Enjoy a glimpse of history through old images of Bracknell in Berkshire, England, UK.
Bracknell is a town of 83,000 people located in the south east corner of the English county of Berkshire, close to the border with Surrey.
Originally just a village, Bracknell found itself allocated as a ‘New Town’ by Local Authority (Council) town planners in 1949. Consequently its population and buildings have grown rapidly into a large town, absorbing many small communities into its suburbs.
Because it’s just 34 miles west of Central London and is surrounded by wooded countryside, the town enjoys high levels of employment, is home to many leading UK companies, and is relatively wealthy compared to many parts of England.
But the 1960s shopping centre was falling out of favour so in 2017 The Lexicon Centre was opened as part of a £750 million pound regeneration by the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (comprising Legal and General and Schroder) and Bracknell Forest Council.
Police Recruitment Film: 1973
This Police recruitment film, ‘Anything Can Happen’, is absolutely hilarious. It shows how much of the profession has changed.
There’s talk of getting to know the area, including the ‘local cars’.
Plus, as a serving police officer, a house came with the job!
Much of what the officers say would get them sacked these days. If you’re a woman thinking about signing up? Well, a WPC driving the little police car was breaking the glass ceiling!
Worth watching for comedy value alone, but also shows a variety of local places back in 1973.
Anything Can Happen 1973 – YouTube
Bracknell Old Photos: 1950s
A video showcasing a selection of black and white photos takes us back to the New Town’s major developments of the 1950s.
Bracknell 1950s pictures – YouTube
Duke of Edinburgh Visits Bracknell: 1955
This footage from the British Pathé shows the Duke of Edinburgh visiting Berkshire in 1955.
First, he arrives at Farley Hall, a Grade 1 listed house dating from 1729, which nestles in the heart of the Berkshire countryside at Farley Estate. There, H. M. Lieutenant for Berkshire, Mr. H. A. Benyon, received the Duke.
Next, the Duke tours the factory of Tyrrel Holland & Co. Ltd, high class tailors.
Then the new Cricket Club Pavilion is officially opened by the Duke who unlocks the door.
The next stop is the Fluidrive Engineering Co. Here the Duke tours the factory.
Now the Duke visits 6, Lindenhill Road, home of Mr and Mrs Wells. Mr Wells works as a machine operator in one of Bracknell’s new factories.
Then the Duke plans a tree to commemorate his visit.
Finally, the Duke of Edinburgh completes his official visit by laying the foundation stone of the new Church buildings. The Bishop of Oxford officiates this event.
Lots of people watch, and we see clips of local housing.
Duke Visits Bracknell (1955) – YouTube
Miss Agness Barker’s 100th Birthday : 1956
Miss Agnes Barker celebrated her 100th birthday in 1956. British Pathé recorded the old lady sitting in bed, attended by her niece Miss F. Barker to the left, and Mrs E. Kitchen on her right.
She holds the large greetings telegram sent to her by Queen Elizabeth II, who had become the reigning monarch four years previously and in 1956 was about 30 years old.
English Old Ladies (1956) – YouTube
16 Meadow Way: 1965
Denis Godliman filmed this short 1 minute clip on his cine camera. The filming was also undertaken at 16 Meadow Way Bracknell.
The baby filmed at the tail end of the video is Anthony Willis, son of Molly and Alan Willis.
Whilst this is a short clip of a family event, it’s a nice record of the people who lived in Meadow Way in the 1960s.
Margaret & Rodney Allen’s Wedding, Bracknell 1965 – YouTube
Bracknell Folk & Roots Festival: 1988
In the 1980s South Hill Park was the venue for the popular annual Bracknell Folk & Roots Festival.
This half hour programme, digitised from a VHS video, records some of the 1988 festival and interviews some of the event’s artists.
Includes Maddy Prior & June Tabor who performed as the Silly Sisters, Hungary’s Marta Sebestyen & Muzsikas, Roy Bailey & Leon Rosselson, kora masters Dembo Konte & Kausu Kuyateh, and some traditional morris and clog dances.
Two Thousand Folk: Bracknell Festival 1988 – YouTube
Met Office QA Lab in Bracknell: 1990
This video was produced for the UK Met Office in 1990, but was shelved because of sound and visual quality issues.
It covers the work of the Quality Assurance Laboratory based in Western Road, which later moved to Exeter and was ultimately disbanded.
The museum instruments shown in the final scenes later transferred to the Science Museum’s reserve collection storage facility at Wroughton, Wiltshire.
Met Office QA Lab Bracknell 1990 – YouTube
Reorganisation Breakfast in GSD
Photos of a breakfast to celebrate the new reorganization in GSD.
Bracknell, U.K. – YouTube
Bracknell Festival: 1994
This is a 1994 home video of a performance at the Bracknell Festival in South Hill Park.
From the Ruins – Bracknell Festival 1994 – YouTube
Flooded Berkshire: 2007
A video from July 2007 shows the traffic struggling through water logged roads.
Flooded Berkshire – YouTube
Michael Schumacher At Mercedes Factory HQ: 2009
At an official event at the Mercedes HQ, Ross Brawn and Nick Fry formally announced the new driver, Michael Schumacher.
Michael Schumacher Mercedes Factory HQ Bracknell Berkshire – YouTube
Queen Bees On South Today: 2010
The elite ice hockey team, the Bracknell Queen Bees, featured on South Today in June 2010.
Queen Bees – South Today – YouTube
Bracknell Town Centre: 2013
In 2013, work started on overhauling Bracknell’s 1960s town centre. Many of the structures would disappear or change beyond recognition.
This first home video from June 2013 was made after the shops had closed but before the bulldozers arrived.
Bracknell Town Centre Before the Bulldozers – YouTube
Starting with the noisy escalators in Charles Square, this second home movie from the same summer captures the fountain which was also a clock.
1970s SHAKE RATTLE & ROLL escalators & clock fountain(lol) – YouTube
More Pictures of Old Bracknell
Old Bracknell in Berkshire, England, enjoyed through historic photos, vintage pictures & archive film. Browse history in these fascinating old images of a bygone era on my Pinterest board at:
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LocalHistoryVideos/bracknell-old-photos-pictures
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