Yesterday's Britain titles were offically deleted on 31 Deccember 2008 (except YB35). Titles will appear here so long as stocks remain. Hurry do not delay as you may find the title you want has disappeared.
A series of video presentations which paint pictures of a Britain gone by. The series has been compiled from films originally made as educational and travel documentaries but with the passage of time, have gained an historic and nostalgic value of their own.
The red bus has been a familiar scene of London for over a century. This video tells the the story of buses in London starting with Omnibus 150, a film made in 1979 to celebrate 150 years since George Shillibeer ran the first regular bus service in the capital. It traces the development of the bus from horse buses, to motor buses and on to the purpose built buses designed by London Transport, the RT followed by the Routemaster. The video also contains Overhaul, a film made in 1957 showing how London's familiar RT bus was overhauled at purpose built works in Aldenham. The Nine Road (1976), which follows the day in the operation of a Routemaster service across central London, route 9 from Liverpool Street to Mortlake.Finally the DVD features a short film Getting To Grips (1984) features a driver learning the technique of controlling his Routemaster bus on a greasy wet surface the famous Chiswick skid patch, which closed down about six months after the film was made.
Black and white and colour. 56 mins.
Quote order no YB30D Order Form for this video. [On Line order]
or order by phone from the Signal Box on 0116 236 2901
This programmes starts with Sir Frank Whittle's early jets and shows how within ten years the British jet has come to surpass the piston engine. Its the age of gung-ho test pilots and competing manufacturers. Britain's Jet Planes(1950 - colour) shows early jet aero engine construction scenes at Whetstone, an E28 Gloster jet, and F9/40 Gloster Meteor prototype, the first British Aircraft Constructors Show at Radlett (1948) including an Armstrong Whitworth AW52 ('Flying Wing') and the world's first jet airliner the experimental Nene Viking. A demonstration fly-past of various aircraft includes a Saunders-Roe Naval fighter (the first jet flying-boat) flown upside-down. At the 1949 SBAC Farnborough Show we see the De Havilland Comet make its first public appearance. Britain's New Aircraft (1950) is a record of the aircraft on show at Farnborough. Exhibits include a Meteor surrounded by its possible armament options, the Bristol Brabazon, two versions of the Vickers Viscount - the experimental twin-jet 'Tay' Viscount and the production 4-turboprop '700', De Havilland Comet, a demonstration of in-flight refuelling (Meteor from Lincoln), Avro 'Ashton' high-altitude research jet, Avro 707, Hawker P 1081, Vickers 535 (experimental high-speed jets); the Meteor 8 and the Canberra production model. This Jet Age (1953) The Farnborough Air Show in a year of consolidation with emphasis on production models rather than prototypes. The flying display features: Vickers Viscount; Shorts Princess flying boat, De Havilland Comet 2, Bristol Britannia, English Electric Canberra, De Havilland DH 110, Short SP-5 (sweep-wing experimental aircraft), Boulton Paul P111A research aircraft, Gloster Javelin, Supermarine Swifts, Hawker Hunter (including supersonic flight), Handley Page Victor V-bomber makes its first appearance, the Vickers Valiant also appears, as does the Avro Vulcan. Wing To Wing (1951) is a Short film praising the role of the air forces of Britain and NATO. British aircraft patrol the skies around the world (Hong Kong, Middle East, Korea); Features Coastal Command Shackleton, reconnaissance aircraft patrolling the channel, the work of Fighter Command, new methods of control a scramble sequence, the Meteor and its successor the Swift in flight, Anglo-American co-operation: B36 jets at US airbase in Britain, and British aircraft: Canberra and Valiant. In On The Beam (1951) a film about Heathrow's air and ground control approach systems. Examples of air control in operation include: route markers - Languedoc 161 crosses coast, picking up Chatham radio beacon and Ashford fan-marker on the approaches to London; vertical separation - a squadron of Vampires is routed over a Stratocruiser; stacking over London - even the gleaming Hermes must join the queue. Concluding sequence shows London Ground Control Approach radar talking down a Viking for a blind approach in foggy conditions.
Black and white and colour. 53 minutes DVD PAL video. Order Form for this DVD . [On Line order]
or order by phone from the Signal Box on 0116 236 2901
This DVD features artist that brought music to the people during and after World War 2. Dame Myra Hess plays Beethoven [View] and Mozart [View] in a National Gallery devoid of pictures. Instruments of the Orchestra[View] and Steps of the Ballet[View] were two educational films made by the Crown Film Unit to help schools meet the requirements of R.A. Butler's 1944 Education Act which put music into the curriculum for the first time. Benjamin Britten wrote his Young Persons Guide To The Orchestra for Instruments fo the Orchestra performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent. Arthur Benjamin was commissioned to write the score for Steps of the Ballet which unlike its orchestral colleague has become a forgotten film. Robert Helpmann explains the staging of a ballet with choreography by Andree Howard and lead roles by Gerd Larsson and Alexander Grant. Finally Dennis Brain explains the French horn and the performs Beethoven's Horn Sonata with Denis Matthews [View]. Contains an audio extra. Holst - The Perfect Fool ballet music played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Recorded in the Kingsway Hall, London in March 1946.
Black and white 76 minutes DVD PAL video. Order Form for this DVD . [On Line order]
or order by phone from Priory Records on 01525 377566
In 1962 British Transport Films released All That Mighty Heart[View], a day in the life of London and London Transport. It follows the course of the day by reference to radio and televison programmes of the time. This colour film was originally started in 1953 as BTF production no 121 with a working title Operating London[View]. For some unkown reason the project was abandoned. Some shots found their way into All That Mighty Heart, the rest were discarded. Now, over fifty years later some of the material salvaged from the cutting room floor has been complied for this DVD. It features buses at Fords works, STLs on route 101, Trolleybuses in Woolwich, at Hampton Court and in the Commercial Road, trams in South East London ( originally shot in 1952), Golders Green signal box, standard and 38 tube stock, and many central London scenes. Also shot in 1953 is Children's Coronation[View] the story of how London Transport ferried school children from all over London to the big event of the year.
Contains an audio extra. Elgar - Cockaigne Overtureplayed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Eduard van Beinum. Recorded in the Kingsway Hall, London in 1949.
Black and white and colour. 66 mins.
The post war London Underground had changed little. A few postponed extensions were opened. Whilst London Transport planners battled with the Government for new trains signalling and the automated Victoria Line, life underground continued unchanged. The training and information films on this DVD reflect these times. SAFETY ON THE TRACK (1951) is primarily designed for track workers. Its is a straight forward film detailing how to work on the track. Then the film moves into Lillie Bridge depot where steam rules supreme. The final incident livens up the film. POWER SIGNAL LINEMAN (1953) demonstrates the work of this important member of the Underground team. Centred on West Ruislip our lineman carries out maintenance and repairs to signals and points. SCHOOL FOR SERVICE (1953) released as London Transport Cine gazette no 11, this film demonstrates the work of the Railway Training Centre at Lambeth North ( replaced in 1962 by a purpose built centre at White City ). Platform staff, booking clerks, signalmen , drivers and guards all passed through the training centre. UNDER NIGHT STREETS (1958) After British Transport Films abandoned the idea of one film to tell how London Transport keeps London moving ( Operating London, published on YB37 All That Mighty Heart) three films eventually appeared - Overhaul (YB30 The London Bus), All That Mighty Heart (YB37) and Under Night Streets. This film tells of the work of the fluffers who cleaned the tunnels each night and of an emergency track gang called out to replace a broken rail.
In the 1950s while London Transport planners battled with the Government for new trains, signalling and the automated Victoria Line, life underground continued unchanged. The training and information films on this DVD reflect these times. SAFETY ON THE TRACK (1951) is primarily designed for track workers. Its is a straight forward film detailing how to work on the track. Then the film moves into Lillie Bridge depot where steam rules supreme. The final incident livens up the film. POWER SIGNAL LINEMAN (1953) demonstrates the work of this important member of the Underground team. Centred on West Ruislip our lineman carries out maintenance and repairs to signals and points. SCHOOL FOR SERVICE (1953) released as London Transport Cine gazette no 11, demonstrates the work of the Railway Training Centre at Lambeth North (replaced in 1962 by a purpose built centre at White City ). Platform staff, booking clerks, signalmen , drivers and guards all passed through the training centre. UNDER NIGHT STREETS (1958) came about after British Transport Films abandoned the idea of one film to tell how London Transport keeps London moving. Instead three films eventually appeared - Overhaul (YB30 The London Bus), All That Mighty Heart (YB37) and Under Night Streets. This film tells of the work of the fluffers who cleaned the tunnels each night and of an emergency track gang called out to replace a broken rail.
In 1962 London's first new tube line since before the War was authorised. It took five years to build the Victoria Line (between Walthamsow and Victoria) and British Transport Films covered all the aspects of construction, fitting out and testing in four Victoria Line reports, Over and Under, Down and Along, Problems and Progress and Equip and Complete. Now restored with new 35 mm colour prints these films have been brought together to provide a comprehensive programme of the building of London's Victoria Line. The DVD also includes AFC and You an animated short film explaining how to use the automatic fare barriers.
From The Times November 3, 2008
The Web Watcher: Transports of delight
Nigel Kendall
When the BBC recorded a four- minute filler of a steam train ride from London to Brighton, it could never have suspected that 50 years later it would be one of YouTube's more popular clips, at tinyurl.com/5rpnyc. If this tickles your fancy, there's more - far more, at www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk, which carries news of up-to- date releases on DVD and clips of the building of our railways. This can be an expensive hobby. Having watched a clip of the building of the Victoria Line, at tinyurl.com/6gbu4q, I went straight out and bought the DVD.Happy travelling!
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