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A handsome steam launch ferries the future PM downriver to the luxury yacht 'Enchantress'.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
In the lead-up to WWI, future Prime Minister Winston Churchill served as First Lord of the Admiralty, the head of the British Royal Navy. A bonus of this prestigious and powerful position was access to the Admiralty's super-yacht, the 'Enchantress'. This newsreel item glimpses the politician making his way in style to his luxurious floating home - though the ship itself was clearly off-limits.
From 1911 to 1914 Churchill surveyed the state of the British naval fleet, claiming to have visited every dockyard, shipyard and significant ship in both Britain and the Mediterranean. His jaunts aboard the Enchantress were often criticised, however, by some in the press, who accused him of taking private holidays at the Admiralty's expense. The Topical Budget newsreel, though, rarely if ever went in for criticising ministers, and It's not clear from this item whether Mr Churchill was departing for far-flung lands or simply attending to 'business as usual'.
Comedy 1914 14 mins Silent Location: Twickenham
The intrepid Lieutenant Pimple thwarts foreign enemies in an action-packed wartime spy spoof.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent Location: London
An introduction to the wonders of the automobile for curious WWI enlisties.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
Grinning Canadian troops arrive in England.
Non-Fiction 1914 mins Silent
A wartime call-to-arms performed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
Belgian soldiers and civilian refugees gather in Ostend in early WWI, before evacuating to England.
Non-Fiction 1914 1 mins Silent
The ruins of an unnamed Belgian town early in WWI.
Non-Fiction 1901 1 mins Silent Location: London
Capital scenes thanks to Victorian filmmakers
Non-Fiction 1900 2 mins Location: London
Vivid images of Victorian London - but where?
1899 2 mins Silent Location: London
A sports day gives the young residents of the Foundling Hospital a chance to let off steam
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins Location: London
Londoners turn out in their thousands to greet the returning Boer War hero after his famous defence of Ladysmith
Non-Fiction 1901 1 mins Silent Location: London
Horse-drawn traffic on one of London's busiest thoroughfares
Non-Fiction 1897 1 mins Silent Location: London
The Band of the First Life Guards approaches Westminster Bridge during Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
Industry sponsored film 1960 24 mins
A new luxury express is put through its paces. This film looks over the shoulders of the select band of craftsmen, engineers and operators, whose combined skills try to ensure that a train journey is a delightful experience.
Documentary 1973 15 mins
British Transport Films record the varied daily lives of their neighbours as seen from the high roof of their building in London’s Marylebone.
Travelogue 1953 21 mins Location: York
The Stationmaster at York guides us through a typical day, from dawn to dusk.
Industry sponsored film 1957 20 mins
Illustrating the efficiency of express freight trains, and how they link manufacturers with their customers at the other end of Britain.
Documentary 1952 30 mins
Examining a day in the life of what was then the busiest railway system in the world – British Railways.
Industry sponsored film 1957 9 mins
A 1957 film examining the future for British Railways, and some of the opportunities provided by a new modernisation plan.
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