At Wessex Film and Sound Archive you can see and hear history, from late Victorian times to the present day, through moving images and sound recordings. The Archive contains over 36,000 film and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including film and tapes of local TV and radio.
This film is currently unavailable
Video Player is loading.
Romsey Town Developments
There's watery upheaval in Romsey throughout this remarkable film record from the early 1930s - featuring Saxons, skulls and a helmeted diver.
From the collection of:
Overview
This unusual film captures images not normally seen in home-movies. It starts with a Saxon pageant followed by an outdoor religious service in the grounds of Romsey Abbey. This is followed by a fund-raising carnival for the hospital. There follows, unusually, a long sequence showing the installation of the town's sewer and drainage system. Bones are unearthed, new bridges are constructed and a diver has to work underwater while building the new sewage treatment plant.
Related
Watch for free
Romsey Gazette Romsey Gazette
Amateur film 1931 12 mins Silent Location: Romsey
Social and civic events in Romsey are recorded in this film from the early 1930s - with fascinating views of the town centre as well as a car crash and a devastating house-fire.
Watch for free
Afrika Bambaataa on Afrofuturism (Q&A) Afrika Bambaataa on Afrofuturism (Q&A)
Inside Film 2014 45 mins
Afrika Bambaataa and DJ, musician and filmmaker Don Letts discuss the development of Afrofuturism and its key artists.
Watch for free
Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass) Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2011 33 mins
Over 30 years and 150 projects, the composer shares, with humour and passion, the intricacies of making film music.
Watch for free
Ian Neil (Masterclass) Ian Neil (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2012 74 mins
Neil selected soundtracks for 127 Hours, Shame, Kick Ass, Control and many more. He discusses the job and its complexities, referencing his own work.
Watch for free
Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan
Inside Film 2012 mins
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's adapter reveals his quest for "the poem of the book" and the importance of simplicity: 'Drain the pond to find the fish'.
Watch for free
Gabriel Yared on composing for film Gabriel Yared on composing for film
Inside Film 2013 11 mins
Composer of The Lives of Others, The English Patient and Betty Blue on intimacy and experimentation.
Watch for free
Lois Burwell on movie makeup Lois Burwell on movie makeup
Inside Film 2013 17 mins
Lincoln, Braveheart and Magnolia make-up artist Lois Burwell explains how she created some of her most iconic looks, as part of a BAFTA Masterclass.