Stranraer Royal Visit 1955

Visit Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, with a Royal accompaniment as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visit in 1955, enjoying an agricultural show and pageant along the way.

Join Queen Elizabeth II just two years after her Coronation as she and the Duke of Edinburgh soak up the splendid sights of Stranraer in this Royal local topical. After making a grand arrival in the impressive Royal yacht the couple are greeted by the Provost. Elated crowds cheer their sovereign as she enjoys the Stranraer and Rhins of Galloway agricultural show, presents medals and trophies and watches a historical pageant and procession of elaborate floats.

Local topical films were made specifically to be shown to local cinema audiences, and were very popular from the early days of cinema until the late 1950s. Local cinemas would film popular community events such as gala days, parades, local festivals and holidays, with a remit to get in as many close ups of faces in the crowd as possible. Hence the frequent use of the panning shot, very much the hallmark of the local topical, to maximise the audience who would be enticed into the picture hall a few nights later with the prospect of seeing themselves on the big screen. This local topical film was found in the Kinema theatre, Stranraer, which has now been demolished.