Documentary / Maryport - Granada tv (1979)

A LOOK BACK TO THE SEVENTIES BRITAIN CHARTING THE DECLINE AND THE PRIDE OF A SMALL TOWN

THIS IS AN INTERESTING POST FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, I DISCOVERED AND WATCHED THIS AS A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT THE YEARS OF THE ENGLAND OF MY CHILDHOOD - WHEN IN FACT- THIS FILM IS ABOUT PEOPLE FEELING NOSTALGIC ABOUT THE MAYPORT OF THE PAST - IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE SHOT IN 1979.

The history of the rich and the wealthy cities are often well documented, the domination of the south and in particular London makes finding anything about the small towns of this country a rare event. This is Mayport, Cumbria 1979. The big industries have gone - the old can remember when the town used to be thriving,bustling place where sailors from all over the world would stop over. The young, saw none of this and in the grip of late seventies recession are unable to find work, and see no future.

But there is a fierce pride, and stubbornness that every town that made it`s money by hard work possesses . It is partly narrated by and features Ray Gosling, a well known broadcaster and writer. He follows the lives of the people - and is fully aware of his `tourist` - like status. He is a Nottingham working class lad made good, but you get the slight feeling this is `London having a look at how northern people live`. But that`s nitpicking.

What you`ll find, is footage of local cafe`s , peoples front room wearing their best clothes, teenagers dancing, kids in school .. mundane things that even right now, with all the mobile phone recording technology that we have to hand, are overlooked.

The difference in the use of language, or indeed what is indeed broadcastable - compared to today is worth noting.In one particular scene there`s a matter-of-fact use of the n word, which is actually tied up in an affectionate memory of a black person, that makes the edit, and goes unchallenged by Gosling and the film-maker. Just so as you know .. It takes the rosey coloured spectacle view of the 1970`s firmly off at that point for me ... and brings back memories of having first hand experience of dealing with derogatory words like that but meant in a non malicious way, usually from older folk.

That aside, what you have here Britain I grew up in, and as someone who grew up in an industrial area that had seen it`s better days this film resonates a lot with me.