Written by Film and Media lecturer Steve Murray.
A film created by HSDC students featuring memories of workers and visitors to Hayling Island holiday camps has been released.
Thanks to a £37,500 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, A Level students at the college’s Havant campus have been researching the island’s five major holiday camps, which attracted thousands of visitors each summer during the heyday of British holidays from the 1940s to the 1980s.
Students interviewed former workers and guests at each of the camps – Southleigh, Northney, Sunshine, Coronation, and Sinah Warren – and researched the role played by Captain Harry Warner, who opened Northney in 1932 and eventually owned four of Hayling’s camps and fourteen venues nationwide.
Working with Emsworth-based film production company Millstream Productions, the students shot a documentary film that premiered at The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre in Havant last week. The film is accompanied by a book, which has been co-written by Year 9 students from Hayling College, and an exhibition running at The Spring until mid-July.
Steve Murray, project co-ordinator and film and media lecturer at HSDC, said:
“We are grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for giving our students the opportunity to find out more about the history of Hayling and its holiday camps.The interviews they have carried out have given them an insight into life in Britain post-war and a better understanding of the role Hayling played in the story of British holiday camps.”
Student Tobey Gannon said:
“I live on Hayling and was delighted to be offered the opportunity to take part in the project. I really enjoyed listening to the stories of the people we interviewed and directing our documentary film shoot on the island.”
The documentary film can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/836976220 and an online version of the book can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/hayhol
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
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Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK. More than £30 million raised each week goes to good causes across the UK.