Our Family Album

Family life carries on in Broadwater, despite the war, as you'll see in this charming home-movie - which features babies, weddings and aircraft flying over the rooftops.

As this film shows, normal family life carried on, despite war-time restrictions. We start with an intimate record of baby Hedley Marcus’ first weeks and months. We see his pram pushed along streets where soldiers and civilians, few of whom are carrying gas-masks, are seen. We see his baptism at St Mary's Church, still with its iron railings as well as the wedding of a Victory V couple. War intrudes when aircraft buzz overhead and numerous family friends pose for the camera.

This film is interesting because, as well as showing the apparent normaility of family life during the war, it reveals a number of changes made to the local environment. What is apparent, however, is that there doesn't seem to be a universal adoption of war-time precautions. Painted white stripes can be seen on lamp-posts and telegraph poles, to help people see in the blackout, but hardly anyone carries their gas-mask. The windows of only a few houses have been treated with anti-blast tape and, at the time of filming, the iron railings of St Mary's Church, Broadwater remain intact. However, they would be later removed for salvage and, to date, have not been replaced.