Made by Lucy Fairbank, this film contains footage of the Colne Valley area near Huddersfield. It captures the landscape and local activities throughout the seasons of the late 1950s and includes extensive footage of the buildings, towns, countryside and residents. Title-About Miss Lucy Fairbank and the Camera Looks Down on Colne Valley, a family she made after retiring from teaching the infants at Linthwaite Council School. Title-Lucy Fairbank was one of the first amateur cinematographers in...

Made by Lucy Fairbank, this film contains footage of the Colne Valley area near Huddersfield. It captures the landscape and local activities throughout the seasons of the late 1950s and includes extensive footage of the buildings, towns, countryside and residents. Title-About Miss Lucy Fairbank and the Camera Looks Down on Colne Valley, a family she made after retiring from teaching the infants at Linthwaite Council School. Title-Lucy Fairbank was one of the first amateur cinematographers in the Colne Valley and filmed Valley life and landscape on 16mm film between 1934 and 1962. After retiring she spent many of the good days of the late 1950s walking with friends and a cine camera through townships and byways of the valley. The camera looks down on the Colne Valley was the result, a film which she hoped would interest future generations. Title-In 1974 she passed this and other films into the custody of Ian Baxter of Linthwaite with the intention that they could be shown to interested groups in the future. The film has not been edited since Miss Fairbank completed it, other than the addition of explanatory titles in 2002. Title-The camera looks down on Colne Valley. Sign - Slaithwaite In Slaitwaite a steam train passes through the valley and then there are shots of the valley, the industrial mills and the stone houses. Sign - Black O'dam In the centre of town a bus pulls in and a child with a bike poses for the camera. There are views across the village showing the houses and the chimneys pumping smoke. Title - Filling the Canal, 1956. The canal is being filled in and there are before and after shots of the work and the final result. There is also a brief shot of a steeplejack climbing a chimney. Title - and now in 1957. There are shots of the city centre where there are locals seated on a bench. This is followed by footage of the canal. Sign - Slaithwaite Centenary Methodist Chapel - Order of Services Sunday Morning 10:30 am Evening 6pm Title - St. James's Church. Slaithwaite Title - June 22, 1957. Marriage of Mr. Stanley Gordon Downey, and Miss Mary Lindsay Crowther at St James's Church, Slaithwaite. There are more shots of the village and the residents and of a local wedding. The guests walk up to St James's Church; the men are dressed top hats and tails and the women in colourful dresses. The bridesmaids and page boy walk up to the church, followed by the bride and her father. After the ceremony the couple exit the church where they pose under an arch made from hockey sticks that are being held up by the ushers. More shots show the bridal party and guests leaving the church. Title-A walk up Crimble Clough. The next shots show the countryside and a large factory in the middle of it. There are shots of a small toddler who stands with his family, as well as shots of other children and some of the houses in the valley. Title- Barrett. Shots from throughout the village including the traffic and the stone buildings. Title-Wilberlee A girl walks across a field with several geese; there are several shots of the village. Two motorbikes, a motorbike with a sidecar and a double decker bus drive through the village. Title-The picturesque hamlet of Ainley Place. There are shots of wide, open fields, many old, stone buildings on the hill, the village streets and the locals. Some women stand outside a front gate talking. Title-Bradshaw. A woman walks up a lane away from the camera. Title-Goat Hill There are shots of the hills and a brief shot of a house with a small farm yard behind it. Title-Shred, Upper Slaithwaite. Some women walk up the small road towards some stone buildings; one of them has `1845' engraved on it. The following shot is of a woman in a field petting a dog. Title-At Cop Hill. An older couple are standing outside a house and staring at the camera. This is followed by shots of the Rose & Crown Inn. Title-Merrydale- A beauty spot of long ago. There are shots across a valley and then some shots of children swimming and playing in the river. The following shots capture the villagers in and around their houses and the surrounding hills. Title-Slaithwaite Hall. A road runs along beside an old stone cottage, possibly Slaithwaite Hall, and a young girl walks along the road towards the camera carrying a puppy. In the following shot an older woman stands on the verge at the side of a road and picks something. Then a steam train makes its way through the valley in a built up area and on both side of the tracks there are factories with large chimneys and rows of stone cottages. Title-Slaithwaite. A sign on a road reads `Slatihwaite' and there is a shot of a lake with the village visible on the opposite side. Some children walk along a country road towards the camera; one of the children is on a pony. Title - Two Gates There is a road with houses along the side, and a girl walks up the winding road. Title-Holme. A young boy and girl walk hand in hand along a road towards the camera. A woman carries a bucket of water towards her house. Title-O' Cot. There is a farm house visible up on the hillside where a woman hangs laundry out on a line. In the next shot, a young boy herds cattle along a country road. Title-Up to Pickle Top. There are shots of the area showing the rolling hills, some cows and houses. Title-An important landmark-The North Regional Wireless Station. A big, square building with a tall aerial is fenced off from a road by a big wall. A girl with a dog walks along the road beside the wireless station. Title-Up to Lin Lingards. The next few shots depict the residents of the local area; they smile and pose for the camera. Title-Holthead. There is a sign on a building which reads `Holthead General Sunday School' and another sign reads `Erected 1840 by Voluntary Subscription'; this is followed by a lingering shot of the school. There are shots from throughout the village including a car and van driving along the road and some of the locals. Two women and a girl pose for the camera; the girl has a kitten in her arms. There are also shots of some older women walking along the country road past the camera and three younger women out with their prams. In the next shot there is a building with a sign which reads `Dyers Arms Free House'; a young man cycles along the road past it. Outside a large, white-washed house, several older men and women stand and pose for the camera; they smile and talk. A dog runs over to them and sits down at their feet and in the next shot one of the women is in a field hand feeding some sheep. Title-Up on Deer Hill. A Beetle-style car drives along a country road and then a woman, most likely a friend of the filmmaker is out walking along track beside a lake or reservoir. There is a shot taken from up on the hill looking down onto the fields and the village. Title-Scammonden. Title-Nearby is the far-famed Pole Moor Chapel, -the `tabernacle of the hills'. Shots of some stone buildings and churches on a hill and following this is a shot of a women holding a puppy in each hand and smiling at the camera. Title-Nont Sarah's-the famous moorland hostelry. Nont Sarah's Hotel is visible at the top of a hill. Title-Down the lovely Deanhead Valley. An extensive shot shows the filmmaker's friend wandering down country paths over small stone bridges and passing other travellers. There are views of various buildings. Title - Deanhead Church There is a shot of the church and surrounding grounds. Sign - Deanhead St. Bartholomew's Church, Deanhead, Day and Sunday Schools Anniversary and Re-opening after Decoration Sunday, June 22ne, 1958. Preacher: Vicar. Title - Dull, grey skies on the Anniversary at Deanhead Church, June 22nd, 1958. Title-Anniversary Deanhead 1958 on a cloudy day. Lingering shots of a large crowd of people walking up to the church for an anniversary service; they all smile at the camera as they go by. Title-Marsden-western border village of Colne Valley. The action then cuts to show the women at the Brown Cow Hotel before moving to Marsden to show the mills and factories. Title-Drop Clough. There are shot of some children paddling in the stream. This is followed by a sign for Lingards Wood Bottom Sunday School Raised in Subscription 1863. Title-St. Barthelemew's Church. The church is visible is the next few shots and so is the filmmaker's friend. Sign - Marsden Congregational Church Shot of the church. Title - The villagers are proud of their little park. Following this title is footage of the park as well as a shot of a steam train passing through the valley and extensive views of the surrounding landscape. Title-Easter Gate. There are extensive views of the town of Marsden including the factories as they pump out smoke, the shops, a park, a church and the railway. Title-Wessenden-`The Lake District of Colne Valley'. A large lake is situated within the hills; a dam is set in the middle. Nearby children play and the filmmaker's friend walks around the area and visits a farm, before there is a shot of her sitting by the edge of a lake. Title- Golcar. Two little boys pose as they lick lollipops; the town is visible in the background. There are many shots of the houses set into the picturesque countryside. Title-Wellhouse is a quiet bit of Golcar. There are shots of the surrounding landscape and then three teenage girls walk down a lane to the front of a house. They are dressed in 1950s style American teenage clothes and carry guitars. They put on an impromptu rock n' roll performance for the camera, playing, singing and dancing before the leave, waving to the camera. Title-Whitsuntide 1956. The traditional procession at Wellhouse. The next scene is set in Golcar at Whitsuntide. People congregate in the village and then walk in a procession along the country roads lead by a brass band. When they stop they sing hymns conducted by a man who stands in front of them. Following this are shots of some children playing: some take rides on a donkey while others take part in sports races at the local school. Title-Across the valley is the quaint village of Golcar. There is footage of the village. Title-The long-windowed upper rooms of the old cottages remind us of the days of Shots of an old, stone building, village streets and houses. Title - On the hill is St. John's church. Shot of the church. Title-Scapegoat Hill is the windswept region above Golcar. There are shots taken from of a distance looking down onto a built-up area; the railway track, houses, factories and church spires are all visible from the hills. There are many views of the area and local landmarks such as Scapegoat Hill and its Baptist Chapel, erected 1899. Sign - Drummer Lane A bus drives up the lane. Title-Up to Westwood. After more shots of the valley the film moves up to Westwood where the filmmaker films local children and families who smile and pose for the camera. Two boys push bicycles wheels down the hilly road. Sign - Linthwaite Title-Manchester Road, the busy thoroughfare leading to Linthwaite. There are many extensive shots of the surrounding area including. Title - Christ Church, Linthwaite. Shots of the church are followed by the front page of the Colne Valley Guardian for Friday, November 7th, 1958. One of the headlines reads, "Colne Valley High School - Its Aims, Scope, and Present Accommodation. Title - Cole Valley High School At Colne Valley High School, the local school masters and mistress stand together outside the village's secondary school in black cloaks; they smile at the camera and talk to each other. A group of school girls in pastel coloured school dresses stand in a line and sing while a school mistress conducts them. They then perform what looks like a short drama piece and some various dances. In the next few shots there are children playing on a concrete playground and girls practicing formation Maypole, country dancing and Morris dancing. Title - A favourite walk is to Blackfoot. There is a lake and each beach area which is followed by a shot of two boys riding horses down a tree-lined avenue. Title - Panorama from Blackmoorfoot. An extensive sequence shows the surrounding countryside. Title At Black Rock House There are views of the house and the garden's rose beds. Two women are in the garden and pose for the camera. There is also a little baby and young girl who play in the gardens. Title - The 16th Century Linthwaite Hall. Footage of the building is followed by shots of a Methodist Church which is a slightly rundown building. Two little boys stand with posies in their hands. At a nearby farm a toddler walks around in the grass with some kid goats. A young boy from a band walks down street towards the camera carrying an instrument; he starts to play it. Title-Now! Don't you think our Colne Valley is lovely? Title-The End.