The Worcestershire town of Redditch was once known for its fishing tackle and needle industries. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the building of the Kingfisher Centre was to radically change the local shopping facilities. This selection of old film clips show a variety of times, places and people over the past half…
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Old Images of Bamburgh in Northumberland
Bamburgh may only be a small village in Northumberland and home to barely 400 people, but it has a proud and significant past. Between the beach and the village rises an impressive castle, which quickly caught the eyes of filmmakers. While it has more recently hosted film crews for Macbeth, Transformers and Indiana Jones movies,…
Berwick-upon-Tweed in old images
Berwick-upon-Tweed was caught on camera many times over the past century, preserving a record of the historic Northumberland town and its inhabitants. Berwick’s Time Machine The Time Travel Artist James Fox uses illustrations and old photos of Berwick to take us back in time. Watch as the high street of 2018 changes and morphs into…
Bygone days of Craster in Northumberland
Given how few houses sit nestled against the sea in the Northumberland village of Craster, it’s surprising to discover old footage of the settlement and its activities. But then, it’s a place that has beauty, history and tradition for the visitor to admire. 1953 Craster In this lovely 1950s short film about Northumberland’s towns and…
Old images of Rothbury, Northumberland
Famed for its annual traditional music festival which began in 1969, and the nearby National Trust property of Craghall, Rothbury is a pretty market town in rural Northumberland, which attracts ever larger numbers of visitors. Old Photos of Rothbury This is a lovely collection of old photos and images showing the people and places in…
Cheltenham in the Olden Days
Take a step back in time with these archive films and old home movie clips, showing the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham in the past. Edwardian Cheltenham This is fascinating footage of Cheltenham at a time when the earliest cars are outnumbered by bicycles and pedestrians, and the long skirts of ladies are above their ankles…
Old Film Clips of Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Take a step back in time with these short films capturing aspects of life in Haywards Heath during the twentieth century. Ardingly College School Steeplechase (1934) Almost 70 boys took part in the 1934 annual Ardingly College School Steeplechase. The course was three and a half miles of fields and streams. Over – Or In…
Archive film & Old Photos of Nuneaton
The Warwickshire market town of Nuneaton is home to more than 90,000 people, making it the largest town in Warwickshire. Known as ‘Etone’ in the Domesday Book, the settlement has a rich recorded history. One of the country’s finest authors, George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) was born here. Unfortunately archive film and old photos don’t…
Clacton-on-Sea in the Old Days
Take a step back in time with these twentieth century film clips from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. Masonic Ceremony (1910-1919) Freemasons in their full regalia lead a procession of clergy and choirboys. Then the foundation stone of St James’s Church is laid with Masonic rights. Masonic Ceremony (1910-1919): British Pathé (YouTube) Clacton Beach (1920-1929) Although this…
The Postwar Era of Harwell Village
In this fascinating 1947 newsreel from British Pathé, we see how the village and community of Harwell Village had to cope with the nuclear facility suddenly erected in their neighbourhood. When this newsreel opens, we’re in a quiet rural community. Farmers and horse trainers in the fields, small children walking along deserted lanes, and centuries…
