The East Anglian Film Archive, the first and largest Regional Film Archive in England, was established in 1976. Since 1984, EAFA has been owned and operated by the University of East Anglia, Norwich (UEA), to support research and work to preserve our moving image heritage. More than 250 hours are freely available online as examples of the wide range of film which attracts interest the world over.
This film is part of Free
Lifeboat
A Perkins Engines sponsored film on the development of British lifeboats and the history of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
From the collection of:
Overview
Founded in 1824 as the ‘National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck’, the RNLI gained its Royal Charter in 1860. It is one of many charities in the UK for which the Queen acts as patron. Most of the members of the RNLI’s lifeboat crews are unpaid volunteers as the organisation is mainly funded by donations and legacies from the public. Lifeguards on over 200 British beaches are paid by local councils, but the equipment and training is provided by the RNLI.
Perkins of Peterborough is famous for its specialisation in diesel engines for industry, agriculture, boating and transport in general. The company started to promote itself through film in the 1950s and today, the informative and instructional films will appeal to enthusiasts of diesel engine history. The impressive output of the Perkins Engines Film Unit, both in quality and quantity, is reflected in almost one hundred productions from the 1950s to the 1980s. Well-known for lending its films free of charge for viewing by the general public, the collection held at the East Anglian Film Archive includes six of the Perkins Film Reviews of the 1950s, originally shot in 35mm exclusively for staff.
Related
Watch for free
Any Man's Kingdom Any Man's Kingdom
Travelogue 1956 21 mins Location: Alnwick
An attempt to capture the variety of life in Northumberland, and in particular something of the county's heart-warming atmosphere.
Watch for free
Enchanting North Enchanting North
Amateur film 1959 9 mins Silent Location: Howick
Castles, shipwrecks and colonies of birds encountered on a journey down the coast of Northumberland.
Watch for free
A Taste of Northumbria A Taste of Northumbria
Amateur film 1979 16 mins Location: Holy Island
A tour of Northumberland that reminds us that what once protected us, now itself needs protecting, as does the surrounding wildlife.
Watch for free
Geordie Jubilee Geordie Jubilee
Promotional 1987 4 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
A big Geordie welcome to the north east from comrades at NERIAC.
Watch for free
Move North Move North
Industry sponsored film 1966 20 mins Location: Middlesbrough
A serious sales pitch for the North East by a battling former Labour MP.
Watch for free
Northumbrian Memories Northumbrian Memories
Amateur film 1957 20 mins Silent Location: Hexham
A personal portrait of a family tour of some historic Northumbrian sights in the mid-1950s, with Seahouses looking especially idyllic, wonderfully filmed in Kodachrome.
Watch for free
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
Watch for free
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Watch for free
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Watch for free
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
Watch for free
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
Watch for free
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.