Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. The archive's collections of magic lantern slides, films, videos and associated materials capture the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day and serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
This film is part of Free
Village life in wartime Cobham
You'd never know there was a war on in sleepy Cobham until you see the soldiers - otherwise life goes on at a slow pace in this beautifully bucolic corner of Kent.
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Overview
The quiet Kent village of Cobham features in this nostalgic film from Bygone Britain. The horse and cart still reigns supreme and the few cars and motorbikes seem to be on official war business. Villagers go about their daily business while uniformed soldiers walk through the village - often on their way to the pub! Then we see a funfair and cricket match before getting a glimpse of wartime Ilford.
Interestingly, there are several shots of the Cobham College Almshouses in this film. A pair of residents, Harry and Dick Bramble, are seen entering the ancient building which appears to have a lop-sided doorway. Originally built in 1362, by Sir John de Cobham to house priests, the Almhouses today still house many of Cobham's elderly residents. The Burnside Market Post Office, in Ilford, appears at the end of the film because Archie Morris, the filmmaker, became its sub-postmaster, clearly while the latter part of the film was made.
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