Amateur home movie compilation by George Pennington, owner of Cosy Coaches in Meadowfield, County Durham, filmed around 1952. Includes footage of celebrations in Brandon, either as part of the touring 1951 Festival of Britain, or the Brandon Gala; a portrait of the Browney Juniors A.F.C. and their awards; a wedding and reception at the Redhills Hotel, Durham; the visit of H.R.H. Princess Margaret to Durham; the Reading of the Proclamation at Durham; the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate...

Amateur home movie compilation by George Pennington, owner of Cosy Coaches in Meadowfield, County Durham, filmed around 1952. Includes footage of celebrations in Brandon, either as part of the touring 1951 Festival of Britain, or the Brandon Gala; a portrait of the Browney Juniors A.F.C. and their awards; a wedding and reception at the Redhills Hotel, Durham; the visit of H.R.H. Princess Margaret to Durham; the Reading of the Proclamation at Durham; the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the restoration of the Durham monument to the Third Marquis of Londonderry in Durham featuring Bernard Montgomery, 1st Vicount Montgomery of Alamein; a trip to York during the week of the Mystery Plays; Durham College's rag week parade and a family trip to Blackpool Illuminations. The film opens with a brief shot of a cricketer hitting a ball. Portrait shot of two women posing at the prizes presentation table. A young goalkeeper fields players' shots at a football net. Brief shot from the finish line of a sprint race on a works or school sports field. People are gathered around a small table with a sign advertising “Goal Kicking Competition.” Portrait shot of men judging competitions, smiling to camera. Boys sprint towards the finish line at a race. Some boys have a pillow fight on a ‘greasy pole.’ Young girls run towards the finish line in an egg and spoon race. Men in fancy dress and ‘drag’ outfits play in a comic football match with a lot of rough and tumble on the field. Some of the men from the football match are lounging on the grass and sipping drinks from bottles. A man in a skirt carries a crate with signage “Woods” and swigs from a drinks bottle. In the foreground, a seated man wears a comic bowler hat and grins at camera. Another group of the men lounge on the grass, one bare chested and swigging back drink from a glass bottle. The comic football match continues. Pan along lines of smiling spectators behind a rope barrier at the edge of the sports area. A man in striped pyjamas hands a football to another man in fancy dress with a skirt around his ankles. In the next shot a group of the players haul off one of the men. The scene cuts to a medium close shot of a man in a bonnet riding with two schoolboys on a horse-drawn cart that sports a sign reading “Darham Jane.” Speeches are given to the crowd at the sports day. [cataloguer’s note: next film sequence a dark blue] A ceremony takes place and a group of men in suits addresses a crowd. A man makes a speech at a microphone. Shot of the seated crowd at an opening ceremony, the front row taken up by VIP guests including the Mayor seated next to a man in a pinstripe suit and checked dickey bow tie. Next, there is a shot of the women guests. A man makes a speech at a microphone and then cuts a ribbon. A row of men with the Mayor in ceremonial chains stand outside a 1930s glass and brick building. Portrait of VIP guests, men in suits, with the Mayor seated. Brief shot of a man at a microphone. [Cataloguer’s note: end of blue sequence of film.] The next sequence returns to the comic and chaotic football match, where one of the men in fancy dress attacks a dismembered mannequin leg with an axe. A pantomime style horse or dog romps along a street, watched by bemused children and adults. There are more shots of the comic football match. Two men have a pillow fight on the ‘greasy pole.’ One falls off. A group of men in suits pose at the doorway to the 1930s glass brick doorway of Brandon Industries London Ltd. Title: Brandon A military brass band marches past. A horse-drawn carriage with three women passengers in white dresses and headdress drives along the street in Brandon. A distinguished man dressed in formal black suit, flower in buttonhole, white shirt and walking stick, looks towards camera as a parade of people in both everyday and fancy dress march by in the background. The parade heads toward camera along a street of terraced houses in Brandon, fronted by a ‘blacked-up’ man dressed in a stereotype fancy dress Zulu outfit. Spectators at the sports field stand behind the rope barrier at the sports field. The next sequence depicts various men, women and children’s races. Two women laugh and pose for camera. A men’s long distance race takes place. Group portrait of men in the crowd of onlookers, dressed up for the occasion, one smoking a pipe. Three men stand at a microphone. Various shots of the event follow. A woman serves at a fairground stand lit up by bulbs. In the next sequence, there are various portrait shots of four young girls in long white dresses, ribbons and tiaras in their hair, accompanied by a young woman in a similar long white dress. (Could be fancy dress outfits?) Group shot of three men in fancy dress. One carries a sign painted with a verse: “Over the …..Cothy says I’m in the Mout. For a All Me Hairs Are Comeing Out.” A close up of the sign follows. Pan along a row of men and women in facy dress, including two women in Hawaiian outfits of grass skirts and bikini tops, flowers in their hair, and a tattooed man in a grass skirt. Various shots of the crowd watching, a policeman in one shot. Children pose in their fancy dress outfits, one dressed in a 1951 Festival of Britain emblem outfit in white, blue and red. The small boy next to her wears fancy dress promoting road safety, with a black hooded outfit with sign “GO SLO” and “Keep Death Off Roads. Teach them Road Sense." Various shots of the young children lined up in fancy dress. Three beauty queens in ball gowns and flower corsages are seated in an open back truck at the parade. Group portrait shot of the beauty queens on the sports field in very windy weather, followed by individual portrait shots of the three women. Portrait shot of a child on a pony. Various shots follow of fancy dress contestants and the crowds attending the event. Portrait shot of two female nurses and three policemen at the event. A horse race takes place at a makeshift track around a field. Children and teenagers ride on a carousel. Title: Browney Juniors A.F.C. Group portrait of a crowd of children and adults, posing, jostling, smiling for camera, and a man in the centre holding a large prize winners cup. Formal group portrait of the Browney Juniors football team and associates, a small boy seated at the feet of the captain who holds the prize-winners cup. At the team's feet, and lined up in a long row, are the many awards, shields and cups that the team has won. A man displays the prize cup to the crowd. The next scenes show a wedding in Durham. Three women guests and a bridesmaid walk from a building. A bride walks through an old Durham street with her father. The bride and guests pose for photos. Male and female guests are at the Redhills Hotel for the wedding reception. The film cuts to shots of the Durham City Bowling Club men in action, with a Cosy Coaches bus in the background. [Some of the following footage of the royal visit very underexposed.] Title: The Visit of H.R.H. Princess Margaret A motorcade of cars carrying Princess Margaret and other members of the royal party drive into Durham. Title: Reading of the Proclamation at Durham This sequence records a civic ceremony attended by the Mayor, civic dignitaries, armed services, and crowds of spectators, and includes raising the Union Jack flag, a procession, and the civic party leaving Durham Cathedral. (?) Title: ‘The Hoss’ A record of the unveiling by the eighth Marquess of Londonderry metal plaque to commemorate the restoration of the over-life size equestrian statue of the Third Marquis of Londonderry above a large sandstone pedestal in the centre of Durham's Market Place. Councillors and the Mayor of Durham are in attendance at the ceremony and speeches are made. Those in attendance include Bernard Montgomery, 1st Vicount Montgomery of Alamein. The party are seen leavind Durham Cathedral. Title: York Title: The week of the Mystery Play Shots of York Minster. [overexposed black and white footage] Women pose with two men in military uniform and one in civilian dress in front of a bus from the County Durham firm, Cosy Coaches. Portrait of group of women on a Cosy Coaches bus tour, with York Minster in the background. Shots of the Mystery Play procession through a York street. [out of focus] Shot of Cosy Coaches advertising on the side of a bus. Title: Durham University Rag Week Black and white sequence that records the Durham University Rag Week procession through the streets with students in a range of interesting costumes riding on decorated floats and trucks, which include one marked “Hell” and another celebrating “Festival of Britain B.R.M.” The film then returns to scenes of the gala in Brandon with shots of a brass band, a policeman at the event, the parade, many children in fancy dress costume, various sports day events and races. Women in athletics gear arrange themselves into a line for a group portrait. A long distance race takes place. A band plays on a raised stage. A crowd of mainly children with some adults are pictured, followed by a shot of a Punch and Judy booth and puppets. Portrait shot of two children in fancy dress. Group shot of crowd of spectators. Shot of the bike races at the event. [A sequence of very underexposed footage follows.] Further shots of the parade with brass band and beauty queen in a carriage. Portrait shot of the beauty queen. More shots of the fancy dress outfits. Shot of a large advertisement for Road Safety. The next scenes depict a family trip to Blackpool and the Illuminations. The family walk on the Blackpool seafront parade, the Blackpool Tower visible in the background. A sequence of shots of the displays at Blackpool Illuminations including an illuminated tram celebrating "Progress." The final section of this film features a woman holding a baby girl in the back garden of a house. A group family portrait of different generations of the family follows, which include a man holding the baby, and a young boy standing in front.