This film is part of Free
Bootle May Day Demonstration and Crowning of the May Queen (1903)
May Day revellers brave a wet and windy day in Edwardian Merseyside.
Overview
Scenes of maypole and morris dancing intermingle with an ornate pageant in this picturesque film. The floats are a fascinating roll-call of local traders, reminding us of the Merseyside town's maritime connections. In one eye-catching example, a man in a diving-suit stands next to his mates who 'fish' for coins on behalf of the lifeboat service. In another, a flotilla of model yachts rolls by.
The weather was inevitably the talking point of the day. Said the Bootle Times (9 May 1903): "The children, in order to avoid the drenching which would have been inevitable had they remained in their respective positions on the uncovered lorries, rapidly dispersed to obtain shelter wherever possible. Thus in a moment was undone the work which it had taken so lengthy a period to build up."
Related
May Day Ponies May Day Ponies
News 1974 4 mins Location: Upper Gornal
Sam Jeavons is a Black Country horse man through and through and May Day is a time to decorate his wagon and bring some colour to Upper Gornal's streets.
Springtime in an English Village Springtime in an English Village
Documentary 1944 7 mins Location: Stanion
An extraordinary and unexpected snapshot of rural life in wartime in which a young black girl is crowned Queen of the May.
The Legend of the Good Beasts The Legend of the Good Beasts
Children's 1956 24 mins
Fabergé animals in a Russian influenced Easter tale narrated by Peter Ustinov
Welcome Spring Welcome Spring
Amateur film 1952 9 mins Silent
Spring comes to Scotland in the 1950s: feed playful lambs, pick a host of glorious daffodils, and harness your faithful horse to the plough in this lovely amateur colour film.
Avalanche of Lambs Avalanche of Lambs
Non-Fiction 1923 1 mins Silent
A fluffy white blizzard - of hundreds of newborn lambs - hits a Reading farm, keeping the shepherd's hands full.
Easter Parade, Hyde Park Easter Parade, Hyde Park
1958 4 mins Silent Location: Hyde Park
Easter Parade in Hyde Park, April 1958.
Street Decorations in Bootle Street Decorations in Bootle
Amateur film 1953 4 mins Silent Location: Bootle
Celebrating the new Elizabethan era, and all ages can join in the fun.
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.