Ref: OV976D
Price:£15.95
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This is a casual look at some of the buses, trams, trains, boats and London's aerodromes that have served the City well. It is also a study of Londoners as seen at work and play and during the Second World War.
Edwardian horse buses feature first at Trafalgar Square. Also a working site of the many Tube railways springing up all over the City. Superb scenes of horse buses and Hansom Cabs in Parliament Square. Piccadilly Circus has early motor cars and the first motor buses appear. Underground railways didn't attract the pioneer film makers do we have some excellent drawings by W.Lucker Jnr adding to film of the Metropolitan extensions into the country.
When Tower Bridge opens up the quaint signalling system is seen in action as a ship approaches. Nearby a paddle steamer departs to Southend where Edwardian Ladies wet their ankles in the sea. The LCC holds a cermony in 1903 to welcome their first electric tram route. In 1908 the Franco-British exhibiion is held at White City, and a fashion show reveals what the ladies are now wearing. Remarkable scenes follow in East London, early trams and buses in Whitechapel, East Ham and Stepney. Trams in Barnet follow. The LUT scrap old trams and introduce the famous "Feltham" advanced luxury tramcar.
On the Underground, Standard stock is seen being built and variations are seen running in West London. The Metropolitan are running T stock trains and electric locos. London's first electric trolleybus, the "Diddler" is seen at Kingston, dodging around the trams there.
In 1933 all transport concerns, except the main railway companies, came to be run as one organisation, the "London Passenger Transport Board". This inherited a vast collection of old and new buses, trams, trains etc. We take a look at some of these - the General buses, LCC Trams and tube trains. Trams still trundled throuh Kingston Subway and emerged under the foundations of Waterloo Bridge being rebuilt above them. Rare colour film of 1934 shows General buses, Green Line coaches and the many fine cars and taxis of the period.
A tour of London Docks in 1935 reminds us of the days of sailing wherries, steam tugs, floating cranes and ships of many nations. Fish was still delivered by boats to Billingsgate Market. London street works repair roads, chairs, sell flowers and turn Barrel Organs. While posh children went to the Park with their nannies.
Cinema Posters are pasted up and we go to Leytonstone High Road where - in colour, in 1936 - trams and buses pass the Academy Cinema.
Londons get off Standard stock tube trains at Hendon Central and head for Hendon Aerodrome to see an Air Pageant take place, or board a Southern Electric train for London Airport then at Croydon. Imperial Airways fly those magnificent machines - huge biplane airliners.
The LPTB started it 1935 New Works plan amongst which LNER steam worked branches would be taken over by tube trains such as the Ongar line. Standard stock trains are seen in colour and new 1938 tube trains were put into service.
The Second World War sees Londoners sheltering in tube stations once again. Air raids took their toll of the buses and trams, and the end of the war was wecomed - in colour film - of crowds in Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square in 1945.
The tram replacement programme was resumed. Trams terminate at Victoria Station for the last time and buses take over, but many remain in service in South London. The RT bus was put into full production after the pre-war versions are seen.
In 1951 London had the "Festival of Britain" exhibition on the South Bank Many special buses were put on to cope with the crowds.In Battersea Park, Emmetts wonderful "Far Tottering and Oyster Creek" railway is seen in service. Old buses still lumbered on and the Board was forced to hire in many provincial buses to cope. They are seen going past many bombed sites still littering the City. St.Paul's Cathedral was still surrounded by ruined buildings.
STL buses were still being used on the famous "Skid Patch" at Chiswick Works. Colour films of the last days of the London tram comes next and their sad demise by being burnt to scrap is filmed at Penhall Road yad in 1952.
1956 sees the new aluminium bodied tube stock being launched at Acton station. Also a Acton, the little shuttle to South Acton stops runing. Standard stock tube trains are seen running to Leytonstone, in the resumption of the pre-war plan. A prototype Routemaster appears on show. The production models would be used to replace the trolleybuses. Scenes then follow showing the Trolleys still in service in North London, the scrapping programme starting behind Colindale Depot and finally - in colour - magnificent shots on a snowy day of Trolleybuses at Barnet Church in 1962.
Availability: WHILE STOCKS LAST
Classification: Exempt
Number of discs: 1 DVD-R
Media Format: DVD-R
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