Britain being an "island race ... being at our best on the water's edge." - and then we're suddenly on board Mi Amigo for a tour of Radio Caroline (with young versions of Tony Blackburn and Simon Dee, among others).

But of equal interest is the accompanying assemblage of clips which didn't make it to the final cut. British Pathé call it "outtakes", which now has a connotation of hilarity. This shows, among other working boats, a load of timber being towed along the river (screen grab at the top of this post); also we see a wharves with cranes, including a gleaming white New Fresh Wharf.

OUT TAKES / CUTS FROM CP 536 - reel 2 of 2 - RADIO CAROLINE

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