This film is part of Free

Welwyn Garden City - The War Years

A great example of ‘despite war, life continues’, Welwyn Garden City residents continue with annual traditions, festive occasions and celebrations, during wartime.

Amateur film 1939 15 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for East Anglian Film Archive

Overview

Play-fighting using a police truncheon … showering a bride and groom with confetti. The constant threat of a nation at war does not dispirit the citizens of Welwyn Garden City as they continue with the traditions and commemorations typical of a community.

Scenes include the Special Police Force, portraying a somewhat happy-go-lucky approach to training; felling and erecting the first Christmas tree on the Campus; confetti-throwing at a wedding at the Free Church; the special opening of the Woodhall Shopping Parade; the old Welwyn Stores; the opening of the new Welwyn Department Stores; as well as showing the wartime precautions of boarding up, and army trucks driving along Bridge Road, and finally, V.E. Day celebrations. In addition, footage concludes (starting at 13:21) with a carnival procession along Ludwick Way, captured almost a decade later in 1952.