|
Another look at miners letting their hair down, in this case by playing roller hockey for Herne Bay United, described at the time of filming as being one of the eight best teams in the country. If anything, its track record has improved since then, its players having been declared British champions most of the years on either side of the new millennium. If the sport has a relatively low profile nationally, this isn't for lack of interest in Herne Bay, which has been synonymous with roller hockey ever since the team was founded in 1924. But if the hockey footage still reflects the town's present activities, the shots of the pier are much more nostalgic. Just over a decade after this film was made, the pier was damaged by severe storms, and declared unsafe in 1968, and another storm caused the pier neck (the section linking the shore to the facilities at the far end) to collapse. The only part that remains usable is the sports centre at the shore end. Constructed in 1976 to replace the old pavilion, its main function is to house the Herne Bay roller hockey team. Michael Brooke
|
Complete film (9:14)
