Norfolk Past’ Kicks Off launch of Archive DVDs
An evening of nostalgia is planned at the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library at The Forum on Thursday when the East Anglian Film Archive launches its new range of ten archive DVDs.
In response to public demand, the archive, in partnership with local production company Independent Studios UK, has made a series of DVDs using archive film from the region, capturing the lives of people, their work and their surroundings from as early as the 1900s.
The evening kicks off with a private launch to thank the archive and production company’s supporters, followed by a public showing of ‘Norfolk Past’, a compilation of archive film from the County from the 1900s to the 1960s.
Richard Taylor, Director of the East Anglian Film Archive, said ‘We are very excited to be able to launch this set of DVDs. People have been asking for our films on this popular format for some time and our local production partner, Independent Studios UK, has done a great job with this first set of ten new titles. They are attractively packaged and will make ideal Christmas presents. I do hope that local people will take the opportunity to come and see Norfolk Past at the library and have a very enjoyable evening.’
Andrew Gray, Managing Director of Independent Studios UK says ‘The original films being released are phenomenal. They are the nearest we will get to time travel – a chance to see a chapter of East Anglian life that has gone forever. This project is the beginning of a long partnership with the Film Archive, and we have some very exciting plans for the future.’
The free screening of ‘Norfolk Past’ is open to all and starts at 7pm at the library on Thursday 11 October. The new range of DVDs which retail at £9.99, will be available to purchase on the night or from www.archivefilmshop.co.uk. The website goes live on 11 October.
NOTES TO EDITOR
FURTHER INFORMATION – Jane Gosling, Business Manager, East Anglian Film Archive, tel 01603 592664, email [email protected]
ABOUT US - The East Anglian Film Archive is owned and operated by the University of East Anglia.
The East Anglian Film Archive cares for many thousands of films and video tapes from the region including collections of Anglia Television and BBC East news film, and many amateur collections too. These collections are kept in humidity and temperature controlled vaults within the purpose built Archive Centre which the Record Office also occupies. Many of these collections remain unseen by the public due to the cost and complexity of transferring to modern day formats, but digitising is part of the archive’s long term plan, along with cataloguing its holdings.
Independent Studios UK is a broadcast film and TV Company based in Norwich, Norfolk.
It is jointly owned by Andrew Gray and Ashley Bond, who have both worked on productions for Channel 4, Discovery and the BBC.
Andrew Gray has directed and produced numerous projects, including The American Air Force in WWII in Colour broadcast by Canal Plus. He began his TV career working on The Worst Jobs in History and The Peasants’ Revolt, presented by Tony Robinson. He graduated from Cambridge with a First Class Degree (MA Hons) in history.
Ashley Bond has extensive experience in all aspects of TV and radio production. His credits include the BAFTA winning Feather Boy (BBC) and feature films including Puritan and Blue Tower. He has worked with household names including Miranda Richardson, David Soul, Paul McGann and Anita Dobson. He is a graduate of the National Film and Television School.
DVD TITLES - The titles of the new DVDs, and contents follow:
1. The Broads: A Norfolk Suffolk Treasure
Until the 19th Century, the Broads lay undiscovered: a paradise of water and wildlife.
Wherries sailed the quiet rivers, and small communities harvested reeds and hunted food.
But sweeping changes would transform this area forever…
Using original film, discover the fascinating story of life as it used to be on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads
2. Norfolk Past: The county our parents knew
Norfolk, 1903: there are horses, trams and gas lamps. People work on the farms, the toilet is a bucket and there is no central heating or running water.
Within half a century, Norfolk will be changed beyond recognition.
Step back in time and discover how people in Norfolk lived and worked from the 1900s to the 1960s.
With rare film from the East Anglian Film Archive, see the past come to life, including:
King’s Lynn
Norwich
Thetford
Yarmouth and many more…
3. Suffolk Past: The county our parents knew
Suffolk, 1913: most people work on the farms. The school is in the village, the toilet is a bucket and there is no electricity or running water.
Within sixty years, the County will change beyond recognition.
Step back in time and discover how people in Suffolk lived and worked from 1913 to the 1960s.
With rare film from the East Anglian Film Archive, see the past come to life, including:
Bury St Edmunds
Ipswich
Lavenham
Southwold and many more…
4. The Home Front: East Anglia at War
East Anglia is at war: evacuees have flooded in from the cities.
The Home Guard patrols the countryside; the Land Army work the fields.
Blackouts, air raids, gasmasks and rationing have become part of everyday life.
Using dramatic, rare film, discover how ordinary people in the East of England endured a war that changed their lives forever.
5. GI Airmen in East Anglia
East Anglia, 1942: the US Air Force has invaded, bringing Jeeps, gum, candy and nylons. Charming and friendly, the GIs quickly become part of the local scene
For the next three years, bombers will fly from East Anglia into the enemy’s heartland.
Using rare, original film, discover the story behind the men who risked extraordinary danger to win the peace.
6. Floods of East Anglia 1912-1953
January 1953: the sea surges above the coast, flooding whole areas of East Anglia. It is the worst disaster in peacetime Britain.
Freak weather has caused havoc in East Anglia, drowning hundreds of people and sweeping away homes and livelihoods.
Using rare, original film, discover the stories behind the disastrous floods, including:
Norwich in 1912
Norfolk in 1938
Cambrideshire in 1947
Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex in 1953
7. Norwich in the Fifties
Norwich, 1950: there are bombsites, rationing, shops on every corner, red telephone boxes and Austin Sevens.
The cattle market is still held at the Castle and the ring road does not exist.
Take a journey back in time and discover the story of the decade that changed Norwich forever.
Using rare film from the East Anglian Film Archive, highlights include:
The Festival of Britain, the Coronation, Norwich City in the semi finals of the FA Cup and a car journey through the city streets
8. Working the Land: Farm life in East Anglia
East Anglia, 1920s: the farm is a major employer. The horse ploughs the field, and the few machines are powered by steam.
Farm and village depend on each other. Milk and meat can be bought at the door. Everything is free range, and battery farming is unknown.
Within half a century, chemicals and machinery had transformed farming forever.
Featuring interviews with farmers and labourers, and using rare film from Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, look back to an age that has gone forever.
9. Railways of East Anglia 1900-1980s
East Anglia was once criss-crossed by railways. Most villages had a station, and trains carried everything from farm labourers to fruit.
By the 1960s, many of these lines had vanished, killed off by competition from the car.
From the days of steam through to diesels and electric locomotives, this film includes:
M&GN Railway and North Norfolk line
London to Scotland Express
LNER and Flying Scotsman
Southwold and Mid Suffolk railways
King’s Lynn to Hunstaton line
Electrification of Shenfield - Southend and London – Norwich
10. The Norfolk Coast 1920s – 1970s
The Norfolk Coast, 1920: the herring fleet is out at sea. Steam trains bring crowds of tourists to the beaches.
Wild and remote, the sea has provided a way of life to those who live and work beside it.
Discover the story of life on the Coast as it used to be - from fishermen and tales of ghosts to poaching and floods.
Using film from the East Anglian Film Archive, this production features Sheringham, Yarmouth and King’s Lynn