Set up in 1977, the North West Film Archive preserves moving images made in or about Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria and offers a variety of access services to users in the public, academic and commercial sectors.
This film is part of Free

Time
When you're waiting for the emergency call, time goes by so slowly...
From the collection of:

Overview
Time passes very slowly when you're a firefighter waiting for the emergency call. When the siren sounds, though, it's action stations - down the pole, into the vehicle, don the gear, and off and away! This short film featuring members of 'A' Division of Greater Manchester Fire Service shows us just how a firefighter's day can unfold.
Related

Shuttered Windows Shuttered Windows
Charity appeal 1934 8 mins Location: Southport
Windows of opportunity: how a charity aimed to improve the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

Bubbles Bubbles
Advert 1928 10 mins Silent Location: Salford
Watching the soaps in Salford, the "birthplace of a billion bubbles".

Preston Ladies Football and T.A. Volunteers Preston Ladies Football and T.A. Volunteers
Amateur film 1945 11 mins Silent Location: Preston
Playing the beautiful game - the ladies from Lancashire demonstrate their skills.

The Lancashire Way The Lancashire Way
Advert 1948 4 mins Location: Nelson
A tribute to Lancashire, land of industry, leisure, sublime landscape - and laundry detergent

A Mosque in the Park A Mosque in the Park
Documentary 1973 54 mins Location: Brentford
An insightful and understated television documentary following the lives of four Muslim families in Brentford, Manchester and Harrow.

Manchester Ship Canal Manchester Ship Canal
1962 11 mins Location: Salford
Tugs and pilot draw a cargo-ship along the Manchester Ship Canal to the Port of Manchester, 36 miles inland.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.

Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.

Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.

Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.