The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
This film is part of Free
Solihull Receives its Charter of Incorporation
A red letter day for students of local government in Solihull as the area celebrates its change from urban district council to municipal borough.
From the collection of:
Overview
In the long and complex history of local government in Solihull, 11 March 1954 is a landmark day with Princess Margaret visiting to bestow a Charter of Incorporation on the town (the Odeon Cinema in Shirley was pressed into use for the occasion). Solihull could now elect its first mayor but, as this civic film shows, the main interest was the visiting princess; then a press darling thanks to her on-off romance with divorcee Peter Townsend.
Related
Watch for free
Invalid Carriage Protest Invalid Carriage Protest
News 1977 2 mins Location: Solihull
Disabled motorists take on the Government and corner a Minister in the process.
Watch for free
Adult Training Centre Adult Training Centre
News 1974 4 mins Location: Solihull
The Solihull centre that offered training for an eager workforce traditionally rejected by the world of work.
Watch for free
A Midlands News Day A Midlands News Day
Promotional 1963 18 mins Location: Solihull
With major stories cropping up right across the Midlands can ATV's news team get the programme out on time?
Watch for free
The Solihull Rat Club The Solihull Rat Club
Amateur film 1938 8 mins Silent Location: Solihull
The bodies soon pile up when the lads of the Solihull Rat Club let their dogs loose on the town's infestation.
Watch for free
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
Watch for free
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Watch for free
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
Watch for free
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Watch for free
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Watch for free
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.