This film is part of Free

Local Scenes and Family Pictures

Grandma and Grandad also join in the fun of this home movie - with beaches, swings & roundabouts and a medieval pageant led by Christopher Robin

Amateur film 1927 14 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Screen Archive South East

Overview

This remarkable film from the late 1920s shows an entire family thoroughly enjoying themselves. Beginning with scenes at Dymchurch and Lancing we see the children and their parents cavort on the beach while Grandad, in his suit and Homberg, looks on. After visiting Chichester's livestock auctions we see the entire family playing on swings and roundabouts. Even Grandma goes down the slide. We then see an historical pageant in progress before visiting two dams in Wales.

This unique film also features Christopher Robin Milne, whose father, A A Milne, created the character, Winnie the Pooh - he is seen in the section of this film which shows the 1929 Pageant of Ashdown Forest. At this event characters dressed in medieval and 18th century costume enact various historical scenarios, including what appears to be a battle, to an appreciative audience. Christopher Robin, then still a small boy, leads a procession of younger players who are dressed as characters from the Winnie the Pooh books.