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 part of Free
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Electioneering Southampton
A fascinating film from 1931 showing the National Government candidate, William Craven Craven-Ellis, on the hustings in Southampton.
From the collection of:
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Overview
We're on the campaign trail in Southampton during the 1931 General Election. Mr Craven-Ellis is standing for election as the National Government candidate. We see him on the hustings, addressing open-air meetings and chatting with smiling supporters. Many political posters are seen, endorsing him as candidate as well as the National Government. We also see a variety of lucky mascots; a 'stuffed' black cat, a horseshoe and the candidate's dog.
William Craven-Ellis remained Southampton's MP until the General Election of 1945 when he was ousted by the former Labour incumbent, Ralph Morley.
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