North Sea Fisheries, North Shields (1901)

This film is part of the Mitchell and Kenyon collection - an amazing visual record of everyday life in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century.
To buy the DVD click here - www.bfi.org.uk/filmstore
All titles on the BFI Films channel are preserved in the vast collections of the BFI National Archive. To find out more about the Archive visit www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collect...

[@greenisland75]

I feel sorry for people in those times. They worked long hours for a absolute pittance.

[@bartez111]

Amazing footage, at 0:25 you can see the spire of the land of Green Ginger in Tynemouth in the background!!

[@backnorth]

Fantastic old footage.

[@gazof-the-north1980]

Amazing footage. Flat caps were the fashion back then!

[@trilbywilby7826]

What is fascinating about so many of these early videos posted on YT is how many, many people are in the streets! Crowds and crowds of children especially. Perhaps without electronic devices all the interaction people had was outside with others?

[@braddazztravels6004]

Great footage 👍

[@moominpic]

@bartez111 I hadn't thought about the flats, true. It's been so long since I have been there I'm trying to recall the geography. My grandmother was from North Shields/Tynemouth and was born 1905. She used to tell me stories of how it used to be... This really is a wonderful bit of film (thanks to the posters).

[@johnk6346]

There must have been a lot more giants back then, The giant walked through the crowd and nobody paid that much attention to him. Today they would have,

[@angelaconroy7455]

I think the spire is that of St Stephen's Church, South Shields across the river from the North Shields quay and not the land of green ginger one.

[@bartez111]

@moominpic You may be right. I just think that it looks like the Land of Green Ginger because dont forget that in those days Knotts Flats wasnt there blocking the view like it is today. I could be wrong though and it could possibly be a spire from South Shields too because you can see one today from the fish quay.

[@moominpic]

@bartez111 I don't know that it is. The spire isn't that high and if this is the quay, it's pretty far from Front Street. It's not over the river in South Shields is it?

[@MilesBellas]

It's interesting to see how people reacted.

[@DeborahE7]

Giant at 1:37. Super tall people were more common back then.

[@jennytalia226]

Everybody, including the kids, were wearing a hat, nowadays it's pretty rare .

[@bartez111]

@leerud69 Well it has to be it! A huge spire sticking high into the air! It only seems to be by itself because it is much taller than everything else!

[@leerud]

@bartez111 are you sure thats land of green ginger? it seems to be by itself? how do you reconise? lol

[@chanctonbury63]

1.09 Theres a woman wearing a flatcap.

[@keplermission]

watch?v=8OQJ4UrAVJw and prepare for a visit to the The Scottish Fisheries Museum, see the video links and the pull down links and you'll appreciate your visit much more!

[@WgCdrLuddite]

Dear narrator, your understanding of these films is flawed. It's not just "fish", it's the herring fleet on their traditional path from Scotland down to Norfolk. They stop along the way to unload their massive catches to be processed, pickled and barrelled. Then to be sent to the continent where pickled herring is highly valued.

[@costernocht]

Watch the entire film. The gent in the white hat is obviously playing it for laughs.

[@thunderchild9251]

lmao be funny seeing a proper chav just walking through all like eh where am I

[@creasyi1]

the boss with the white hat ????????

[@phy7s745]

I know right 😂

[@bmcgoo6027]

How depressing. Why did people even consider having children?

[@thunderchild9251]

the boss guy is such a poser lmaoo he knows he is getting filmed so hes trying to look important and whatever els he thinks he is hahaha

[@YokozunaNumber1]

I'd like to punch White Hat for barking orders at those hard-working women.

[@maddogryan5799]

not one black face anywhere times have changed now you can only fish where the E.U. tell you