This film is part of Free

Out and About

Sandwiched between two typical native spectacles, the flower show and performing animals, the Leeds Carnival brings forth all the rhythms and exuberance of the Caribbean.

Non-Fiction 1979 14 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for Yorkshire Film Archive
Watch for free

Overview

Once again the life of our native land, in all its prosaic glory, is captured from the perspective of the common man, and woman, as roving amateur Leeds filmmaker Ken Leckenby and his wife sample the colourful delights of Springfield Gardens, and bicycling parrots in Scarborough. To top it all, Leeds Caribbean Carnival adds some festivity and theatrics to matters in 1979, the year after being told that, apparently, we are being “swamped by people with a different culture”.

This is one of many films made by amateur filmmaker Ken Leckenby. Ken made a series of films he titled ‘Out and About’, going out most weekends filming local places and events, from the 1960s almost up to Ken’s passing in 1999. He was also a member of the Mercury Movie Makers Cine Club of Leeds, who now have an annual Out and About film competition named after Ken. Ken also filmed the annual West Indian Carnival in Leeds in 1974. The Carnival was the first one of its kind – organised by a black British committee – to be held in Britain. It was started in 1967 by Arthur France who arrived in Leeds from the Caribbean island of Nevis in 1957.

Genres
Non-Fiction
Released
1979
Country
United Kingdom
Location
LeedsScarboroughSpalding
Language
English

Subjects

West Indian community in Great Britain Afro-Caribbean community in Great Britain Carnivals Flower shows Zoos