This film is part of Free

Kirk Ireton Parishioners

From the youngest to the oldest: the camera captures the ordinary lives of the people of Kirk Ireton in Derbyshire.

Amateur film 1935 4 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

This short film made by Wilfred Ratcliffe from the nearby village of Kniveton is shot in a relaxed style and provides us with a fascinating view of life in a Derbyshire village before the Second World War. Women go about their business and some of the youngest inhabitants are presented to the camera. Opening the reel are shots of the local children demonstrating their well rehearsed country dancing skills.

The film maker Wilfred Ratcliffe was the village barber in Kniveton and also the chauffeur to Thomas Edward Wright who was a prominent local farmer and land owner. The pair would drive around the locality filming people as they went about their business in the fields and streets.

Subjects