Working the Sea

The book

A very special book was launched on May 1st 2015. All I Ever Wanted by Christin Hardy and is the life story of Sidmouth’s last commercial fisherman, Mr Stan Bagwell. All profits are donated to the Fishermen’s Mission. You can find more information here.

The Film

Working the Sea: A film about Sidmouth’s Fishing and Coastal Heritage.

Our new film is about Sidmouth’s fishing heritage from between the wars until present day, glimpsed through the focus of a well-known local fishing family, the Bagwells. Through personal stories, it touches on the changes in fishing and the coastal landscape and brings us up to date as we meet some contemporary users of the beach.

We are grateful for the visionary support we have received from the Sid Vale Association Keith Owen Fund and East Devon AONB, without whose grants we would not have been able to make this film.

Video

Director of Photography Simon Vacher, Narrator Tara Griefenberg, Editor Simon Vacher, Written, Directed & Produced by Jo Stewart-Smith.
A Butterfly Effects Film for Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub CIC.
‘Working the Sea’ tells the story of Sidmouth’s fishing heritage by following one resilient family, the Bagwells, from the war years onwards through romance and tragedy. As the women in the family pick up the pieces, it also weaves contemporary users of the coast (from the lifeboat to the sailing club) into the narrative. Ultimately this is a film about community spirit and how a mutual love of and respect for the sea draws people together.

 ‘This stunning film: fascinating and inspiring, funny and humbling is a powerful reminder how lucky we are on the coast’ – Louise Cole, Director Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub.