This film incorporates surviving fragments of a documentary about Drumalla House and the work which went on there. The retreat in Carnlough was run by the Belfast Girls Club Union and gave underprivileged young women and children the chance to escape the harshness of inner city life, particularly from working in the mills, to enjoy time together on the coast.

The lady introducing the piece is Sadie Patterson, a formidable defender of female working rights who had spent a lifetime campaigning for better pay and conditions for Belfast’s large number of female factory workers. She successfully established trade unions, led strikes, won victories over mill owners, was a central figure in the Northern Ireland Labour Party and was involved in the Peace People during the 1970s.

Sadly, only parts of this documentary survive, but we get to see the contrast between the inner city and the peacefulness of the retreat, with Sadie busying in the background keeping things organised. There is also an interview with another lady associated with Drumalla House, Miss SF Heron.