British Pathe

Unedited material of Billy Butlin's visit to South Africa c1961. Catalogued from negative on machine that only views in positive so some details unclear.

Reel 6. Three men surf towards the camera. Camera follows them as they approach the beach. Repeat of shot. Same shot with five men surfing....

Unedited material of Billy Butlin's visit to South Africa c1961. Catalogued from negative on machine that only views in positive so some details unclear.

Reel 6. Three men surf towards the camera. Camera follows them as they approach the beach. Repeat of shot. Same shot with five men surfing. C/U of man wearing snorkelling gear with a metal box which is marked "Durban Aquarium." He then lowers himself into the water. Underwater shots of fish. The diver sits at the bottom of the pool whilst fish swim all around him. A large turtle swims in front of the camera. The diver holds out a piece of food and the fish approach him and grab at it. Various shots of this. Diver swims around in the middle of the fish. C/U of man and woman looking through a window into the aquarium. Fish swim past, they point at them as they go by. C/U of diver in the aquarium. He strokes a ray-like fish. He holds out food for the fish. M/S of group of children and parents looking down into the aquarium. A man holds a cine camera to his eye. C/U of the Durban Aquarium box seen earlier. A penguin (?) is inside the box looking out. Someone off screen lifts the penguin out. L/S of the diver climbing into the pool with crowds watching. C/U of a young boy fishing in the sea off the side of a pier or jetty. C/U of woman who walks into frame and looks at the view from the pier. She walks off.

Reel 7. L/S of Butlin and wife at an Ostrich farm. Butlin sits on the back of an Ostrich and goes for a ride! Pretty amusing. He falls off the back. L/S of a more professional Ostrich rider travelling at speed on the back of a bird. L/S lots of Ostriches running out of a pen. Another shot of them running away from the camera. LS of Butlin and wife walking towards the camera with a ranger who wears a feathered hat. The ranger picks up an Ostrich egg and hands it to Billy. C/U of Billy and his wife looking at the egg. Butlin puts the egg on the ground then hangs on to the arm of the ranger and stands on the egg. He sticks one leg out and bends his arm over his head striking a ballet dancer like pose. C/U of his feet as he stands on the egg. Camera tilts up as he sticks his arm and leg out and smiles. C/U of the ranger. C/U of a group of a dozen Ostrich eggs. Ranger bends down and picks one up, handing it to Butlin. L/S of the group walking towards the camera. Three men grab an Ostrich from a large herd and put it in a pen. M/S of a man picking a snake up from the ground. A zoo keeper stands by a plinth with a small dish balanced on top. The snake's mouth is held open whilst the zoo keeper "milks" it of its poison. This is seen in C/U. Various shots of the two men as they milk the snake. L/S of zoo enclosure where a net is being held over the side by several workers. Butlin seen in the background. The net holds a crocodile or alligator. One man jumps into the enclosure as the animal is lowered into the water below. C/U of the croc swimming in his enclosure. M/S of another croc or alligator being lowered and swimming in the moat. Closer shot of the men lifting the net over the side. Animal struggles to get out of the net. Men in the enclosure help to free the animal from the net. C/U of croc chomping on a fish. Various shots of the animals eating. C/U of zoo keeper throwing fish over the side of the enclosure. M/S of men struggling with Ostrich in a pen - Butlin and wife look on - C/U of them laughing. C/U of Ostrich having some sort of knitted headgear put on by the ranger. L/S of landscape with city in distance. Pan down to show Butlin standing with three other men at the top of a dam (?) or perhaps a natural phenomenon. Same shot repeated. M/S of the men looking at the view and talking. C/U of Butlin talking. Various C/Us of Butlin leaning out of a cable car as it travels up a mountain. Interior of some kind of factory. Not clear what process is being demonstrated. Could be something to do with diamond mining. C/U of man looking through magnifying glasses at piles of diamonds. Continued.