At Wessex Film and Sound Archive you can see and hear history, from late Victorian times to the present day, through moving images and sound recordings. The Archive contains over 36,000 film and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including film and tapes of local TV and radio.
This film is part of Free
The Torrens family visits Windsor, Kew and London
Join the Torrens family as they cram in as many sights as possible in their short trip to London - taking in Windsor Castle, Kew Gardens, the Tower of London and polar bears
From the collection of:
Overview
This enjoyable film starts on the Thames at Richmond before moving to Kew Gardens and Hampton Court. After negotiating a maze the family arrives in Windsor where the two boys pose by a Grenadier Guard. Next stop is the polar bear enclosure at London Zoo after which we see the boys in Trafalgar Square. After some window shopping on Regent Street, we board a Thames steamer. From St Paul's we get views of the city before ending at the Tower of London - with beefeaters and ravens.
An Irish born dentist, Robert Torrens lived with his family in Corfe Mullan in Dorset though his dental practise was in nearby Bournemouth. He was also an enthusiastic member of the Bournemouth Amateur Film Society, which began in 1930, and the Bournemouth Camera Club - which was later dubbed Crystal Productions. Amongst his many papers relating to his film making, Torrens left a scrapbbok of cuttings which gives details about the club's films and how they were made and exhibited. The papers tell how Crystal Productions would advertise that they were about to film a certain event and then screen the footage to local audiences.
Related
Not Forgotten - Homes for Disabled Men Not Forgotten - Homes for Disabled Men
Non-Fiction 1928 1 mins Silent Location: Richmond
Countess Haig, beaming, opens a block of flats for disabled ex-service employees at the Poppy Factory in Richmond.
Army VS Empire Rugger Match Army VS Empire Rugger Match
Amateur film 1940 2 mins Silent Location: Richmond
The Army rugby squad take on the Empire team in this fast-paced World War 2 match at Richmond Athletic Ground
Surrey Symphony Surrey Symphony
Travelogue 1949 11 mins Location: Kew
A picturesque look at the attractions in Surrey, including Kew Gardens, Wimbledon and Guildford
The West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire
Travelogue 1911 7 mins Silent Location: York
A chance to see England’s highest waterfall in fall force, a wonderful long gone watermill, and the Shambles in York, pre-tourism.
Ramsgate to Richmond Ramsgate to Richmond
Amateur film 1967 12 mins Silent Location: Ramsgate
Join the jolly crew aboard this cabin cruiser as it journeys from Ramsgate to Richmond in John Clague's fascinating maritime epic
George Cave of Richmond George Cave of Richmond
Non-Fiction 1929 1 mins Silent Location: Richmond
The Prime Minister unveils a memorial tablet at the former home of the late Lord Chancellor at Richmond Palace.
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.