This amateur film was made by a Wakefield-based businessman, and is a chronicle of the Alverthorpe Community Association Carnival in the summer of 1952. The filmmaker often filmed scenes from life around where he and his family lived and managed to capture the spirit of such events like this on film. Highlights of the day included the procession, the hard work that both the local community and companies, such as Tetley Brewery from Leeds, put into the floats that entertained the crowds. The...

This amateur film was made by a Wakefield-based businessman, and is a chronicle of the Alverthorpe Community Association Carnival in the summer of 1952. The filmmaker often filmed scenes from life around where he and his family lived and managed to capture the spirit of such events like this on film. Highlights of the day included the procession, the hard work that both the local community and companies, such as Tetley Brewery from Leeds, put into the floats that entertained the crowds. The film opens with a shot of a shop front with `F. Wilkinson' on it. This is followed by a long shot taken from above the road looking down onto a parade. A brass band march past the large crowd of people that have gathered. Following this is what appears to be a May Queen parade, with a girl in a white dress, surrounded by other women in dresses and being brought along in a cart with a throne. Behind them is a procession of children pushing flower-covered prams and bikes and dressed up in a variety of costumes. Behind them drive more floats with decorations and more people in costumes. There are horses pulling the throne cart, some army cadets walking beside it and lots of men, women and children pushing flower covered prams and bikes as well as others who are dressed in costumes. Behind them come some floats with decorations and more people in costume Following this are shots from a small carnival in a field. Children play on swings, gather around a balloon stall and feed ponies. There is a shot from one side of the field looking all the way to the other side; marquees have been set up. There are shots of a football match starting in one field and then the scene cuts to another field where lots of people wander around and sit around enjoying the carnival. There is a final brief shot of the residents of an estate standing along the side of their road, smiling at the camera. The next section is in black and white. Men and women stand along a road and watch a marching band go by and this is followed by some cars and a parade of children in fancy dress. The many floats are pulled along by horses and contain some interesting scenes floats; people playing instruments, Sleeping Beauty floats, and shop floats. There is a sign which reads `Alverthorpe Community Association Carnival, Grassmere Road Field, Saturday 12th July 1952'. Lots of cars, carts and pedestrians go along the road; many of the children in the procession are in costumes. There is a shot of a group of women wearing elegant, white dresses with cloaks; they look like the May Queen and her attendants. There are shots of many other floats and costumes including a car that looks like a boat, a lorry that has been made to look like a castle and a float with the stork and some young girls dressed as fairies. There are many more shots of the numerous floats, costumes, horses, carts and spectators. Another group of what appear to be the May Queen and her attendants, pose for the camera and then there are shots taken from the side of the road capturing the carnival procession as it makes it way towards the camera.