Video: A vision of Scarborough holidays from years gone by

To mention the name of Scarborough evokes a wave of nostalgia for so many who have lived in Yorkshire and beyond, as the town has carved out a reputation as the region’s favourite place by the sea.

And a fascinating insight into Scarborough and the surrounding area will be screened next month with a special showcase of footage from the Yorkshire Film Archive.

Clips spanning the last century will be shown at Scarborough Art Gallery, which is being turned into a temporary cinema for two 90-minute screenings.

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The footage will include a military camp at Scarborough just after the First World War as well as the town’s famous holiday films, such as Having a Wonderful Time!.

One of the Yorkshire Film Archive’s most popular clips will also be shown with a screening of film-maker and railway enthusiast Frank Dean’s A Sentimental Journey.

The footage shows the last journey on the Scarborough to Whitby line on March 8 1965, amid Dr Beeching’s infamous cuts to the beleaguered rail service.

The Yorkshire Film Archive stages between 50 and 60 events each year, but its director Sue Howard claimed the Scarborough screening will provide something a little extra special.

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She said: “Scarborough is such a great place, and as a result there is an lot of great film about the town and the surrounding area. The footage provides a social commentary through the intervening years, and we want the film show to be both informative and entertaining.

“A lot of people who come along to these events who know a great deal about these films, so it is an opportunity for us to learn more about the footage as well.”

Some of the earliest footage dates back to the early 20th century and features egg collectors, or climmers, on the cliffs down the coast at Flamborough Head.

The eggs of kittiwakes, puffins and other birds were picked up to be served as local delicacies as well as to satiate the demand of collectors.

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Mrs Howard claimed the footage from 1908 provided an insight into the changing perceptions of conservation, with egg collectors now facing prosecution.

Other clips will include workers in the Waddington’s piano factory in Scarborough in the late 1930s, as well as footage dating back to the late 1990s of popular singer Danny Wilde, a regular around the town’s venues.

The spokeswoman for the Yorkshire Museums Trust, Jeannie Swales, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone who has a love of Scarborough to see how the town and the surrounding area has changed through the passing decades.

“Visitors will be able to watch footage of some of the events and landmarks which have been consigned to history. But there is also the opportunity to see the landmarks that remain and how they fit into the modern surroundings.

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She added: “Scarborough holds such a special place in many people’s hearts, and the archive footage is a reminder of exactly why this is.”

The screenings, which will be staged at 3pm and 5.30pm on Sunday September 9, are part of the national Heritage Open Days weekend.

Mrs Howard said: “The Heritage Open Days are often about actual buildings, but this is an event to show that film is very much part of the nation’s heritage as well.”

Tickets for both film showings are free but there are limited places available, so advance booking is recommended by calling 01723 374753.