Amateur Bee-Keeping

The small town of Pinner in Harrow is brought to life through a short, reflective biography of novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

Hijinks ensue when a couple attempt to operate their television set, illustrating the frustrations of (what would have been) new technology.

This amateur informational piece fervently laments the necessary shift from old-fashioned telephone operation to the automatic system.

Evocative film capturing the suburb of Pinner succumbing to modernity, as we watch roads being constructed and the countryside retreating.

Hats, stumbles and happy faces at this wedding film from 1956, taken at the service and reception of Judith and Peter Elliott in Pinner.

Amateur newsreel covering the Harrow Marathon and a packed Shrove Tuesday event on Pinner High Street attended by Ronny Barker.

A new luxury express is put through its paces. This film looks over the shoulders of the select band of craftsmen, engineers and operators, whose combined skills try to ensure that a train journey is a delightful experience.

British Transport Films record the varied daily lives of their neighbours as seen from the high roof of their building in London’s Marylebone.

Illustrating the efficiency of express freight trains, and how they link manufacturers with their customers at the other end of Britain.

Examining a day in the life of what was then the busiest railway system in the world – British Railways.

The Stationmaster at York guides us through a typical day, from dawn to dusk.

A 1957 film examining the future for British Railways, and some of the opportunities provided by a new modernisation plan.