Milford-on-Sea home movies 1925

Wessex Film and Sound Archive have published a home movie of Milford on Sea from 1925.

Whilst the quality is not to clear, it does give a fell of the past.

Take a look below:

click to view film

Wessex Film and Sound Archive description: Amateur film, possibly taken by Percy Laws of Retford of Milford, Hampshire (Milford on Sea, Hampshire). One shot of exterior of Quayside Mission Men's Home. Cuts to street scene with motor car. Countryside lane with three young women in pale coloured drop waisted dresses. The women walk along a street and into a building. Subsequent shots see two similarly dressed women and a man continue their walk until they stumble across a field with berries growing; whereupon the begin picking and eating berries (their names are given as John, Jess and Fred). The trio are seen seated on a bench, the gent reading a paper, one woman holding a kitten in her arms, and all three eating berries.

The walk continues, with the gent holding the women arm in arm through parkland. A gentleman in a flat cap fishing at the shoreline, while waves lap at his feet, extended shots of the waves. Three women on the shingle play around, one looking out to sea with a spyglass the others ruffling each other's hair. Two individuals emerge from a changing room (outbuilding that looks very much like an orangery), clad in bathing suits and large towels.

They make their way down to the sea via an area of shady woodland, where they leave their towels with a woman sat on a bench, a further gent follows. Two more women exit the changing room, in swimsuits. The party paddle, splash and swim.

This film is held at the Wessex Film and Sound Archive and you can see full details of this item their our online catalogue. If you'd like to see it in full or order a copy simply contact them on:
archives.enquiries@hants.gov.uk

Credits: Percy Laws of Retford

Footnote: Bob Braid from Milford on Sea Historical Record Society having seen the film, has provided this updated narrative of the scenes:

The movie is ‘possibly by Percy Laws of Retford, Nottinghamshire’ [WF&SA catalogue] (no Laws or property called Retford in the 1925 Milford Directory). 

The first 3 scenes are Milford High Street: first with car parked at side is the Red Lion junction, you can see the War Shrine on Miles’ bakehouse wall; the second is the bottom of the Green with George & Mary at right looking towards Myrtle Cottage; the third is probably from about outside Collins & Butler looking towards the Sea Road junction. 

The rest is doubtful; the bloke fishing might be Milford with Hurst Spit in background and the 3 on the beach might be Milford, but could be anywhere. The bathing scene isn’t, there’s nowhere here where trees come down close to the beach.