This film is part of Free
Leyland May Festival (1905)
A colourful May festival parade in the Lancashire town.
Overview
Led by the inevitable brass band, a parade files past the camera: Morris dancers, boys in sailor suits, boys dressed as Victorian beefeaters and the Boys' Brigade all troop past until the carriage bearing the May Queen pauses, slightly uncomfortably, for her close-up. The film was one of 35 within this collection commissioned by George Green, one of the pioneers of fairground cinema.
Leyland's May festival dates no further back than 1889, when it was inaugurated as a children's festival to revive observance of Royal Oak Day, the commemoration of the restoration of the monarchy in May 1660. It was held annually from 1889 to 1936 with a few gaps, then revived again in 1951 to celebrate the Festival of Britain, continuing to this day.
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.
Workers Leaving a Factory in Leyland (c.1900) Workers Leaving a Factory in Leyland (c.1900)
Non-Fiction 1900 2 mins Silent Location: Leyland
Another shift ends in Victorian Lancashire, while children play in the street.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Luke Bean of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.
New Perspectives: Wings of Desire New Perspectives: Wings of Desire
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Samantha Arnold of Northumbria University offers fresh insight into why Wings of Desire remains essential viewing.
Horace Ové on Pressure Horace Ové on Pressure
Inside Film 2005 36 mins
The acclaimed director discusses his landmark film in this interview from 2005.
Baltimore - Exclusive Q&A Baltimore - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 28 mins
Directors Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor dig deep into their thrilling biopic Baltimore, in discussion with Nadia M Oliva.
Pressure star Herbert Norville on Horace Ové's masterpiece, the first full-length Black British film Pressure star Herbert Norville on Horace Ové's masterpiece, the first full-length Black British film
Inside Film 2024 17 mins
Actor Herbert Norville discusses working with the pioneering filmmaker on his groundbreaking 1975 drama, Pressure.
Horace Ové: Reflecting the People – A Career Retrospective Horace Ové: Reflecting the People – A Career Retrospective
Inside Film 2024 77 mins
An impassioned discussion on the life, work and legacy of the eminent filmmaker Horace Ové, chaired by Samira Ahmed.