Letchworth Festival

A May Queen pageant, Highland piping, and musical theatre. Letchworth's part in celebrating the 1951 Festival of Britain captured by the local Film Society.

Letchworth, England’s first Garden City, hold a number of events in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. Norton School hold a May Queen Pageant with a procession and Maypole Dancing. The traditional and contemporary dancing continues from St. Francis College pupils – an Italian theatre Harlequin character takes to the stage, followed by a rather wonderful ballet performance, but that rather strangely features a pantomime cow!

Next, the boys perform, accompanied by bagpipers and dancing in full Highland dress – kilt, sporran, tartan knee socks. At the Round Table Fair runs a miniature steam train, a rather nimble gymnastics display, and an equally fearless ‘push ball’ match. The Boy Scout’s efforts for the festival show their dedication and skill in both camping and sports. A football match, a boxing tournament, and sports days are all scheduled throughout the year by the Festival Committee. The final scenes show amateur theatre and French music hall productions, including making-up backstage. The musical contributions to the Festival may seem pointlessly captured in a silent film, however, the visuals speak for themselves.