WASP’S NEST

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 6th Year

Issue

Issue No.

10

Date Released

Jun 1953

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1COAL WELL USED
2. 2STOW IT
3. 3YORKSHIRE EXPRESS
4. 4WASP’S NEST

Story

Story No. within this Issue

4 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: ice hockey team the Durham Wasps play a representative England team. Includes a skating demonstration by Alice Smith and Joe Dixon.
NCB Commentary - Durham, cathedral city on the Wear and capital of the northeastern mining community, also has the most northerly ice rink in England.
Naturally, many of the patrons here are miners and their families. The nearest rink northwards is in Edinburgh, and in Manchester to the south, so the Durham rink has a big crowd to cater for.
They’re proud of their ice hockey team too - the Durham Wasps. Tonight, the Wasps are at home to a representative England team. Bob Cartwright, defence man, was three years a Bevin boy; Dave Lammin, putting on his shoulder pads, comes of a mining family.
Play after the face off was even for the first 12 minutes. With England defending the clock end of the ice, both teams ranged up and down looking for openings. At 12 minutes, first blood to England. Then, a minute or two later, a second goal. At 15 minutes of the first period the Wasps, two goald down started their reply. Smith, centre ice, netted their first. One minute later, Earl Carlson, the Wasps captain on the left wing, banged home the equalisser. At 19 minutes of the first period, England drew ahead again with a third goal. Just as the period ended, right at the 20 minute mark, they pushed home another. Wasps 2, England 4.
In the intervals at Durham, exhibition skating is the order of the day. Here are Alice Smith with her partner Joe Dixon, now British junior amateur pairs skating champions, who delighted the 5,000 crowd.
During the second period of ice hockey, the neck to neck fight went on, and the teams entered the third period Wasps 5, England 6.
Now, in the third and final period, the fireworks started. After 20 seconds, Wasps equalised through Thompson at centre ice. 6 all. At 10 minutes, halfway through the period, Carlson put the Wasps ahead, making it 7-6.
With seven minutes left for play, England equalised again. Sevel all, and it still looked like a drawn game. By now, the crowd were really shouting. And here it comes, the winner for Wasps at the 19th minute, slammed home by Carlson again, who played a real captain’s game.
With the Wasps on form like this, we’ll be hearing more of this promising bunch.

Researcher Comments

BFI sources suggest that this story was filmed from the 13th to the 14th February 1953. Commentary recorded 4 May 1953.

Keywords

Sport; Entertainment and leisure; Competitions; Winter sports

Locations

England; Durham; County Durham

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
Film User   Vol.8 No.87 January 1954, p32.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Camera

Alan Hewison

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Support services

Eric Pask

Camera

John Gunn

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Director

Peter Pickering

Camera

Ronald Bicker

Camera

Wolfgang Suschitzky