This film is part of Free
Farmer Jenkins' Visit to the White City
A fascinating visual record of London's White City fairground, in which an elderly couple experience some bizarre rides.
Overview
An elderly country yokel and his wife visit the fairground at London's White City where they enjoy themselves on a number of bizarre rides. These amusements include a roller coaster mountain ride (complete with frontal point-of-view shots), wicker dodgem cars, the dizzying Flip-Flap and something called the Wiggle Woggle. A fascinating visual record of a once-popular London attraction.
The White City was built on farmland in the Shepherd's Bush area of London to house both the Franco-British Exhibition and the Olympic Games of 1908. As well as a stadium, the site included over a hundred exhibition buildings and pavilions constructed in an Oriental style, all of which were painted white (hence the area's acquired name), alongside the fairground featured here, which quickly became a popular London attraction. Various exhibitions and fairs were held at the site through to 1937, while the BBC's now abandoned Television Centre was also partly built on the same site.
Related
Pride in London 1975 Pride in London 1975
Amateur film 1975 1 mins Silent Location: Shepherd's Bush
A short but sweet show of stylish and colourful characters, parading to bring pride and power to the queer community in Central London.
M41 Motorway - Reclaim the Streets M41 Motorway - Reclaim the Streets
Amateur film 1996 8 mins Silent Location: Shepherd's Bush
Sandcastles and sound systesms replace cars and bikes as 6,000 protestors 'reclaim' the M41 Motoway in the name of community ownership.
Market Trends in the Year of Rising Prices Market Trends in the Year of Rising Prices
Amateur film 1969 8 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
From Petticoat Lane to Portobello Road, London's street markets are always full of life.
4th Round of the Cup 4th Round of the Cup
Non-Fiction 1923 2 mins Silent Location: Shepherd's Bush
Goals from the 1923 FA Cup 4th round, featuring QPR v Sheffield Utd, Charlton Athletic v Bolton Wanderers & Tottenham Hotspur v Derby County.
Footballer's Battalion Footballer's Battalion
Non-Fiction 1915 1 mins Silent Location: Shepherd's Bush
Professional footballers answer the call of duty and get in training; many would go on to fight in the Battle of the Somme.
London's Outer Ring London's Outer Ring
1924 12 mins Location: Kennington
Part of Wonderful London, the BFI National Archive’s programme of restored London travelogues, filmed in the capital in the 1920s.
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.
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.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
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.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.