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  • Short Summary

    Bizarre film showing "Biddy" a man who performs acrobatics in a barrel off the coast of Hastings.

  • Description

    Hastings, Sussex.

    "Biddy" they call this acrobatic "smiler." But perhaps a more appropriate name would be "Tubby." C/U of a man laughing uproariously. He is standing on a beach. M/S of him holding a very large tub. He rolls it around the beach a bit - there is a little rowing boat and a pier in the background. He wades out into the sea with his tub.

    "Hand- balances, whirls - and wettings - form part of his days work." Biddy does a handstand in his tub. He wiggles his legs around. He then balances on the tub with one feet either side and spins the tub around with a paddle. Pretty nutty.

    Was a Pathe Pictorial item.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    876.10
    Media URN:
    14970
    Group:
    Eve pictorials
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    Sound:
    Mute
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Black & White
    Duration:
    00:01:19:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:24:12:00 / 01:25:31:00
    Canister:
    EP 095

Comments (1)

  1. Unknown user says

    What a fantastic film capturing the antics of one of the most famous characters of Hastings - 'Biddy the Tubman'. A young fisherman before the First World War who with two young fellow fisherman used old fishing tubs to ride the waves and perform acrobatics. These were very hard times for fishermen with many being near the bread line so when they started drawing crowds to watch them, Biddy realised he could make a bit of money by doing the antics whilst his mates collected small change from the watchers. Biddy continued after the war right up until the 1950s although he died destitute.

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