341-360

341 THE FARMING YEAR, 1955
Long Sutton 1955
c50 min Colour Silent 16mm
Arable Farming scenes, from Spring to Autumn, showing machinery and other equipment in use. A fascinating record of the methods current at the time, with everything from working horses to crop spraying by helicopter.

342 READ’S LAUNDRY
Grantham c1950 – c1970
10.75 min B/W & Colour Silent 16mm
The opening B/W scenes first show plant recently installed in the early 1950’s, and then tour the premises in more detail after their extension and further re-equipment in the later 1950s. Washing, rotary ironing, shirt and collar ironing, and dry cleaning are all seen in progress. Colour scenes, mainly from the mid 1960s, show in detail the hand-finishing of garments after dry-cleaning. Filmed for publicity purposes to impress potential clients, these items now provide a valuable reminder of a type of light industry once common to almost every town.

343 GRANTHAM SCENES 1953-63
Grantham 1953 – 63
30 min Colour Silent 16mm
Many general scenes of the Town, Market, etc, as they were at this period, with specific coverage of various notable events from the Coronation to the Borough Quincentenary Celebrations, the latter featuring a visit by the Queen Mother. 1962 events include the opening of the By-pass, and a visit to Spitalgate by the Duchess of Gloucester.

344 GRANTHAM PANCAKE RACES
Grantham 1970
1.5 min Colour Silent 16mm
Filmed in the year of their introduction, the races took place in Wide Westgate, with events for women, children – and men!

345 GRANTHAM SCOUTS AND CUBS
Grantham & District c1950 – 69
40 min B/W & Colour Silent 16mm
Various St George’s Day Parades, together with much informal material shot over two decades at local rallies, the camp-site on Barkston Heath, and the troop headquarters. Visits by Lord Rowallan, Sir Charles Maclean, and Lord Peter Baden-Powell are included.

346 BELTON & BELVOIR
Belton/Belvoir c1970
3.75 min Colour Silent 16mm
Conventionally attractive scenes taken in the public gardens at Belton House and Belvoir Castle.

347 LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXHIBITION
Scunthorpe 1957
8 min Colour Silent 16mm
A record of the principal stands at the exhibition "A Town Grows Up", mounted in Baths Hall to mark the 21st anniversary of the 1936 Borough Charter. Most shots are virtually static, and no visitors are seen, but many exhibits have an evocative 50s feel, notably the H Bomb poster and Civil Defence equipment, typical home furnishings, and models illustrating house building techniques. Other models show proposed new developments in the town.

348 ROSE BROTHERS PACKING MACHINES
Various 1926
20 min B/W Silent 16mm from 35mm
The packaging of soap powders, tea, toffees, bread, and tobacco products at factories in different parts of the country, using machinery designed and built by Rose Brothers of Gainsborough. Rose Brothers’ own works, including the foundry, are also seen. The many factory interiors are of considerable interest, as are the close-ups of various products, such as Persil, in their 1920s-style packaging.

Note: The original Rose Brothers promotional film (now in the National Film Archive) ran for about 50 minutes. In the early 1970s, the firm produced a 20 minute cut-down version, using a 16mm copy of the 35mm original. Its whereabouts are unknown, but the discarded 16mm scenes survived and have been sorted and reassembled by LHFA to form the present item.

349 STAMFORD DARBY & JOAN CLUB
Stamford, etc 1948-68
28 min Colour Silent 16mm
Various Club activities over a twenty-year period, including the official opening of their new hall, Garden Parties to celebrate Golden Weddings, etc, and a number of outings to Wicksteed Park (Northants) where the pensioners make free with the children’s slides and roundabouts.

350 AEGIR ON THE RIVER TRENT
Gainsborough 1938
1 min B/W Silent 9.5mm
Dredging and widening of the Trent in the late 1930s caused the reappearance of the spectacular tidal bores known as aegirs, or eagres. One of these is seen approaching, passing, and receding.

351 SPILSBY & DISTRICT EVENTS (PEACETIME)
Spilsby & District 1938-39
20 min B/W Silent 16mm
The work of a well-known local resident, Miss Cochrane. (See also Nos 352-6) A procession of Scouts and Guides, the local Dog Show and Carnival, the Christmas Meet of the South Wold Hunt and the Spilsby Steeplechase & Point to Point are featured, together with a wealth of shorter scenes taken at local farms, the market, Firsby Station and at Miss Cochrane’s home.

352 SPILSBY & DISTRICT EVENTS (EARLY WARTIME)
Spilsby & District 1939-40
26 min B/W Silent 16mm
The Territorials prepare to leave on active service, air-raid shelters appear in people’s gardens, a major Civil Defence exercise is held, and the WVS collect aluminium for Spitfires. Sandbags and uniforms are everywhere, but daily life continues as best it can: a Confirmation Service takes place, the local Hunt meets at Partney and there is always work to be done on the farm. At the Grace Swan Memorial Hospital, patients are X-rayed and prepared for theatre, and at the Grammar School the Home Guard muster for a Church Parade. As with No 351, there are also numerous shorter scenes of life in the town and surrounding countryside, which together provide a fascinating picture of a small community making the transition from peace to war.

353 SPILSBY & DISTRICT EVENTS (WARTIME)
Spilsby & District 1941
14 min B/W & Colour Silent 16mm
The Duke of Gloucester pays an unofficial visit, Hampden bombers fly back and forth over the town, and War Weapons Week is held, complete with parades, and demonstrations in the Market Place of the right and wrong ways to extinguish an incendiary bomb.

354 MISS COCHRANE RESERVE COLLECTION
Spilsby & District 1938-41
20 min B/W Silent 16mm
Mainly informal material of family, friends and neighbours filmed in Miss Cochrane’s garden, etc.

355 CIVIL DEFENCE & ARP EXERCISE
Hundleby (Spilsby) 1939
4 min B/W Silent 16mm
Part of a major local exercise held within a few weeks of the outbreak of war to test emergency arrangements. Following an "air raid" a Rescue Party arrives from Skegness to extinguish fires, rescue trapped victims (both dummy and live) using stretchers improvised from sacks, and administer First Aid. (Excerpt from No 352.)

356 GRACE SWAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Hundleby (Spilsby) 1940
2 min B/W Silent 16mm
Outside, the windows are sandbagged: inside, nurses look after patients in the Children’s ward, and take an X ray. In the operating theatre, a patient is etherised and staff are seen at work in masks and gowns. (Excerpt from No 352)

357 DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER OPENS HOSPITAL EXTENSION
Skegness 1939
1.5 min B/W Silent 16mm
Seated on a dais out of doors, the Duchess receives purses of money presented by children on behalf of their schools, scout and guide troops etc.

358 BUTLINS
Skegness 1939
2.5 min B/W Silent 16mm
Outdoor roller skating (including hockey), keep fit exercises, the boating lake, etc., and a brief glimpse of the dance hall which burnt down shortly afterwards.

359 QUEEN MOTHER VISITS GRANTHAM
Grantham 1963
6 min Colour Silent 16mm
Highlight of the Quincentenary Celebrations is a visit by the Queen Mother, who opens new Nurses’ accommodation, and an Old People’s Home. She is cheered by massed schoolchildren in Wyndham Park, visits the recently opened Grantham College and leaves the town by train. (Excerpt from 343.)

360 ON THE FARMS (Part One)
Boston Area 1953
20 min Colour Silent 16mm
A wide variety of scenes on farms owned by S.T.Belton in Boston, Langrick, Heckington and Metheringham. A trip to Ireland to buy cattle is included. The material is of great interest for study, but is clearly the work of a very inexpert cameraman.